So, what’s in heavy rotation in your MP3? Right now, I am l-o-v-i-n-g Emily King’s “Eastside Story”. You’ve probably heard the first cut from this CD in radio rotation - “Walk in My Shoes”. Got a nice old school funky bass line to it. I’m playing this CD so much, I can’t even remember what other CDs I picked up the same day. Here’s one of my favorite cuts, “U & I”:

So there’s a bill before the VA General Assembly. According to said proposed legislation, a person would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon into a bar…provided that person went to the barkeep and said, “I have a conceealed weapon, a permit to carry it. Please don’t serve me any alcohol.” You’re laughing? I’m serious.

Voters turned out in record numbers to vote in the Democratic Primary a few weeks back. It was a beautiful thang…regardless of who they voted for. Now, you’da thunk that folks were watching what was going on across the nation and prepared accordingly right? *SIGH* Oh no. Not “The Commonwealth of VA”. The number of ballots made available in polling places was derived “simply” by looking at previous turnout and doing a basic extrapolation. That might have sufficed except for the fact that folks are fired up about the Democratic race and are turning out in droves. Why oh why did folks in Chesterfield County - upon finding out they were running out of ballots - instruct people to write their choices on a piece of paper and place it in the ballot box?!?! Why?? Now the whole process is being reviewed.

*sigh* Apparently VA isn’t just for lovers….it’s for foolishness too….

I was half-watching “Quarterlife” tonight. In one scene, there’s a chick who’s videoblogging about her life (including the foibles of her friends…unbeknowst to them) who’s watching a guy she’s in love with watching her roommate who he’s in love with as she dances with her boyfriend who happens to be the guy’s bestfriend. Got it? ‘K. Point is, she’s watching them and thinks to herself something like, “I’ve always been able to “see” other people, to know what they’re thinking and feeling. How come no one ever sees me?”

*SIGH*

Been there. Done that. Felt like I was wearing a cloak of invisibility. (Ironic considering how much of my life I TRIED to be invisible…but that’s a whole ‘nother post.)

Let me see if I can tie that scene and her sense of invisibility into a thought I had on the way home today. Remember this post, Beautiful Epiphany? That was a case where I “saw” someone so clearly it scared the stuffing out of him. Honestly, it freaked me out a first too but…I held myself in place, made myself stand up under all of it…cause I knew what was on the other side of that minor discomfort was worth it. Well, you know when folks who try to hide are found out, chances are that someone might just get hurt. I did. Licked my wounds. Moved on. With my vision clear. Or so I thought….

And then today I realize that God had orchestrated another situation in my life just like that Only this time? I was the person being seen through. It was…different…challenging…somewhat scary…but never once did I doubt that it wouldn’t be worth standing up under. Why? Cause better than being good “TO” me, that brother was/is sho’ nuff good “FOR” me. Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I shared a poem with one of my writing groups that talked about a man who is the kind of man I could grown into, whose love is the kind that I could grow into. Yes, that was my poetic ode to you. (Ok, I confess - it was ONE of my poetic odes to you.)

Isn’t that the ultimate? To be in love with someone who challenges you in all the right ways? Who won’t let you cut corners or sell yourself short? A person who you can grow INTO? I remember a conversation from years ago with someone I was ending a relationship with and we talked about relationships/growing. It too became poetic fodder…including a reference to him saying we were breaking up because we’d outgrown each other and me pointing out the real truth - ironic though it might have been: we’d never grown INTO each other.

To YOU is say, “Thank you.” Thank you for seeing me completely naked and never once flinching. For reflecting my worth back to me in every way possible. Know that I’m standing still. You…are…a love song.

Let’s just end this post on that note shall we? Oh, here’s another of my favorite songs from another of my favorite artist - Lizz Wright singing “My Heart”.

Lizz Wright - My Heart