Random Observation #2,915

I have friends, co-workers and family members who always offer their opinion or love to make the conversation about them. What I haven't figured out is if this is simply their communication style or if it really should always be about them. I recently had surgery and wanted to keep folks informed, what I received from some were personal stories of failure and what I would do's if I were you's. Unlike the Compassion of Others

I'm pretty good about self-solving [TramueL's Law: A theory is better than its explanation] but I'm also not afraid to ask for help when needed. My be you [tiful] mind broke it down so it is forever and consistently broke.  

In communicating; verbally or electronically I will follow TramueL's Law: 

Self-reference. I will regularly use "to-me" language. My views, value judgements, beliefs, assumptions and conclusions are my own.  Just like everyone else. 

Non-aggression. I will refrain from personal attacks on living souls who disagree with me; no calling out their name, talking about their mama, sarcasm, covert tweets or shade. 

Providing advice. I will provide advice only if solicited. One of the keys to giving advice is knowing when a person actually wants it. I have a girl that is a friend that calls or texts to complain [sometimes daily] but she does not want advice. Even when there is a problem with a clear solution, she will ignore it and continue to complain. At those times, I realize that she only seeks to vent and get the thoughts out of her head. No solution is being sought nor will she implement one in the future. 


"When I think about forever, I get upset,"

Like the Land O’ Lakes butter has the Indian girl sitting holding a box and a picture of her on it holding a box, with a picture of her on it holding a box, with a picture of her on it holding a box. You ever notice that?
— Sally Draper

Reading is FUNdamental

Brian's bookshelf: Read in 2013

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools
Freeman
Harlem Redux
Modern Buddhism: The Path of Compassion and Wisdom - Volume 1 Sutra
Black Is the New Green: Marketing to Affluent African Americans
Buck: A Memoir
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
RENDEZVOUS WITH RETIREMENT: A Guide to Getting Fiscally Fit
To Repel Ghosts: The Remix
Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete
It's Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America
Our Man in the Dark
Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye
Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove
I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Slave Narrative Based on the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott
The Anthology of Rap
Makeda
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Dramas of a Bald Head Queen


Brian TramueL's favorite books »

Improve Relationships. Redemption.

Improve Relationships. Redemption.

For Colored Boys is a dramatic web series written and directed by award winning filmmaker and content creator, Stacey Muhammad of Wildseed Films. Inspired by the highly acclaimed 1975 choreopoem "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf"  by Ntozake Shange, For Colored Boys is a series of short stories that follow the lives of seven African American men from various walks of life as they navigate and overcome challenges, face their fears, find their truth, mend broken relationships, find love, build families and inspire the lives of many.  

The first season of For Colored Boys, subtitled REDEMPTION, follows the life of Benjamin Boyd, Sr. who upon release from prison seeks to reunite his family by rekindling his relationship with wife, "Lisa" and reassuming his role as father to his teenage daughter, Sidney and 20 year old son, "E". A talented yet somewhat troubled young man, "E" has had to shoulder a tremendous amount of responsibility during his father's incarceration. Accustomed to assisting his mother with his 15-year-old sister, Sidney, he is pulled and persuaded by the temptations of his environment to make money and help provide for his family.

Returning home, Benjamin finds his son is no longer a boy, but a man unwilling to acknowledge or accept the presence of his father.  In order to mend a troubled and fragile relationship and rebuild his family, Benjamin must be careful not to overstep his bounds, yet still re-establish his presence as E's father.  Finding his place in a world he's been estranged from is more difficult task than he could have ever imaged and suffering from Post Incarceration Syndrome makes it seem nearly impossible.  

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Vibes & Stuff

Vibes & Stuff

Julian Date 2456647.3125 there was an impromptu discussion about childhood memories with those whom I share cubicle space. Mostly everyone exchanged stories of teen defiance. Skipping school? Check. I did it the smooth way; I would call my mother and ask her to check me out. Skipping ain’t easy. Underage drinking? Nah, I didn’t have my first drink until I was twenty-one. Age ain’t nothing but a number, but watch out for the R. Among the group, the most common indiscretion was underage driving. Young souls taking the keys to the family whip all while their parents lay sleeping, hung-over or otherwise occupied. The infamous joy ride, I plead the fifth dimension bruh’ … at times my mother reads my post.

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Exercise in Observation

Exercise in Observation

My social media streams are diverse; they include elements of everything that I love; music, food, photography, sports and reading [books and blogs]. There are very few antipathies, if I encounter anything I disagree with rather than debate, I remind myself that living souls have the right to believe who, what, when, where and why they want. Arguing is the least effective way of changing someone’s mind.

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A Rarefied Gaze

Arrived early to work this am, the streets were blocked with crowds of living souls walking purposefully. I detoured, approached the west side of my building. Fire trucks, however no flames or smoke … a fire drill. I park and exit the miracle whip. As I’m heading inside I catch the gaze of a woman in red. Red; passion, energy and action has always been my favorite color. I was drawn to it and then to her face. I lower my head to look down at my cell [because of something important] so that she wouldn’t notice me noticing her noticing me. I raise my head and I see our reflections in the mirrored glass. Perfect. She wasn’t looking at me she was looking at her own self.

Brian TramueL

Random Observation #2,913

Random Observation #2,913

Envy. 

Most of us use it interchangeably with jealousy. I suppose this is because some are jealous and envious at the same time. However, their definitions differ when we consider envy as an emotion. I witness it frequently while working. Today a peer was pulled from our normal process and given a separate project. The shade as it was announced was epic. When someone lacks another person’s talents, skill or otherwise advantages and clearly wants them for themselves ...  witness eyes turn green. 

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