Unpacking Baggage

Just going through my luggage, clearing out some things to make way for enlightenment

January 1, 2006... January 1, 2006... January 1, 2006... 2006... 2006...

Well... I better get used to writing it before I go back to work.

So it's a new day. The new year is filled with so much promise. I'm excited and just a little overwhelmed over the possibilities. I will appear to be a lazy blogger for most of 2006 as I continue to work on my book. Thanks to a fellow blogger, I have been motivated to produce and I absolutely love what has been appearing on the page. I'm hearing voices again.

The Great Aunt Series will continue until I run out of them. Then I may move on to the play great aunts and play mamas and play cousins... etc. I will definitely continue to examine my world for further growth opportunities. There's one at every turn.

Along with the new day Unpacking Baggage has a new look. BBBJr inspired me to do it. It needed to be done. I was trying to come up with a new look for myself, but I couldn't think of anything to do, short of botox. I refuse to regrow my hair (not that it would cooperate). I vowed to never again spend another Saturday or any day in a barber shop.

I don't quite remember why I gave up on the shop. Okay... my hair was thinning so I shaved it off, but I could have still gone to the barber for some service. I can only attribute it to me being thrifty. I realized I could save some coins by doing it myself and I have, but I have often wondered how much I've missed by not going to the shop. I even thought about going and sitting for an hour just for old time's sake, but that would be loitering.

I used to frequent an establishment called Cutters Corner, run by a sweet woman known as Miss. Louise. Miss. Louise's fades were so tight you couldn't tell where your hair ended and your skin began. She could also bump curls with the best. She would often cut my hair while another patron was under the dryer. One of the best things about her was that she didn't mind crackin on folks... to their face! She would have the entire shop in tears as she got people together and would address everything from sagging pants to fat girls in spandex. It was all in good clean fun because, above all else, Miss. Louise was a lady and a role model. During the school year, she was a crossing guard on the corner where the shop was located. I have no doubt that she influenced the lives of countless individuals.

I was intrigued to hear that Al Sharpton was hosting a show on TV ONE called Sharp Talk that takes place in Levels barbershop in Brooklyn. "Policymakers, journalists, authors, sports figures, celebrities, policy experts and others, including barbershop patrons, join Rev. Sharpton in tackling a wide range of cultural, political and economic topics." Entertainment Magazine goes on to explain how each week the show will focus on topics that are of interest to black folks, including "relevancy of the church, hip-hop artists and athletes as role models, the impact of gentrification on traditionally African American neighborhoods, police brutality and racial profiling, African Americans and the Republican party, and how the higher earning power of women has affected traditional gender roles." I want him to devote an entire series on issues of sensitivity. Black men (actually all men) need to learn how to cry when we're hurt. It's a tool we're just not given.

Rev. Sharpton has a marvelous opportunity to enlighten a whole heap of folks and influence a lot of lives. I can clearly recall spending a great many hours in the shop as a young lad and a lot of the things I learned from the adult patrons. From an early age I knew that men were more vicious gossipers than women, but I also learned that what was said in the shop, stayed in the shop. I'm sure little girls have similar experiences in salons when their mamas decide to stop burning up their ears with the hot comb. I honestly believe the shop can aid in developing children's social skills and I plan to send my child, faithfully. Gotta get the head tight for church!

At some point I hope Sharpton takes the show on the road and visits shops across the country. I will certainly make a point of dropping in.