Hello ladies and also to some men who have joined us as well. Welcome to the first set of WOVA Café. I’m your host Cocoa Brown. We at WOVA Café look forward to bringing you though-provoking topics, a little one on one with special guests and also open forums for you, our listeners to take part in.
Well, I have to say when I was thinking about my first set and what I’d talk about, I suddenly found myself getting uptight about great topic, and then I found myself stressing over it. I really had to step back and think about it, if this is a lounge and I’d like everyone to just chill, that would start with me. Then I quickly regained my composure. With that in mind, I thought I’d talk a little bit about something I stumbled across the other day while surfing the net.
Let me begin with how this all started. Last year for my birthday I thought I’d really get me something special, as I love to do on such occasions. I treated myself to a video iPod, now I’d wanted this thing from the first day I saw it in a magazine and I figured, girl, you worked hard for it. Yes, it’s expensive, but aren’t you worth it?“ well, of course I am I thought. So, I bought it. I have to say, that was the best gift I’ve ever gotten for myself. I have it attached to my hip everywhere I go. Home, to the car, shopping to work and every place I’m able to connect it to a speaker. But let me say this, it’s not just the music, it’s the podcast, the news and so many other things you’re able to download.
This brings me to my subject today. I have become enamored with blogging. I wasn’t a contributor, until now, but I have definitely been an avid reader. There are some very interesting things shared in blogging and I’ve really come to appreciate the
many point of views we have. Some a bit extreme, but then some really intense observations are being shared and it makes me know that freedom of speech is such a powerful thing. So, while I was searching I came across one in particular called the ABW (Angry Black Woman).
I have to say I was drawn to the title. It made me want to see what the writer was saying. It touched on some points made me consider, wow am I angry? I mean I know from time to time, I get heated just like the next person. But then too, it’s not because I’m black or a woman, it’s mainly because I won’t tolerate a lot of things. But again as I read more, she made me laugh as she talked about having power as an angry black woman, and doing thing you couldn’t do if you weren’t in position.
Again, I sat there wondering, well is this me? I mean I have to say as a woman, I know there are things we do every day that men don’t. Well, I take that back, because there are some that do. But a woman, mother, wife is able to take the kids in three different directions in the morning and still get to work on time -work hard all day and then get off from work, grab the kids, stop at the grocery store, come in get dinner started, help with homework, prepare clothes for the next day, if you’re blessed to have adorable girls, do hair, feed everyone, make sure baths are taken, tuck in the children, clean up, if your teenager claims she has too much homework to really get to them before too late, then have an enchanting conversation with your significant other, then make your way to the bed to rest your weary bones, just to get up and do this all over again tomorrow. Heck, I’m not angry, just tired as hell!
See the thing is, we do this so easily that it doesn’t look like we need the help or that we even want help. We’re superwomen. We’ve got this! When in reality, yes, I CAN do this. But I’m not always willing to do this on my own.
So, I am glad that I ran across that blog, as I mentioned it was very thought provoking and it made me see what I’m trying to convey to everyone around me as a woman. I have girls and I don’t want them to feel that they’ve got to be anything but free and true to whom they are.
In my closing I share this, we can’t let anyone place us in a little box and expect us to react the way they would, that’s the beauty about us – we’re all shades, shapes and sizes. We’re beautiful from the inside out and that anger is nice to put on, as the sister mentioned, using it when it’s necessary and you just have to handle your business. But don’t let that anger over-power your ability to be strong and confident and poised as we do seamlessly so many times.
I thank you for joining our first set of WOVA Café. If you would like to participate in a follow up discussion of this topic, which will later be podcast, please drop me a quick line at realtalk@womenofvisionalliance.org
I’m Cocoa Brown and it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you. Until our next set,
Peace and blessings,
Cocoa Brown
