Five For Friday: Better Days

via The Beautiful Struggler - Me, Myself and Eye

This is the last Five For Friday of the year. Next Friday is Christmas, and you guys will be with your families or boos unwrapping gifts ~~as I sob in to a mug of spiked hot chocolate~~, so don't look for a new post that day. I will steer clear of the Twitter and the Facebook until everyone is finished with the "OMG, I can't believe I got 37 new pairs of Uggs and ten new pocketbooks" fest has ended.

Though I suppose being alone isn't always worse than being with family.

Since this is the close of the WORST year in the history of life, I am hard pressed to find any inspiration to review it. There is nothing good that can be said about a year that saw the death of Michael Jackson. NOTHING. When I teach my children to count, they will skip the number 2,009 out of respect. This weeks Five For Friday is dedicated to years that were better than 2009.

1) 2008

Not only was Michael Jackson still alive in 2008, we elected the nation's first Black President. What a happy time! I will never forget the very second in which the news was announced. Like many watershed moments in my life, this one found me in a bar with a cup in my hand. The sweet vodka gimlet of victory. Sir Fabulous Himself cried a lot. I begrudgingly found myself in Union Square, but I was longing to be on 125th or Fulton Street. It was still nice though. That was also the year I lost a whole bunch of weight. It was a good year.

2) 1998

What stands out most: my first set of acrylic nails (that's how we do in the Chi), my first eyebrow grooming (peace to my grandmother who tried to get my mom to let her do it five years sooner, but noooo), getting out of Beasley after 8 long years and kicking in the doors of Michele Obama's alma mater, Whitney M. Young High School. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, this was a dope year for music. Lenny Kravitz released his best record of all time, OF ALL TIME, "5". The Rawkus Era was in full swing. The Black Star album, probably my favorite top to bottom Hip-Hop record of all time dropped in '98. Tribe's "The Love Movement" failed to meet most people's expectations but was still solid and the excitement of a new Tribe record alone was worth it. Pharaoh Monch's "Internal Affairs" and even the Belly soundtrack were in my heavy rotation. The good old days, when Lil Wayne was just a baby roach I thought we could stomp out.

Why didn't anyone step on him then?

3) 1990

I know ADW premiered a few years prior, but I still most associate it with the early 90's. I love Lisa Bonet and still want to be her, but the version of the cast that assembled when she left was the best. I would love to hop in the Delorean and be a Howard student in 1990. I envy anyone who had the early to mid 90's HBCU experience. Plus, 1990 was the year Chubb Rock jumped up on the scene with a lean and a pocket full of green. Had my mother not waited until her mid-thirties to have me (or her late teens, if we judge by the age she tells people she is), I coulda been a fly girl on the scene with a big dumb hat and some overalls. Thanks, Mom.

4) 1958

I miss you like I knew you. I'd trade actual people in my life to get you back. Some of whom are blood relatives.

Though I was not yet alive, 1958 is an important year because Michael Jackson was born. Our King. Our "Thriller-maker". The best of all time. Of all time. I walk up to random strangers on the street and say "I'ma let you finish, but Michael Jackson was better than you. Of all time! Of all time!"

5)A Year Between 1984 and 1989

There can be no greater year than the one in which I was brought to the planet! I came to bring the pain, hardcore for your brain at some point in the 1980's. The specific year, of course, is not important. What is important is that I made it. You're all welcome.

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