Life's Twists and Turns

The week started off on a good note.

On Sunday I went to church with my fifth grade teacher (I'm not even the church type, I guess I'm going through that phase where I'm rediscovering what spirtuality means to me.) On Sunday I also got a lead on a job I have yet to follow up on, yeah I need to get on that. I made a new friend fav teachers nephew a cool dude also a recent college grad.

On Monday I had an unofficial job chit chat with a potential employer. Unfortunately no positions are open but the sit down was productive and I got some honest feedback which is always a good thing.

On Tuesday I met up with the best friend from college Chris Nic to get a late lunch. We went to this pizza joint Vito's next to our usual hot spot Pei Wei, because he had more friends to entertain that evening. It was weird being back on campus. As the other Chris kept saying its surreal that we have no ties no tangible ties, except maybe our friends who remain there.

On Wednesday I had a job interview for a journo job out in the midwest. I don't know how it went because it was a phone interview. If I get invited to fly out they said they hope to let me know sometime this week. I then had a conference call for the journo org whose board I'm on. Those are always fun.

On Thursday life went to hell. My aunt died. Cancer claimed her life. She was trying to hold on for as long as possible. She wanted to see her adopted daughter, a niece of her husband's, graduate from college in the winter. She was so excited that she atleast knew that I had made the walk across the stage even though she couldn't be in Bmore to see it for herself. My aunt was one of those cheerleaders you could always count on. She was the only person in my family to graduate from college before me. I'm the only nephew, and the only of my grandparent's grandchildren to do so. My aunt's word also carried a lot of weight. When my mother felt I was acting out, acting up, or just straight trippin', as rare as it was, she'd call in my aunt. Though she was hundreds of miles away in Houston, she'd get on the phone in a minute. You'd hear a combination of sophistication, elegance, well spokeness, and oh yeah a very southern Texas accent. I always remember kidding her that she was southern but more than that country. I still remember her saying, "I can speak the King's English when necessary." She definitely repped her alma mater Morgan State University hard. I always wondered if she was a tad disappointed I didn't attend a HBCU. My aunt though has always reminded me of the importance of keeping the faith, honoring my family, but most importantly being good to myself. R.I.P. Aunt Bettye Jean.

Today was one of those low key non-eventful days. I waited for word of the arrangements. My aunt decided as she made her own arrangements to not have her body flown home to Baltimore. Instead she'll be buried in Houston. There's no way many in the family can afford to fly to Texas so not a lot of people are going.

I'm trying hard not to think about not being able to go to the funeral. I'm trying hard not to think about mourning. I'm not really good at saying goodbyes to people living or dead. I'm the type who shuts off all emotions for fear of my emotions overtaking me.

I guess to avoid too much grief this is one of those times when you think of a loved ones passing as unavoidable, you think of death as natural, you truly think of a funeral as a homegoing service.