introspection

Tags

naidra, naidra walls, personal reflection

today has been full of art & music. i’m very thankful for my family and the artists who i was (re)exposed to. watching the shows on tv & reading the article in Vogue about one of my favorite people (who i’ve never met) have made me really step back to try to assess my place in the world as it relates to life. at this point, i’ve began to wonder about what my next steps should be. this isn’t a new thing, it’s more of a: i’m 24 and i haven’t achieved any of my 24-year-old goals yet thing. is this the stage where i need to re-evaluate what i want those goals to be?

right now, they’re very simple: change things (or do a big part in fixing something important), have money to live on and to donate, travel the world.

how i’m going to accomplish these goals is the big mystery. or, better yet, choosing a path to take to reach them will be the more challenging question. there are a lot of things that i could do (or could have done), like play trumpet for a band & travel the world that way. i could have stayed with boxing, turned pro, and traveled the world – making/donating money along the way. it’s not too late to do that. or i could keep writing…

but who’s to say that writing is the way to go? or that i’m still in ok enough shape to get back into the ring? or that relearning trumpet and holding on to that passion will be best?

there are a million things that i see myself doing. 2 weeks ago, i was at a conference at MIT in cambridge, ma. i saw myself as a student there studying real estate and art.  today, i watched that beyonce world tour show & saw myself as the girl playing trumpet in the background. even on twitter – i see myself with thousands of followers who actually care about what i think & what goes on through my perspective…or retweets from other people’s perspectives (@definitelyblu if you want to help make that happen). but in life, i have ideas and maybe not the capacity to make them happen. so that’s the issue: capacity building. can you learn that in school? how many degrees do i need to make it happen?

or, is it more simple than that? this guy at school told me that the only time he’s every seen me smile for more than a few seconds was at my birthday party…if you were there, you’d know why. which could be an indicator of true unhappiness, but maybe that’s one of the changes i need to make to move forward: smile more. even with all of the crap that goes on in society and all of the people who manage to upset me, and all of the injustices and racism and run-on sentences like this one.  i don’t know. maybe this post should have gone in a journal somewhere, part of me being ‘quiet’. but that ship has sailed i guess…

this is just a small piece of the thought process i have going.

do what you want.

Tags

bisexual, discrimination, gay, lesbian, marriage, naidra, naidra walls, racism, same sex, same sex marriage, transexual, transgender

I’m all about being who you are, regardless of what people think. Even though, I am being kind of hypocritical because I terribly want more tattoos and a mohawk, but for fear of losing my job and not being able to secure another one with the same benefits and task satisfaction, I rock a short cut and non-visible tattoos…sigh. Nevertheless, I found this really interesting video about same-sex marriage. I literally almost died laughing, but I was thoroughly enlightened.

Check it out. Oh, BTW…THIS VIDEO HAS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE! (THEY USE THE “F” WORD A LOT! I mean, A LOT!!!) But it’s funny. So watch it.

You never realize you need something until you don’t have it//

Tags

better world club, boy scout, cats, dogs, ethnicity, GPS, insurance, map, moleskine, naidra, naidra walls, pets, race, renters insurance, tools

We all know that unfortunate things happen, and oftentimes we are unprepared to handle them. Recently, my apartment was burglarized and I was, of course, without renters insurance.

This led me to think about all of the other things that I knew I should invest in but have been too cheap or too lazy to do.

Here’s my Boy Scout “always be prepared” list and approximate prices:

* renter’s insurance: Coverage for about $20,000 of stuff in a one-bedroom apartment is $285 per year ($23.75 a month, not bad)

* Pet insurance: This site provided some good advice on how much things cost. After a bit of digging, I found out that dogs cost between $22-28 per month, and cats are between $15-18 per month. This could be really helpful if your furry friend is the runt of the litter and is prone to health issues OR if you get a dog or cat and have no idea of what is acceptable to feed it. FYI – NEVER give a dog corn. It will not be a pleasant experience.

* Auto insurance: Auto insurance is a completely different beast than pet or renter’s insurance because there are so many variables associated with determining the monthly cost. Auto insurance companies take into account your location, age, driving record, number of drivers who will be operating the vehicle, etc.  Insurers also factor in the make, model, and color of your car into the cost, and in some places, your personal make, model, and color – i.e. ethnic background. (This is something that I could dedicate an entire blog series to, but check out this article if you’re interested).

* hand sanitizer: Easy to find and pretty cheap to buy from Ebay, Sam’s Club, dollar stores, pretty much anywhere; and it’s almost always necessary!

* a GPS: They’re starting to sell these everywhere, but I love buying electronics from CircuitCity.com.  There’s a Magellan RoadMate GPS for sale there for about $100.

* roadside assistance (like AAA): You can find good roadside assistance between $70-80 through AAA or Better World Club for those times when your car dies, you get a flat, or you lock yourself out. Trust me, it’s great to have.

So, this is my list. If you think of other things that are must-haves (not counting cool things like Moleskine notebooks or a street map), post them in the comments section!

River Days is Back!

Tags

detroit, family, family friendly, naidra, naidra walls, river, riverwalk

As I research gems of the City of Detroit, I ran across a great (recurring) event going on today through Sunday: River Days! (Yes, I know the picture isn’t of the River, but isn’t it pretty?)

Among musicians and the great ongoing festivities of the RiverWalk, River Days will include visits from the U.S. Coast Guard, Ultimate Air Dogs, Live music, and Pooch-a-Palooza!

Here’s some info from their site:

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy began the River Days festival in June 2007 to introduce the community and visitors to the transformed Detroit International Riverfront. The festival marked the opening of significant portions of the new Detroit RiverWalk and the festival has continued each year to spotlight our magnificent resources and this new destination in the city of Detroit. Now entering its fourth year, River Days will kick off on Friday, June 18 and culminate on the first day of summer, Monday, June 21 with the Target Fireworks, produced by The Parade Company. This year, the non-profit Conservancy will implement a $3 admission fee to the festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The fee supplements the sponsorship dollars to help put on the festival and was necessary for the festival to continue this year. Children ages 6 and under as well as seniors ages 65 and up are not required to pay an admission fee. With our “Free Friday” promotion – admission to the festival will be free between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, June 18. Also, our “First Hour Free” promotion will also take place and on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20, the first hour between 11 a.m – 12 noon is free to the public. If you are admitted during that time, you can stay throughout the day or leave and return later in the evening with your festival wristband. Also, if you are participate in the 5K River Days Run on Saturday morning or the Pooch-a-Palooza on Sunday morning, your admission fee is included in the event registration for that day.

So check it out! This is a great family-friendly event that shows how much spirit Detroit has.

American Polish Cultural Center, Father’s Day Luncheon

Tags

american, father, father's day, naidra, naidra walls, polish, troy

Need something special to do for your dad on Father’s Day? Check out the Father’s Day Luncheon at the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, MI.  The luncheon will be held on June 20^th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Center (2975 E. Maple, Troy, MI 48083).  The luncheon will only cost $18 for adults, $9 for children 4-12, and tots 4 and younger are free.  The American Polish Cultural Center got its start in 1985 and serves people of the community who are of Polish descent, a spouse of a member of the American Polish Cultural Society, or a Polish organization represented by one certified delegate.

Wait! The fun doesn’t stop there!  The Center hosts dance classes, card parties, and Polish language lessons.  Take a look at the schedule below for more information:

American Polish Cultural Center

Dance Classes Every Tuesday. Ballroom classes held in 8-week sessions. For information call Mrs Barbara Slominska: 248-467-6778

Dr. Bob’s ballroom and singles dancing Every Wednesday, class starts at 7:00PM, dance at 8:00PM. 800-ALL-HITS 313-521-6564

Library Every Wednesday
10 AM – 4 PM (1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month)
10 AM – 2 PM (2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month)

Card Party Every Tuesday at 6:00pm. Bring a friend for a game of Bridge, Pinochle, Poker and more.

Polish language classes Polish for Americans. Tuesdays, from 6:30 pm to 8:30pm. For information call Mr. Antoni Walawender: 586 751-1224

Blogging for a cause: Quest for a Cure!

Tags

cancer, invincible, monica blaire, naidra, naidra walls, quest, quest for a cure, quest mcody, ro spit, st. andrews

Check out the official site: http://questforacure.org/

Excerpted from the QUEST FOR A CURE Facebook page: (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191635826776)

Quest for a Cure partners with Michigan Music Community to Dig Deep For Ben’s Fight

Quest for a Cure

Detroit, MI—December 19, 2009—On April 23, 2009 Benjamin Martin, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma—a cancerous brain tumor. He is eight years old.

Since being diagnosed Ben has undergone several brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. He was doing well for a short time, but at the beginning of September, the tumor returned with a vengeance and is now near the brain stem. Doctors do not feel like Ben is a candidate for further surgeries, so the family is seeking alternative treatment at the Burzinski Clinic, a major international cancer center providing alternative cancer treatments. The problem? Like many stories of American medicine, Ben’s insurance will not cover the “experimental” treatments, and his mother, determined to go to the ends of the earth to help her self-proclaimed superhero son fight, is making the sacrifice. With this treatment Ben’s chances of survival increase significantly. And we all deserve the best chance we can get. A fighting chance!

On December 19, 2009 a glimmer of hope will shine bright as the Quest For A Cure Foundation partners with BensFight.org and the Michigan music community to pack the infamous St. Andrews Hall from wall-to-wall with 1,000 fans, friends, family and patrons—to join the fight to save the life of Benjamin Martin. Proceeds will go towards helping Ben fight, in hopes that his success will increase the chance for other’s fight as well. Doors open at 9:00pm and the DJ will sound off what could go down as one of the greatest events in history. It will be a night of great music, great atmosphere and great fun for a fighting cause.

Quest for A Cure is an initiative focused on improving avenues that aid in the cure of hunger, illness and poverty—better known as H.I.P. The organization founder, Quest MCODY, will be one of the artists gracing the stage. He is known throughout the hip-hop community, and for his latest album The Light Project. He has recently been seen by millions on MTV’s Emmy award winning show MADE as a rap coach. The foundation was created from his inward desire to make a difference, save lives and to have a great time doing it.

Several of Detroit’s leading hip-hop, R&B and Rock artists will be taking the stage in support of this event. The line up will feature Quest MCODY along with artists such as Stretch Money, Invincible, PL, MonicaBlaire, Street Justice, Marvwon, K’Jon, Vina Mills, Seven The General, VP, The Bang Ups, Cold Men Young and more.

Detroit Rapper: Invincible

Giving to Ben is more than a good cause. It is something that you’re tied to emotionally and something that you would carry with you forever. And that is something that the world is missing. As the saying goes “keep hope alive!!” Lets do it today—in life.

General admission is $10 at the door. Starting November 16th tickets can be purchased online at www.questforacure.org (all pre-ordered tickets will accompany a coupon for 1/2 off ONE guest)

And remember!!! If you can’t make it physically you can always donate to the cause!  If you would like to know what else you can do to email please email us at joinus@questforacure.org

Come join us as we make this a fight to remember!