Soul Food: Beat your Kids

I spoke with a childhood friend last night who informed me that her relationship with our other elementary school friend was becoming more and more strained. We rolled as a group of three: Mia*, Quita, and Me. After HS separated us, we kept up with each other through mutual friends and the blessing of facebook reunited Quita and I. Quita and I reminisced last night about the times when were on maximum security lock down by our moms and Mia was free. We laughed about being on punishment and not being able to receive "boy" phone calls until what seemed like an eternity, while Mia was able to do as she pleased. Mia had a boyfriend long before we were able to. Mia could go out with her boyfriend when Jackie and B (our moms) punished us for talking back. While Jackie and B kept Quita and I involved in school activities and busted their asses to make sure we "did better than they did" in life, Mia's mom let her get a job to support her interest in looking good and dressing fly.

Somewhere around junior year when Quita and I were making the grade...Mia got pregnant by that same boyfriend. While having a child is a celebratory occasion, it was waaaaay tooooo soon. Then Mia started hanging out with the other girls who had babies really early because they had more common ground with her than she had with us. We finished college. She is still working at the same place she worked at in High School. Although, we try to reach out to her (she is still our friend), she doesn't have any interest in kicking it with us.

The POINT: Life takes us all on very different journeys. No judgment is being rendered, just the recognition of differences. As my mother celebrates her 50th birthday today, I want to say thanks to her for promptly beating my ass when I thought I was being too grown too fast. Thanks for mean mugging all those niggas who were looking at my overdeveloped body before my mind caught up. Thanks for keeping me on maximum security lockdown that I may learn responsibility and discipline. Mom--You're the greatest:)

DOC