Missionary Style

Grayscale dreams of fame, fortune, stardom, and Annie Leibovitz photo shoots ended abruptly by a cool tune alarm on the Blackjack II. He rolls over to end the music but lets it play instead as he sits up, stretches, and examines the weather. I know just what to wear is his first thought. He waits until he finishes his morning exercises and hot shower to thank the Supreme for waking him up this morning or plan out his day. His attire is his first thought. The Supreme is his second.
His third comes in the bathroom after dressing, while he looks himself over and assesses his face—facial hair, pimples, lips, teeth, hair—then his shirt, then his tie, then his whole ensemble, grabs his briefcase, and exits. I’m a beast. Simple, arrogant, but a true portrayal as he struts the sidewalk runway of the University of Chicago fully prepared for any challenge or trouble he may encounter today. His confidence and purposeful walk make it obvious that this man is about his business and going places.

We’ve past the climax of the Devil Wears Pantsuit. Andy Sachs is no longer terrified of Ms. Priestly and what she represents. The intimidation has evaporated into a sort of dominion over a world that he was thrown into unprepared and without a paddle. What’s the next 22star14 challenge? This one is old news!

Just go. (a mini)

A 7:30 am flight with my supervisor to Chicago.
Cold and rainy—I'm in a t-shirt.
A one-hundred dollar stipend: fifty for cab costs, fifty for food, none for entertainment.
Sharing a two-bed room in the Hampton Inn with my two least favorite coworkers.
Either a 40 dollar cab ride or 50 minute bus ride from the city.
Sleeping to keep myself from dying of boredom.
Then finally staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself I'm still sleepy.

This was the first two days in Chicago.

“I'm an air sign. I can't take this! I have to get the hell out of here.”

I grab my iPod, throw on some jeans and, without two words to my coworker on the bed opposite mine, exit. To where? I don't know but I am about to flip out sitting in that silent hotel room waiting for Monday to arrive. At the front desk I ask where the nearest Walmart is (because I know there's a Walmart near) and start walking. And walking. And walking...

I pass Walmart. I pass Target. I pass Home Depot. And...find a mall!

Moral of the story? Sometimes you have to just go! Don't sit in a situation waiting on a change. Make the change yourself...and even if you can't make a change, at least make a difference. That's my M.O. this week. Best wishes!

Devil Wears Pantsuit Vol. 2: Even Though I Hate My Job...

It is officially Week 4 of my internship with Devil Wears Pantsuit, and just when I think I’m getting used to it, they send me a curveball. I want everyone to reflect on The Devil Wears Prada for a moment and recall that not only the boss and nature of the work made homegirl’s job hell, but also her coworkers. So often we tend to forget these nasty little critters we call coworkers also have a significant role on whether or not one’s workday is bearable—even on the toughest of jobs.

I am currently in Chicago, IL, staying in a Hampton Inn near the airport. There is a bus stop, TGI Fridays, McDonalds, and Burger King in walking distance. That is it. Everything else is a $30 cab fare or $5 bus ride away (Five bucks because they don’t offer transfers in Chicago.) And this isn’t your regular bus ride: no, this your 40 minute long, listen to ganstas in the back discussing glocs, watching decrepit neighborhood after decrepit neighborhood pass by until just before deciding to doze off you encounter anything that bears any semblance to a major city rather than an endless ghetto.
Being the Libra I am, this could prove to be a prime opportunity to explore and get to know a brand new city. However, I am sharing the hotel room with two coworkers—who out of eight total interns have proven to be my least favorite. The four I like are literally on the other side of the country in Houston, TX. Won’t this be a fun week?

The lesson to be learned this week, I’ve predicted is: How to be an effective intern while hating your coworkers’ guts. :-)

[Segue into moral:] Each week, no matter how challenging and unbearably stressful, has proven to be full of lessons that will be vital in the long run and are actually jumpshooting me into my 22star14 goals. The good Lord really does work in mysterious ways.

* Week 1: Learning how to adjust quickly to unforeseen challenges.
* Week 2: Realizing that emotional roadblocks must be hurdled and/or put on the backburner if one wants to maintain success.
* Week 3: Never let them see you sweat; every task is a piece of cake and always appear ready for promotion.

Nights crying, collapsing from exhaustion, or just needing to talk to my beau or little brother in attempt vent away my stress (even if they are the cause of it) will all be worth it. At the end of this internship, not only will I be well off enough financially to enhance my wardrobe and my vehicle, but I’ll have also proven myself to this company so that I won’t have to worry about not having a job next summer……though you better believe I’ll be looking for a job that isn’t nearly as trying on my emotional and social stability.

Control.

So today’s 22star14 update is merely a brainfart—pointless rambling to help soothe my current state of mind. (I’m probably going to edit it later on, since I’m just writing it to get it off my chest during my lunch break.) My next update will be Devil Wears Pantsuit Vol. 2, I promise…

We’ve heard it time and time again: “You can’t tell me what to do; I’m a grown ass man/woman.” My glee club director likes to call it the “G.A.M. Syndrome.” Though those two instances refer to a grown man or woman not wanting to take instruction or direction on account of his/her newfound adulthood, today I want to discuss the mere G.M. Taking the “ass” out gives us a chance to look at this state of being from an objective point of view. The fact of the matter is more often than not they’re right. You can’t tell them what to do, because they are a grown man.

Today, I realized that everyone I come into contact with on a day to day basis now is grown. Including myself. I do not have control over them nor can I tell them what to do or judge their decisions. Why not? Because it is not my concern. At all.

Since Saturday night people have been doing things that I do not like. This isn’t new (lol) people are always doing things that I do not like—thus me deciding to be a loner last year—however, recently, it’s been from a unexpected select few who usually are pretty in sync with how I operate and values I hold in high esteem. Usually. This sucks because it made me realize that since we’re all G.M.’s we’re all responsible for ourselves. So while they’re off doing things that I don’t like (to say the least) and treating me in ways I didn’t know they could/would, I am still only responsible for myself. Not them. I walk alone.

I walk alone. No matter how many people I decide to call friend, companion, family, or lover—at the end of the day its just me and the Supreme, kicking it.

I’m the only one I have control over. So like water on the duck’s back, G.A.M.’s actions will just roll on off so I can keep on trucking towards my 22star14 goals. Stay tuned for my nest post: “Devil Wears Pantsuit Vol. 2: Even though I hate my job…”

22star14 Sermon

This is not, in fact, a Devil Wears Pantsuit update--instead, I have a 22star14 revelation on my spirit this morning. Saints, turn with me to the book of Annotations, Chapter 11, Verse 2. And it reads thusly: "Soeth a man tryeth, then shall he suceedeth--but whensoever that same man suceedeth, soeth shall he discover the loneliness of his growth." Mmph, loneliness of growth (yes, Lord.) Now put a pin in that and let's visit Lawrence Peter in the book of Matriculation 7:1, where the Supreme spoke to him in a dream saying "A person will only be promoted to his highest level of incompetence." Y'all didn't hear me this morning; I said a person will only be promoted to their HIGHEST level of INcompetence. Now I know some of you under the sound of my voice are saying, "Minister, Peter Lawrence didn't know nothing about interpreting dreams--how in the world can INcompetence lead to any kind of promotion?" Well, I'm going to tell you, Saints, that when I asked for clarity on this specific passage, the word blessed me (Yes it did.)

Now when you first get a job, you don't know nothing about how to do that job excellently; you have to go through training. And once you master this training, you have to prove to your boss that you are what, saints? Competent! (Y'all don't hear me.) And when the boss sees you become competent in the entry level, you get promoted to the next level--a level you don't know diddly squat about. (Say amen somebody.) You become incompetent again...Somebody told me like this: The master said to the servant, you've been faithful over few things (can I get some help in here?) now I can make you ruler over many things!

So don't get weary in well doing; don't be scared because you're not competent yet! If you were already competent, you wouldn't need promoting. The Supreme is just getting you ready, saints! Now turn back to Annotations for me. Go back to those last four words. Say them together, saints: Loneliness of that growth: Ladasha an'em aren't going to be with you all the way. Once you get promoted, you find a new posse--folks that walk like you, talk like you, and can help you reach that level of competence that is going to skyrocket you to the next level. Now don't get me wrong, you can still visit with Ladasha an'em, but don't get mad at the Supreme because they aren't going where you're going. The Supreme has special plans for everybody. Yes it may get lonely sometimes (Can I get a witness?) but you have to stay steadfast and work to achieve the life you want for yourself.

That's why you're dealing with The Devil Wears Pantsuit.

That's why you're keeping track of your growth through blog.

That's why you pray constantly and ask your personal team of agents (Trinity) to watch your back and keep you in check.

And that's why this year (say it with me, saints, THIS YEAR) you will accomplish all your 22star14 goals and more...