My Life – Page 5 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

L – Love in Dallas

Published on April 12, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

a-to-z-letters-l I love parks. I think they are romantic. One of my favorites is Celestial Park in Addison.

Maybe it’s the steps with poem verses written on them or the sun dial at the top (I love the sun), but the place inspires my creativity. I not only love the park, I fell in love in this park.

“Where are we going?”

We’d been driving around for 20 minutes. The radio is load and I have to yell for him to hear me, but he doesn’t answer. He squeezes my leg, tries not to smile and continues to focus on the road.

He slows down and turns into a neighborhood. We don’t know anyone in this neighborhood. I know everyone he knows.

As I am about to yell again, he pulls in next to the curb and turns off the ignition.

“Where here.”

“Where?”

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

From where we parked, I see a trail covered with trees. I can’t see where it leads, but through the trees I sees an open area elevated from the street.

He takes my hand and leads me to the trail. I can feel the gravel through the soles of my sandals. The air is filled with the smell of lavender and a hint of magnolias.

I notice he is still grinning. I can’t imagine what I am in for, but I can feel the excitement through his fingers as they grip my hand tighter.

The trail takes a hard left turn up ahead. Before we reached the turn, he stops.

“You have to close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Trust me,” he smiles at me, squeezes my hand and I close my eyes, trusting him completely.

He lets go of my hand, but in seconds, I felt him standing behind me. He places his hand on the back of my arms and guides me forward.

We take a few steps and then he turns me to the right and wraps his arms around me. He whispers in my eye, “Open your eyes.” and this is what I see.

“Welcome to Celestial Park.”

This is where I fell in love.

Unfortunately it didn’t last, I was 15, but still special. Can you pin point the time and place you first fell in love?

H – Homes in Dallas

Published on April 9, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments

As I was roaming around the city, I found myself having all of these deja vu moments. You know that feel you get when you have been here before. Then it hit me, I have been hear before. I’ve lived in 5 different places in the Dallas Metroplex. Two with my family and three on my own.

12 to 18 years old, formative years, got my own phone line, snuck out, had my first boy/girl party, had my first parents out of town party, had surgery on my hands, got my first car, boyfriend, and job all while living in this house.

Coming home after my first attempt at college wasn’t to miserable, but this place motivation me to get my act together and go back to school as quickly as possible. Cockroaches do not make good roommates.

First real job after college afforded me this lovely place. On the first floor, I felt safety was an issue. Had more then one nightmare about someone sneaking in and killing me. Felt a little better when looking after my 2 year old nephew who accidentally dialed 911, the cops showed up in a matter of minutes.

This apartment was on the second floor and much bigger than my previous place. The complex was fun, too.

I can’t remember anything else of significance happening in this place. Probably explains why the next year I moved to Washington DC and started law school. Needed a new adventure.

This is where I live now, temporarily. My parents who are in their golden ages decided to purchase their dream home 5 years ago. A two story, 5 bedroom home with a study, game room and theater. Now, you tell me, why do they need all this house? I am grateful, there is still room for me, temporarily.

This is my dream home in Dallas. Some day.

What’s your dream house look like?

My Weekly Update – Short

Published on March 23, 2013March 23, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments

Dinner at NOLA in New Orleans – got to love Emeril Lagasse.

Spent the day at the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival.

I will update you all on the conference and my trip at a later date. It was an enlightening experience on so many levels.

Next Weeks Schedule
Monday – Alex Cavanaugh Guest Post
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday with Colette Saucier
Wednesday – Misha Gericke Guest Post
Thursday – Mark Means Guest Post
Friday – EM Castellan Guest Post

Happy Birthday to Tameri Etherton next Friday.
Happy Easter to everyone next Sunday.
I have guest posts scheduled for the rest of the week. Hope you enjoy and I will be back on April 1, 2013 for the start of the A to Z Challenge.

Got Green Blogfest 2.0 – I’m Irish, I Swear.

Published on March 14, 2013March 14, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle19 Comments

I would like to think Mark Koopmans for making me relive this most painful memory. I will be brave for the sake of the blogfest.

When I was a little African American girl, I found this photo of a women sitting on her porch with the Irish flag framed and hung on the wall behind her. On the back of the photos was written the words Emma Pearl Pierce 1945. The women in the photo looked old and it was a grainy black and and white photos, but there was no mistaking it. Here was proof. I had an Irish great grand mother. How cool is that?

I took the photo to school for show and tell and told everyone about my great grand mother Emma. I had created this elaborate story (big surprise) about how she was born in Ireland and because of the potato famine* her family fled Ireland and settled in Virginia and then 60 some odd years later, I was born. I was so proud. *I might have had the dates a little confused considering the Potato Famine occurred in 1845.

Now, there were some disbelievers (again, big surprise), especially Kathleen Flanagan, my best friend. She had red hair and freckles and she was not ready to welcome me into her proud Irish clan.

I remember she called me a fibber (bad word, we were 7) and pulled my hair, which was certainly not red.

But, I, as a proud Irish women stood up for myself and my nationality and declared over and over again, I AM BLACK IRISH!

It turns out I am not Black Irish. The photos was of my great grandmother, but because of the quality of the photos, it made her look lighter. And the flag in the back, wasn’t an Irish flag. It was a french flag my great grandfather brought back from France.

Needless to say, I was crushed. I was just a regular little black girl from Texas. I was so disappointed.

How about your? You have any good Irish stories?

They would look the same in a black and white photo.

Tameri, Why do you blog?

Published on March 12, 2013March 11, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle8 Comments

My first 2nd year celebration post is from Tameri Etherton. I meet Tameri on April 4, 2012. She commented on a blog post I wrote during the 2012 A to Z Challenge called H – History of Australia (Criminals & Drunks). I’m sure the title had nothing to do with why she commented, but this is what she said, “I think ‘sculled’ is my new new favorite word (it was ‘goober’ until reading this). I’m assuming sculled means drank? If so, I’m totally using it in my next book!”

Thank you, Tameri, for all your support. So, Tameri, Who do you blog?

That’s a tricky question. As writers, we’re told we need to blog, that we must find our readers and cultivate an audience, but to me, that seems trite. Dishonest, even.

I don’t blog to court fame, I do it for the simple reason that I like people and I always want to know their story.

Through blogging I’ve met some amazing people, like Sydney. People I wouldn’t normally have the chance to know if not through their presence online. Some of these people I’ve had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting offline. Whether I know them in person or just through cyber space, all of them have enriched my life in a multitude of ways that not only could I never count, but never repay.

That’s why I blog. As a thank you to those other bloggers out there and as a way to connect with people.

If my words can touch someone, then I’ve accomplished something remarkable.

If my words make someone laugh, then the world is a bit lighter for their laughter.

Words matter. Whether they be critical and harsh, or positive and full of hope, they influence the way we think, feel, speak, and live. I blog because my words are a connection from me to other humans out in the nether reaches of the Internet. They connect us.

Category: My Life