The End of an Era- Of Sorts

A good friend of mine is going through a divorce, and I've been tagged as her wing-woman whenever we hit the streets. My joke is that I'm considered the "back outside" friend. Whenever a friend is newly single, or if she needs a night away from the kids, I get a call like the Bat Signal. I magically appear with mimosas and me and my homegirls appear in night clubs, drinking and living it up. The issue is that I'm old and I can't do it like I used to could!

I went with my friend, I'll call her Monica, for one of my last nights at the old MJQ location. There were about a week of shenanigans there. I hadn't gotten the chance to check out the new location, unfortunately. With the last location, whenever I got a hankering, I could throw on some clothes and run out the door, and in 15 minutes, I was greeting my guy bestie, Sky.

The new location is settled in the middle of  Underground downtown Atlanta. So while before, I could park in a neighborhood and walk on up, now I have to circle several blocks, until I get a spot or be willing to pay $20 to park, neither of which, I'm partial to. I went last night, and thankfully, we landed a parking spot, not too far from the action. It was pretty cool walking in, as I've walked in Underground several times before. It always brings kind of a familiar vibe.

We followed signs until we landed in front of it. And the line was far longer than I've probably ever seen at MJQ. Like all other times, I stopped and greeted my bestie. I remarked that he was right, this crowd ain't like the rowdy bunch that existed on Ponce de Leon Ave. The people somehow lacked the- I dunno, the diversity, the hipster edge that we all loved about the area. We bypassed the line, naturally, and walked on in. And it was- I can't describe it. It wasn't as exciting. It was far more urban, which only makes sense, as it is literally in the middle of downtown. Even the men in the area just all seemed so young. I pretty much sat down and played with my phone the whole time we were there.

I finally grew exhausted, around 2am, and suggested we leave. I didn't dance, nor did I really want to. I went in, looking for that old familiar vibe. MJQ Concourse was previously like an old friend. A warm, familiar hug, whenever I needed it. And much like Buddhism teaches me, nothing is forever. Impermanence. I just didn't expect to lose the love of my 20s, 30s, and early-to-mid-40s. Monica suggested we go back, but I told her that my days of running the streets at my big old age is mostly behind me. She suggested we do some day-drinking activities, which I'm far more comfortable with.

The next morning/afternoon, when I finally stirred, I recalled that a girlfriend had given me a pass to the Atlanta Black Expo. I got dressed and headed down, deciding to see what kind of networking opportunities existed there. My girlfriend, who is also my coworker, has a journal she's releasing soon. She's also a wellness coach, and into branding. It was pretty dope to be among my element, with so many business owners. As I went back through my blog recently, I discovered that I've been talking about my books for a pretty long time time. I try to be more of a woman who is about doing than talking, but this book has tested that strategy. This book refuses to rest, until I get her in the hands of the public. She stands tall, waiting for me to finish with my distractions, no matter what.

Initially, I tried to have 30k words, and I'd considered myself completely done at the time. But somewhere, I read that the book should have 40k words, which meant that I had to get back to the drawing board. It took a while, but just the other day, I finally hit my word count. I'd even added another chapter, during my recent visit. And as my book deals largely with womanhood, there's much more content to add, being that the political climate has shifted. I'm thankful for that, at the very least, it gave me far more cushioning. I've read and reread the first chapters so much, my eyes practically cross whenever I look at them, but now I need to look at the last chapters as well. This takes me back so much to graduate school, where I had to write a whole book for my conceptual paper. And during that process, I learned how difficult it can be to read and reread the same words over and over again. It's like its only form of torture. And my dumbass decided to sign up for it again smh.

Nevertheless, I'm so thankful that my homegirl had me pull up. I volunteered to sit at her table, while she walked around. A young lady visited us at some point, asking about social work. I gave her my opinion of why I feel it is an amazing field, and she asked me for a business card. I really hate that I did not have one to hand to her. I was in the room with so many authors, coaches, and even a person who prints tshirts and other supplies, like cups, keychains, and pens. Things I'd like, in order to expand my brand.

So while it seems that my leisure time at MJQ is slowly closing out, I'm thankful that I'm rejuvenated and intending to get started on my books yet again. I'm ready to crank up my Instagram posts, and to read and reread until my wires in my brain explodes. At least the word count is ready this time. Saying goodbye to one old friend, ain't so bad when you have an amazing new friend to curate and share with the world. Time to spend some moments at home and make it happen.

Bring it on!