Speak On It

June 17, 2009

The 12 Women of the Zodiac (A Roadmap for Lovers)


Hello my dears. 

Just in time for Father’s Day, I will impart these words of wisdom to give you clarity about your girlfriend, wife, secret lover or soon-to-be-ex.

This is the most accurate, double-guaranteed zodiac love chart that you will find anywhere, and I should know, because I wrote it.

I don’t have credentials in astrology, but I do have a cadre of female friends and, of course, my gut feelings.

And my gut is never wrong.

Lady Aries.

She’s curious and energetic. This is my gentle way of warning you that within the span of a week, Lady Aries will know all of your passwords and will snoop in your wallet as you sleep. She bores quickly, so play like James Bond and maintain the illusion that you’re in high demand.

 

Lady Taurus.

She is elegant, gentle as a summer’s breeze. She’s reliable, keeps a steady job and a steady pace. She’s always in control of herself, that is, until you cross her. If you should ever trample on a Taurus, she will become the raging bull.  I have a three-word warning for you: CRIME OF PASSION.

 

 

Lady Gemini.

O.K., let’s say you’re a playboy at heart (the kind of fellow who must date at least two women simultaneously), but you also realize that it’s time to settle down with just one. What do you do? You grab a hold of the nearest Gemini—she’s your gal! She’s smart, a great conversationalist, and she quickly becomes a totally different person on a whim. At last, a ménage a trois without ever straying.

 

Lady Cancer.

As a Cancer, I must say that the rumors are true––Cancers are, indeed, the most fascinating women on the planet. Now if you’re into hermits and prison chicks, the Cancer woman is the woman to keep. We never like to go out. We make few friends outside of our family and coworkers (notice both sets of people are forced upon us) and, much like prison culture, we are ruthlessly evil if slighted. Be good to us, however, and we guarantee three square meals and a clean abode.

 

Lady Leo.

Do you like working behind the scenes? Were you a member of the high school Glee Club? Do you sell women’s shoes at the mall? If so, you are the perfect mate for this shameless DRAMA QUEEN. Don’t let the pretty face and the good cooking fool you, your Leo demands the spotlight and the only way to keep her near is to roll out the red carpet and stanchions. And scene!

 

Lady Virgo.

Attention all masochists and momma’s boys—Lady Virgo is your dreamgirl!

She strives for excellence in every facet of her life, and she is quite adept at pointing out your flaws, from your slight overbite to your wrinkled jeans. If you seek a sensual woman with super-sharp elbows, the Virgo is the vixen for you. But know this: Once Lady Virgo whips you into shape, she’ll want a commitment. Or else.

 

Lady Libra.

Are you a barfly in need of sobering? Have you been inducted into the Anger Management Hall of Shame?  Do  you have jailhouse tats? If you are a bad boy in search of the simple life, Lady Libra may provide the harmony you seek. She prides herself on being the peacekeeper, and her one flaw––unbeknownst to her––is that she flirts every time she says hello.

 

Lady Scorpio.

Lady Scorpio will hook you with those soul-less eyes. Most women like to gossip, but Lady Scorpio likes to trash talk to your face. And if you don’t like what she has to say, she’s quick to crack a pool stick over her bended knee and challenge you to “Do something about it, punk.”  She’s intense and some men may find her rogue honesty seductive, but know this: Once you fall for Lady Scorpio, no other meek woman will do. You’ve ventured to the Goth Side.

 

Lady Sagittarius. Do you seek excitement? Adventure? Frequent abandonment? Well, then, Lady Sagittarius is your Gypsy of Love.

How many ways will this pretty one hurt you?! Lady Sagittarius loves the wind at her back and will be on the open road sooner than you can ask, “Hey--has anyone seen my girlfriend?” You may have to check her Facebook relationship status often.


Lady Capricorn.

At first blush, Lady Capricorn appears quiet and reserved; she’s the sweetheart you’d invite to a dinner party. When you’re out and about, Lady Capricorn is sensitive enough to silence her cell phone. And her home phone. She prefers not to network or spend much time online, she’d rather be there for you. Lady Capricorn is absolutely perfect, until you discover the truth about your lonesome dove: She’s so damn mean that she has no friends! (Arrogance is yet another of her more alluring traits.)  

Lady Aquarius.

If you are in a funk and are in search of the nearest rainbow, Lady Aquarius will meet your needs. She’s artistic and wild--she hates rules and confinement. In a perfect world, Lady Aquarius would be a traveling nudist who paints rainbow murals all over the land. (And she’d collect admirers in every state.)

Lady Pisces

She is regal. She is enlightened. She is armed and dangerous.

Yes, Lady Pisces is one-part gentle lover, two-parts insane genius, and she has a track record for sending men to the nuthouse and the poorhouse, and not necessarily in that order.

I sincerely hope this guide is as helpful as it is accurate.

Contributed by: RITZ HARPER


October 14, 2008

Perfectly Blemished

From the time I was a little girl with awkwardly short pigtails and electric pink-rimmed glasses, my mother always spoke a truth to me that I wasn’t fully able to understand until I begin to mature. “People don’t come in perfect,” she’d say (and still does).
    As I’ve grown and learned about life, myself and God, my mother’s words resonate with me more deeply than the year before. Once I embraced the fact that I would never be perfect but should, instead, strive to be whole—personally, spiritually and emotionally—life began to mean more to me. I began to enjoy it, not just exist in it, trying to gain everyone’s approval or live out others’ ideas of what would be perfect for me.
    I can't be who you want me to be, ma'am and sir. I have enough problems walking in who I am intended to be. I'm still learning and trying to get it right, and from what I understand, I probably never will. (Disheartening? Maybe a little. But it's also liberating.) Of course, no one likes to make mistakes, and I'm certainly no different, but I've learned to accept graciousness from myself. I've learned that it's just as important to forgive yourself for transgressions as it is to ask it of the person you offended.  I'm naive enough to believe that when you fall, if you want to keep walking, all you have to do is get back up. You maybe bruised, may even have a limp, but walking is walking, right?
    I now live out loud, unapologetically. This manifests itself in the way I carry myself, dress and interact with others. I’m not perfect and never will be, and neither will the people around me. So I arm myself with compassion and keep in mind something my grandmother would say whenever she met someone who just didn’t get it: “Bless her heart.”

What lesson were you taught about life you now realize is a truism?

nac.

September 24, 2008

Where the Writers At? (Right Behind that Preposition.)

Let me just put the truth on out there: I'm a nerd, and upon reading this blog you will either be offended, confused or relieved that you're not the "only one who thinks that."

This morning, I read an article published on one of the several reputable news and/or black-focused sites of which I'm a member. There, I read " ... that may make you think twice about where you make dinner reservations at:" Sorry. What? Where you make dinner reservations at? I'll give it to you, this is not the most flagrant error (ending a sentence with a preposition), but it stood out to me like hearing a Slick Rick cut among a Quiet Storm set of slow jams.

In these vent-your-frustration and everybody-has-a-story times when blogging and other such outlets are ubiquitous, everyone, it seems, wants to be a writer. Everyone. Everyone, however, is not. Yes, we all have our opinions and it's your constitutional right to express them, but come on ... Just because you write, it doesn't make you a writer. Just because you have a  book idea, you're not an author. Just because you've read a book or an article on a subject, you're not, necessarily, an authority on said subject. I bet you the $0.83 in my purse that Cornel West, if you agree with the positions he takes or not, has read more than one book on race.

I'm completely aware that I sound like an intellectual elitist. That's not my intention. Really. It's not. Please believe me. This is all I'm saying: I take my craft seriously. There are topics I'd love to address via written word, but I find myself paralyzed by "what if it doesn't come across like I mean it to" fears. (Kind of like now, actually.) So I take slight offense (OK, OK, sometimes it's more significant than slight) when people  christen, anoint and appoint themselves titles and positions and the like without knowing much background, having real talent or the willingness to work at improvement. ... Kind of like Sarah Palin and her admittance that she agreed, without hesitation or real consideration when asked, to be John McCain's running mate. But that's another blog for another day.

We all make mistakes, I know this. I will probably find a misplaced comma in this very entry as soon as I post it for whoever to read it that will, but please, you writers and writer wanna-bes, I beg you. Learn. the. rules. before. you. break. them.

nac.

June 2009

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