There is always more to see and always more to say. The difference is whether it goes out into the world or stays in the mind.
Selling this bike was one of the hardest things I had to downsize when leaving Austin. On this bike, I had ridden to multiple cities, I met friends, developed a plan to leave, and got in shape. However, when I sold the bike, the shop worker affirmed my decision to leave, since he had plans to leave, too. In a consumptive world, people are expected to buy more, but in a declining empire where people have to give up on cities, states, and countries, perhaps encouraging consumption is a bad idea.
Before I took this picture, the older woman was talking to the Black woman walking away with groceries. The Black woman said very little. As she was walking away, I asked her if she had been with that older woman. The Black woman said no, smiled, and walked away. Before I was in that area, I had been sitting on a bench somewhere else. Since there was a shortage, I invited an older woman to sit, thinking that she, too, would sit in silence, enjoying the space. The older woman decided to brag, offer unsolicited advice, and refused to stop talking until I made it clear that she had been talking nonstop. I was only able to stop her by leaving as well.
Europe is portrayed as one of the safest places in the world and the people are portrayed as the friendliest.Going to the bathroom is something that everyone does, and I do it more than most because I have an overactive bladder. That being said, when I go out in public, I am prepared to pay because I know that most restrooms are reserved for paying customers. As a US citizen and a Black woman, I am very well trained. However, even with money, there are times the people imply that I am using the wrong type of money simply because they enjoy embarrassing Black women or implying that we lack decorum.
After finding a hotel space to stay in the suburbs of Brussels, I was doing laundry–and there were no public buildings despite the belief that European cities are utopias of public spaces. I saw a convenience store, and because I had been feeling slightly run down, I wanted to get cough drops with zinc and vitamin C. However, because store owners no longer take 0.01 and 0.02 pieces, I was rudely chased out of the store despite having the correct amount. “I don’t have time for this! I don’t have time for this!” despite my giving him the amount of money he requested. I ended up going to a bar where, despite my not paying, the bartender was more than happy to reduce the opportunity for public urination.
In the United States, there is a potentially crucial election occurring today. Many are feverishly commenting on the fact that our actions will determine whether or not we devolve into fascism. Black women are supposed to be thrilled with the prospect of a Black woman as President, and have been harassing and brow-beating each other into submission for the dominant narrative. I would like to point out that with every single presidency the United States has ever been invited to vote on, an older white man was required to be present. At some point, it becomes critical to understand that the majority population demands overseers for all Black people, and to stop expecting people to be “so excited” about change. The majority population will behave in exactly the same way it has always behaved, and they have made sure that at least half of the ballot reflects that.
You Can’t Eat Trophies
As someone born in 1980, I have heard far too much about how all these “losers” got participation trophies when we were growing up. Whenever there is an opportunity to engage with an older individual, I am floored by the obsession people have with other people getting things that were unearned. Even the obnoxious obsession with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has caused people to believe that a Black person anywhere who has gotten any money people feel “someone else” should have gotten is a sham. Well, all I can say is at the end of the day, nobody can eat trophies, so what is everyone so angry about?
Chasing A Dying Empire 