My Gift To You So You Can Get Better Gifts For Me

I was going to make this post all about Don Cornelius, in celebration of his Life but then I remembered, however selfish, that the celebration of my Life is coming up sooner rather than later. So, instead of running down my favorite YouTube clips for Soul Train or running down what Soul Train has meant to my Life (perhaps a post for tomorrow), I'm going to hit you instead with some interesting facts about the originator of TV Cool in a Don Cornelius minute.

Did you know that Don Cornelius:
middle name is Cortez?
was a Marine?
was a once a journalist, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement?
shot the Soul Train pilot with $400 of his own money?
toyed with the idea of a Soul Train Channel?

Let us bow our heads in a moment of silence for Don Cornelius, thank him for taking us on "the hippest trip in America," & thank the Gawds that the Soul Train Channel was but a ridiculous discussion over hard liquor at a neighborhood bar. At least that's how I reconcile the notion of that trash in my mind.

Now, back to me. I posted on Facebook a couple of week's back that I'd like to celebrate Heavenly 37 with a Birthday Wish List of 37 things that would make me truly happy. What I've discovered that 37 is a BIG number (kill the jokes) & I'm not sure I can complete this list. I promised the list would range from $free.99 to high end, cuz that's the kinda well rounded chick I am. Got my list. Like to hear it? Here it go:

1. Haiku me. Write me 37 haikus that touch on the beauty of our relationship, shared memories, who I am to you. Be creative. Jerk on my tear ducts. Make me laugh. When they reminisce over...me.

2. Flicks on flicks on flicks. Scrap book us. Photo collage it. 4 or 40 pictures of our time together. & if you really love me, really love us, you'll frame it so I can put it RIGHT up in my humble abode.

3. Whatchu make good? Make me summa dat. If you are a beast with an open flame, if you can beat the hell out of a batter, paint or draw; get your shutterbug on, weave, silk screen, quilt, bead...do THAT.

4. Sewing machine you say? Yes, I'll take 1 of your most beautimus creations.

5. Make me a playlist of songs that WE have loved together. Are you a baby born in the 70's, grew up in the 80's & feel that music hasn't been the same since the 90's? I need THAT music.

6. Words to live by. I find myself facing trying times, my skin is stretching & I'm tryna do it leaving as few stretch marks as possible. Some say it's that Palmer's cocoa butter that handles all that, but I'm asking for your favorite inspirational quotes that have helped you get by.

7. Dancin, dancin, dancin...she's a dancin machine. If you know me well you know that dancing is my fluthamuckin isht!! Borrowing from a friend, I'm trying to get my redancification on. If you love me & wanna help me preserve my body, my spirit, & my swexxy then I accept cards of the dance sort to classes you know I take.

8. Segue way. Me thinks I may need to join a gym. I accept duckets towards the monthly membership to L.A. Fitness (it's convenient to me). I will also accept free visitor's passes to the gym that you frequent.

9. Beatin' a dead horse (while prolonging my Life). I have an account at Flow Yoga. If you wish to, you can put some classes on my schedule. I prefer Flow Fit with Juliet Stovall. Sunday mornings. 9 a.m. Lemme know if you need my acct info.

10. Mail bag. I miss writing letters. I want friends to find actual mail that doesn't require stuffing envelopes with checks or rushing online to make payments. I'd love some pretty stationery & a book of stamps. You'll be the 1st person I write.

11. Reading IS fundamental. & I'm a relic who still loves turning pages. All my fav bookstores have closed but Amazon.com does deliver.

12. Dressed for the theatre. Is a good show coming to town? #NoChitlinCircuit #TylerPerryExitStageLeft If something is coming up, take me with you. I'd love to spend the time with you doing something I love. & I'm not afraid to travel. Broadway bound? Sure. Heads up-I've been trying to catch Wicked. In case you cared.

13. Done with monopolies. So, goodbye cable television. But Imma still need sumpin to watch. I own seasons 1 & 2 of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia but I'd love to own ALL the seasons. While you're at it, I'd like to get into The Walking Dead too. & if you think of anything else that seems to suit me...yup, I want that too.

14. Popcorn please. Well, not really, unless you're going to send me some gourmet (no cheese, please). I would love to have some DVD's though. What interesting, thought provoking films have you seen? I wanna see them too.

15. Sweet tooth. White chocolate to be exact. & I especially love Lindoor Truffles.

16. Professional development. The earlier request for books was all about pleasurable reading. Professionally speaking, I'd like to read Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It and The Reading Zone by Nancy Atwell.

17. Rack city, bish, rack rack city bish... Wine racks. Don't have 1, but would buy 1 if I actually knew a thing about wine. School me. Buy me a bottle of white (the only kind I enjoy thus far) & get my collection started. But don't forget the cork screw. I drink at home so infrequently that I don't have 1 that is EASY TO USE. & if you want, you can throw in the rack.

18. The write time. I need a minute away from the hustle & bustle of daily Life so I can get some of these words out of my head & onto a hard drive. Make it free (for me) nights & weekends at a B&B. I'd be sure to mention you in the acknowledgments of my 1st book.

There's more. Roughly 18.5 more things to go. No one wants to read a whole list of 37 in 1 day/night so I'll break this up for you. For now, if you see yourself in what's been shared so far, please feel free to get started scamming on how you can share in the birthday celebration, because what...? Sharing is caring.

Watch me move.