Skin Folk, Kin Folk, Vagina Folk, Gifts, Mount Eden Avenue

 

Some of my African-American friends use the phrase “Not all my skin folk are my kin folk.”  That rings so true for me as well.  Not only about skin folk; sometimes it’s about vagina folk.  Trump selecting a vagina-owner, who would roll back so much that women have fought to achieve, to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg is NOT okay.  That is NO replacement.

 

What country can we move to where people are evolved enough to know that women are adult people who taught most of you to wipe your azz?  I ask that out of desperation.  I really want to stay here if it will return to a democracy and improve from there.

 

It takes so long to build something good and so little to destroy it. 

 

 I know a man who did this to his son.  That's the legacy he chooses to leave.

…

 

Recently, I was contacted by a woman who believed I was her teacher in the 1980s in an adult education program in Manhattan.  She sent a photo of me and two students.  It was a very skinny me and two very happy looking young women.  Part of what she wrote was: 

“You were very kind and helped us all a great deal. … Mindy it was really nice to have the opportunity to say thank you for all your help.”

For me, the timing was good.  I needed a pick-me-up, and that did it.  I so appreciated her sentiments.  I don’t even know if I was that good in the 80s; I got better with time, experience, professional development, and self-knowledge.  Nothing beats self-knowledge.

 

…

 

I recently received two helpful monetary gifts.  One was from a woman I only know on-line.  I tried to talk her out of it, but she refused to hear no.  The other was from a woman who I have had a warm and cold relationship with at a former job, so it was rather shocking to me.  I was always puzzled by what went on.  The boss at that time had set a bad tone, used words like “nice” and “sincere” as bad words, and maybe I should have left years before my employment there ended.  Then he could’ve hired an insincere bitch, and the intermediate level adult students would fade away which would confirm the administration’s prejudice that those students don’t learn and have poor attendance and blah blah blah.  But if I had left, then I would not have had the next boss who really appreciated me and my work including my relationships with my students.  That person once told me, “You really care, and it shows in everything you do.” ❤  She warmed my heart.  However, when that person left, I was f’d.  A teacher who told his students that he “doesn’t give a shit” got a really nice gift and a big party from the staff and administrators at the end of his time there.  I loved my students in general, and most loved me.  The students were a huge part of why I stayed.  There were other perks too.  Over time, some former co-workers took me out for dinner, sent me gift cards, money, and a full gift bag from Fresh Foods.  Given my needs, this most recent gift definitely beat a job party.  And it came from someone who demonstrated such mixed feelings toward me.  I’m still puzzled.  I’m also grateful.  Nothing is simple.

 

…

 

On another note --- my friend, Mindy Levokove, who is also a former co-worker (a wonderful one) has a new poetry book out called Mount Eden Avenue.

 

They have arrived and are available for purchase! Only ten bucks.

 

 

Mindy Levokove can be found on Facebook.  If you aren’t on Facebook, you can let me know how she can contact you.  I will certainly pass that along.

 

 

Much love to CGG-M ❤❤❤

 

 

Mindy Matijasevic, September 27, 2020