The morning sun was just peeking over the rooftops on the opposite side of Richmond. Even before opening my eyes, I could feel it's warmth filtering through the blinds on my eyelids. I wanted to see hoe long I could lay there that way in a sort of lucid dream. Once the sound of the birds singing came into play, it was perfectly clear that I was fully awake. I thanked the Source for providing me with yet another beautiful day in which to live life. Sliding upright in bed, I grabbed a journal. The peaceful rising had been inspirational, I wanted to get some of these feelings down on paper before they faded. Words like, "glorious", "serene", and "grandiose" kept coming to mind. "Wow AJ", I thought to myself, "You really are vibing higher!" It made me smile at the pure elation of just BEING. I effortlessly moved through my morning routine; transitioning from saging into Yoga; with it finally culminating into meditation. I was now ready to get my day started...
The 1st thing on today's agenda was getting lost in the bookstore for an hour or two. My latest subject of interest was Chakra balancing/healing-especially in relations to crystals. I was itching for some new reading material on the topic. I had already outgrown my previous purchases of Crystals for Beginners and The Crystal Encyclopedia; I was now ready for something a whole lot more specific. On the way, I popped into the Flower Shop to see what Sharice was up to. Sharice was yet another piece of Richmond-yet completely out of place surrounded by all these freshly cut blooms. Sharice was a whole gangster-and unless you were related to her, male or female, you had to fight her at one point or another as a rite of passage on the block...As I entered the shop, I spotted her in the back, neck-deep in Baby's Breath and an array of different Rose hybrids. "What up AJ?!" she called out from the bouquet she was assembling. "Nothing much, on my way to the bookstore; I just stuck my head in to holler at you for a minute or two!" Sharice looked at her phone, "Now is as good a time as any for a smoke break!" We made a beeline for the front door and settled on the bench just a few steps away. "So what's new?! Everything good?! I need like 5 bunches of hydrangeas; the violet family if you have it..." "Nope!" Sharice abruptly stopped me-"I am NOT on the clock! Talk to me in 9 minutes!" I shook my head thinking, "my people, my people!" I spent the rest of the time catching her up on block business. I got my flowers and headed in the direction of the bookstore...
Later on that day, I found myself back in my room, getting ready for my date with Adonis. I was actually really looking forward to it. I had decided that I wasn't going to address the text with him at all. I wasn't going to give his fixation anything to feed on. I flat out refuse to give life to something that doesn't exist. Yesterday is OVER, and no longer mattered. The only thing there is is the present moment; RIGHT NOW. It would be the very definition of insanity to dwell on anything that has already happened, OR to anticipate the future-waiting to do something when absolutely NO ONE has the promise of the next 5 minutes. Where you are, RIGHT NOW, is what you want, and where you want to be, because it is ALL you have. What sense does it make to be unhappy with where you are in life right now?! Every choice you make, every conscious decision you come to, was your own personal effort to get you exactly where you are. Asking yourself honestly if THIS moment is full of EVERYTHING you deserve is the only REAL TRUTH. It was time to own the Power of Now...
The next thing I knew, Adonis was calling, saying he was turning onto Richmond. He was taking me to the Winery, and then we were going to get lost in the Red Hook district of Brooklyn for the rest of the day. Don't get me wrong, the Winery was BEAUTIFUL; and just sitting, watching the water in the harbor wax and wane was amazing...However, the best part, was wandering around Red Hook! At the center of it all was the Brooklyn Projects; a sort of Mecca for many of NYC's hip hop artists and a pop culture icon in and of itself. Adonis was originally from Brooklyn and spent much of his childhood here with his 2 Aunties who had lived in Red Hook since they were young teenagers. The cultural diversity was refreshing; with each adding their own personal touches to the landscape. It all worked together; complementing each other. There were Sunflowers and Morning Glories everywhere. After eating at the cutest little neighborhood deli, which came complete with it's own set of Persian brothers who made it a point to entertain every pretty girl that came in from the other side of the counter; we walked to a park located at the center of the square. We were approaching 4 ladies seated at 2 tables, playing chess...
One of the women rose to her feet as we walked up, her face in a full smile. "Hey Auntie!" Adonis said happily, mid-embrace. He was in the midst of introducing me when I found myself fully engulfed in a hug. She smelled like Cocoa Butter and V05 shampoo; it was love at first smell! Aunt Lee grabbed my hand and led me over to the tables to introduce me to her "crew". They all knew Adonis, and had surrounded him in simultaneous chatter; all happily talking at once. Aunt Lee and I locked arms; soundlessly leaving the whole scene, and she led me in the direction of the nearest apartment building. She was taking me to meet Aunt Janet. She met us out on the walkway; a freshly rolled joint tucked behind her ear. Aunt Janet embraced me with one arm, placing a fuchsia kiss on my right cheek. There I was, in the heart of the Brooklyn Projects, smoking a joint with 2 of the coolest old ladies ever; feeling as comfortable and right as if I were on Richmond...
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