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July 2020

Post #7: I wrote this on January 2, 2019…

My best friend, my angel, my mother…we were two peas in a pod. We argued like sisters sometimes because we were both so stubborn. Your sense of humor was unparalleled. You became a mother at age 42 because you never gave up on bringing me into this world. I wouldn’t trade these 27 years for anything. You always said that you asked God to let you live long enough to see me be old enough to take care of myself. You told me last year that you were confident that I would be okay and that you could leave knowing that. I know I’ll see you again some day. My heart is completely broken but I know that you aren’t suffering anymore.

Posted to remind myself that no loss will ever be as hard as the loss of my mother ❤️

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July 2020

Bonus: The End of Bad Religion 2013-2020

This marks the end of an era. The end of a seven year delusion. This time, I’m throwing it in a mound of sticks and setting it on fire. May it burn completely with even no ashes left to see. I promise to never go back to it again. I deserve better. We all do.

Today’s affirmation: I will practice avoiding things and people that do not serve me

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July 2020

Post #6: The COVID-19 Diaries Part 1

I have been social distancing for almost five months. As a single person, it has been difficult. I stopped talking to the guy I was dating at the start of COVID-19 (for various reasons). Nothing particularly bad happened but we were just not on the same page.

I have gone on a few social distancing dates but nothing has come from them. Getting to know new people is super exhausting. I just haven’t been in the place to navigate all of the early BS of getting to know someone. It gets lonely sometimes but I am taking each day one day at a time. I am thankful for friends and family.

I am blessed to be able to work from home. All of my bills have been paid on time. I even have some left over for frivolous purchases. I have plenty of food and things to keep myself entertained.

I wish that the world was open but I understand why it’s not. I wanted to travel this year but that’s not happening. So many festivals and concerts have been cancelled and rescheduled for next year. I’ll just continue to wear my mask and wash my hands. BECAUSE DUH…

How have you been dealing with loneliness and social distancing during COVID-19?

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July 2020

Post #5: Macroaggressions and cheese…

The working world is an interesting place for black women. I secured my first “real” job at 22. It was a research position. My PI was a polite and hardworking man with a thick English accent. That being said, there were other circumstances that made the job somewhat challenging. At the time, I didn’t have a car. The commute required me to take three buses to work. Often times, I would work longer than my scheduled hours. There was an incident in which someone posted an incredibly insensitive poster on the door of the graduate student office (I’m about 99% sure of who it was). The poster included an image of shackled AA slaves to emphasize “how PIs see graduate students”. Being the only AA in the lab, I complained and the poster was removed.

I can recount other instances throughout the years that have made my short working career pretty interesting. All I will say is that it adds another level of stress to already stressful jobs. I would be lying if I said that I am not envious of my coworkers who do not have the same struggles (be it due to race or gender/sex).

What are some macroaggressions you’ve had to deal with at work?

Continue reading “Post #5: Macroaggressions and cheese…”
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July 2020

Post #4: When black and brown women leave us too soon…

On Monday, July 13th 2020, authorities found Naya Rivera’s drowned body. She was 33. Only 33. She left behind a 4 year old son. Reports say that she was able to lift her son back into the boat before drowning. Essentially, she sacrificed her life to save his.

She couldn’t have known that the trip to the lake would be her last. She was an accomplished actress and a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. The former “Glee” actress had so much to look forward to…so much left to accomplish.

Whether it be by tragic circumstances (Naya Rivera and Breonna Taylor)…or by men who they hoped would protect, help and love them (Oluwatoyin Salau and Shana Donahue)…or by their own hands (Jas Waters), the deaths of black and brown women leave a hole in the world. A hole that could have only been filled by their work…they didn’t get a chance to complete it

How do we deal with the loss of black and brown women when they leave us too soon?

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July 2020

Post #3: Podcasts that get me through the workday

1. The Brown Liquor Report

2. Ratchet & Respectable

3. Conversation Con Artists

4. Jade + X.D.

5. Here’s The Thing

6. The Read

7. Gettin’ Grown

What are some of your favorite podcasts?

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Introduction

Post #1: Introduction

Hi and thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Natalie. I am an almost 30 something single black woman currently living in North Carolina. I currently work in research. My interests are science, public health, social issues, research, food, traveling and wine. I decided to start this site to give me an outlet during my attempt at social distancing (Thanks COVID-19). Also, I needed something to do since I am currently on hiatus from dating as well. This blog is going to be a miscellaneous mix of different topics and posts. I am planning to also start an identically named Youtube channel. Stay tuned 🙂

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July 2020

Post #2: Entanglements and other adventures

Continue reading “Post #2: Entanglements and other adventures”