You ever notice some people have a tendency to try to moderate the attitudes and temperaments of EVERYONE around them? In my office, we are all adults, and it isn’t any one’s job to monitor anyone else’s mood. So, this morning, my co worker starts eating something for breakfast in our cube: cereal. I make a light comment about it since we’ve had previous conversation about how she wants to eat something different in the mornings but never remembers to get anything else.

But instead of following in the previous thread of our breakfast food banter, she proceeds to extol the virtues of this Particular cereal and insist that I must taste it–dry. Now if I Wanted cereal, I would have brought some. So, anyway, I say no thank you. Not only have I eaten it before, I KNOW I prefer another kind, and I’ve already eaten my tasty breakfast treat.

Well what do you know but the Mood Moderator, hops into the convo and proceeds to agree on how tasty the cereal is and ooh how I should try it! I did say I had tasted it before didn’t I? I remember, shouldn’t she? But no, now I’m being attitudinal because I said no thank you and I don’t want it.

Really?!

I ABHOR people telling me what I mean, how I feel, or what I think. If I was ticked, its because you’re putting more on it. I even had to blog about it!

I’ve heard it said that bad news spreads faster than good news, and  I would have said that was just a thing people say to try to curb  the spread of gossip, except I just realized that I do it too.

Just this past week, I (a dyed-in-the-wool iPhone lover) found out about the impending 4G release. Naturally I devoured every article I could find about pricing, release date, and technical specs. And then proceeded to post it on Facebook and tell every third person in passing, “You KNOW, the 4g is coming out.”

This is NOT the iPhone 4...oh wait...yeah it is.

(more…)

I drove up to my building today and saw a fire truck surrounded by my neighbors. Now, my first thought was, “Oh crap something is aflame! I’m glad the firemen are here!” But, as I got closer I then realized nothing was on fire; kids in the crowd were all wearing little fireman helmets, and no one seemed worried or frenzied. These wonderful public servants—very Superman-esque in their red uniforms and just in the nick-of-time arrival—were just patrolling, and stopped to chat with the neighborhood.

Some kids (and adults) consider it cool to be a Firefighter, perceivably less feel the same about a crime-fighter...unless it's Batman or something...

Somehow, I made the mental transition from  flame-motivated panic to socializing rather smoothly. I’m sure you’ve done it to when it comes to the boys in red, But not so much with the their cousins, the boys in blue. Its interesting to me how the love and respect for men in uniform tends to solidify in our minds as it pertains to Firemen, but for Policemen, it tends to crumble into sad little specs of admiration over time (usually around the age of accountability: 16-18).

Is it because the Boys in Blue become more evil as you age, or is it our increased  understanding of what they do and our tendency as adults—Grown Folks—to test the limits of the Order they are supposed to keep? Or maybe the Firemen are just golden boys, unless you’re an arsonist; then they just spoil all your fun…

That’s more intimidating then it should be; that 4 syllable, not uncommon word, introduction. It almost demands that I sum up enough of who I am in a nice bite size piece, to help others know what to expect from SRAustin as a new Earth Tones contributor.

Ha, even I don’t always know what to expect.

I’m female, I’m black (or African American if you prefer), I love music, dogs are my fav!, and I’m easily entertained–a positive rather than negative attribute I assure you.

Here’s what else:

I do know that I will be honest and as fully forthright as I know how.

I won’t pretend to know what I’m talking about all the time, and  may well ask for some input. LMBO, I am comfortable with the fact that some folks know more than I do and I expect you to give me your 2 cents.

I am very excited to share my mental ramblings and ponderings with you.