I Binged Watched Insecure For The First Time Ever

I Binged Watched Insecure For The First Time Ever – And Here’s What I Thought

Before I dive into this, let me just say that I think Issa Rae is a creative genius. Really. She’s like the BFF I’ve always wanted but never had. Before watching her series Insecure, I’d read her book titled The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and thought it was brilliant. At one point, I ended up in tears from laughing while reading about her insights on life. I never kept up with Insecure past the first season when it originally aired, but I can remember laughing so hard at the first episode that my sides started hurting. I love how the show has a comedic approach and brings viewers into the reality of what life is like for many Black women moving through the complexities of work life, adult friendships, finding love, and everything else in between. It’s entertaining stuff.

Recently, I had the chance to catch up on every season (I just learned that the fifth and final season will be airing this fall), and as I watched each episode, I couldn’t believe some of the storylines that followed: there were messy breakups, women navigating the world of situationships, ho phases, and hotation lists, exploring the world of open marriages, and addressing hostile and sometimes bizarre friendships. There were even awkward moments that were so brutally cringeworthy they made me want to hide for cover at times. For real. The series is unapologetically bold. The dialogue is hilarious. And the characters are unforgettable.

As I binged, I wondered, are people really out here living like this? I know it's just a TV show, but all that inspiration had to come from somewhere. I texted one of my friends mid-way through season two to be sure. And she replied: 😂😂😂😂 girl, it's like that times ten. Mind. Blown. But still, the show is irresistible. Seeing fully formed Black characters moving and evolving through the peaks and pits of adulthood reminded me that figuring things out takes time – there is no one way street or formula to getting your life together. You're going to make mistakes (and prayerfully learn from them and do better), get your heart broken, heal, question yourself, reevaluate the direction you want your life to go, make changes, and meet some dope people along the way. And a show like Insecure reminds me that we're all a work in progress.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

Dear Young Black Professionals

As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...

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