Stepping Up to the Plate
“Whatever story you’re telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, “and then everything burst into flames.”
Sorry for the “fluff pieces” while you wait for my thoughts on America’s 250th birthday. But I thought I’d catch you up on the ongoings of my life. That’s kind of what brought most people here anyways: my dating life that made you feel better about yours.
Although, it’s not tragic lately — I wanted to share because I feel like I’m batting a thousand. Even though I’ve been afraid of striking out, I remember my favorite quote from the Hilary Duff classic film A Cinderella Story: “Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game”. It’s actually attributed to Babe Ruth. However, us millennials recognize it as the quote on the wall of the diner Sam Montgomery’s father owned in the movie.
I will have you to know, I’ve been seeing one person for the last three months. It’s wild, right? He’s met my folks and they like him. They enjoyed some of his black-eyed peas during the weekend of Juneteenth. My stepdad marveled at how he pulled me into him, to kiss me on my forehead in front of them. My mom mentioned how comfortable he was hosting them at his place and how at home he made me feel. She told me that I look happy. She likes saying “Hi” to him over the phone when I’m with him. Now, if you read my previous pieces, you’d know that she hated my last boyfriend with a passion. I won’t fault her for that because she was right about him: he is a piece of shit (Her words, I’m just agreeing). And now that I’ve been with someone who encourages me, shows up consistently, holds me and gives me multiple orgasms — I wonder what the fuck I was even doing then or ever.
Does all of this mean that I’ve been without doubts? Absolutely not. I’m still trying to get to the space where I’m not waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. I don’t think there’s a good baseball idiom for that one, or at least one that I can utilize successfully. AI said that I was correct in my thinking on the baseball idiom, not that it means anything because I hate AI. I more or less hate what tech billionaires are doing with AI, but that’s another topic for another day. Have I mentioned how he tolerates when I go on these tangents? He likes that I have thoughts.
What’s with the baseball idioms? Well, over the weekend I went to the Padres game and met some of his coworkers. I was introduced as his girlfriend. I think they were a little surprised…I don’t know if he forgot to mention to them that I’m Black. It shouldn’t be a thing to avoid shock, but it is. They definitely looked like they were thrown a curveball. After the initial shock wore off, things were fine. I was surprised he inhaled two hot dogs because he’s a vegetarian, but as he said they were free. That was my exact rationale for not wandering out of the Toyota Beach area, to the top level of Petco Park to get my favorite tri-tip nachos and a Cutwater cocktail. I decided to eat free baked mac & cheese in the buffet and drink the Swingin’ Friar Ale. In this economy, money saved is money saved. I saved at least $36 forgoing my nachos and the cocktail. For my wallet, that’s a Grand Slam.
As much fun as I was having baking in the sun and watching the Padres get smoked by the Dodgers (sarcasm) — we left during the 6th inning, I believe. It really doesn’t matter because it was the same score, 4-2 at the end of the game. We had a peaceful time exiting the park and stopped by a grocery store. As we walked through the streets of East Village, we left our baseball game bubble of fun and witnessed suffering of other humans on the streets of San Diego without shelter as we did on our way to the game. The thing that makes me really adore Gingersnap is that he’s a human with empathy, like me. He didn’t look down his nose at the homeless.
I thought about how I keep being reminded that we live in the richest country in the world. So why is the funding for fighting homelessness being cut? This is happening while the Secretary of Defense flies in lobster and steak for him and his cronies, the President is focused on revamping golf courses and stealing from the US treasury and lastly, corporations give millionaire CEOs more millions in bonuses while refusing to raise wages for hourly employees as the cost-of-living rises. There are people working 40-hours a week, that can’t afford a place to lay their heads at night. If they can, some are choosing between shelter and food — two basic human necessities. And the powers that be blame the immigrants, so you won’t look at the billionaires who aren’t satisfied with having more than enough. Instead, they continue holding the people that just want to live comfortably under their thumb. As Lauryn Hill said in “Everything is Everything”:
“Sometimes it seems we’ll touch that dream. But things come slow or not at all. And the ones on top, won’t make it stop. So convinced that they might fall…”
If you’ve never listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, I suggest you do so. It’s not Apple Music’s Number 1 Greatest Album of All Time for no reason. If you’re not new here, you knew I’d have a few messages in this piece even if it’s “fluff”. I’m unserious about a lot, but I am serious about my writing,
Oh, and by the way:
When we got back to his place from the game, EVERYTHING BURST INTO FLAMES. THE END.