Beloved reader,
This might sound like steroidal naivety in the face of current global events, but I believe in the inherent goodness of others. Cynicism is soul-leaching in it's glibness, and it's ultimately boring, which is a sin according to the gospel of this gormless goon. Cynicism can kiss my ras (and such tings.) It takes imagination to believe that your fellow human beings are going to act from a position of kindness and courtesy. I'm not telling you to be a mug. Au contraire, I'm simply advocating for an elastic, generous worldview. We all know what cruelty tastes like. We've all experienced the sting of discourtesy and bad-mindedness. What if we all accepted, even for a moment, that everybody is struggling in their own hyper-specific ways? What if we reached out to one another from a position of compassion without feeling like our dignity was being compromised? I made a decision recently that I'm not going to be held emotionally hostage by the spectre of my history simply because being a victim doesn't serve me. Resisting victimhood, which is a lucrative and sexy cottage industry, requires the conditioning of psychical muscles you didn't even know you possessed. I hope you're loving up on yourself and your lovers (multiple) and your pickney and your friends and community. I hope you're feeling sexy and souped-up and seen. If love is not being served at your table, do like Nina and dip. I send nothing but love and gorgeous energy your way. Diriye
Image by DIRIYE OSMAN and JAROSLAV SCHOLTZ
Song of the moment: 'Just Friends' (Cover) by ALIC WALLS