Black Lives Matter. That Includes Me.

 It's both aggravating and comforting that Black Lives Matter gets followed up with All Lives Matter.

On one hand, it's comforting because the person telling me is an ally and says it out of allyship, that he or she always believed my life matters, always included minorities as equals.

On the other hand, it's aggravating when it comes from a person who insinuates that I have no reason or right to single out Black lives as mattering. It's not that the BLM movement is singling out Black lives to elevate them ABOVE all others. To the contrary, we want to be elevated to EQUALITY. Why does this argument still have to be pointed out? Wtf?

Anyone whose intent is to shut me up and "put me in my place" by saying All Lives Matter can go fuck themselves.

Blue Lives Matter. Wow. There's no such thing as a Blue Life unless you're referencing a fucking Smurf. The uniform is blue. It's an occupation that comes with occupational hazards. It comes with a badge that confers authority to use deadly force. It's almost unquestioned. The blue uniform can be removed at the end of a shift. The badge can be misused and the power behind it can be abused. At what point in the day -- or in my life for that matter -- can I slink out of my skin?

That's a long introduction to see if readers have the stomach to read more. If you've stuck it out this long and aren't squeamish...

You want to know who I think I am

As if you have any business asking

But I’ll tell you

By my way of thinking, I belong here

I descend from kings and queens

Earth and bone

Silver and gold

Their blood still flowing strong in my veins

So I speak of we

When I say me

To read the rest of my poem, purchase the journal. Pages 22-23...https://www.tywi.org/black-lives-matter.html

The Young Writers Initiative launched The Black Lives Matter Project with a literary journal. 

My poem You Want to Know Who I Think I Am is included on Pages 22-23, as well as my friend Phebe Yawson's piece Black Hope begins on Page 24.

The journal is well done and simply stunning. It's a tremendous honor to be included with such luminous talent and voices.

Be well, stay safe and have a magical day!

Mackenzie

Random Thought - Pride

***9/7/2020 UPDATED-EST UPDATE***

All six books on my required reading list have been purchased! The GoFundMe is more than fully funded. All extra amounts will be applied toward groceries and filing Littledale's Writers Rescue LLC. October 7 is the first day of the course and I'll be there. This is the best feeling I've had since my niece's girls were born. Thank you so very much. Your support is appreciated beyond words. Oh, my heart 💖💝

***UPDATED UPDATE***

Four of the six required reading books have been generously purchased! Only two books remain. I knew I was blessed, but I'm choking up now at the overwhelming support I'm getting. 😭. I'm going to give this class my all. Full heart, full attention.

***UPDATE***

My GoFundMe for the developmental editor certification from UCLA online is FULLY RAISED!!! The only thing left are the required books. If you'd like to help out with the books, they're on Barnes & Noble ---> HERE


It's an ironic situation to be in. I rarely, if ever, swallow my pride to ask for help, but I also take pride in what I do. Since I've been furloughed from massage work at the spa since mid-March (going on six freaking months), I started beta reading to fill in my time and stay connected to the writing community.

Guess what, I LOVE it. The writers love the insights and attention to detail I bring to the reading experience and they know I go way above and beyond the typical beta read. I can identify a passage that isn't working like anyone else, but I can also explain why it doesn't work and suggest ways to reword it (or eliminate the sentence altogether) to MAKE it work.

That's editing.

I take pride in massage. I take pride in writing. I take pride in editing. And then there's that issue of being furloughed for nearly six months. My bills didn't stop coming. Why should they?

Being on lockdown with little physical activity has done a number on my back, so returning to massage work may not even be viable, which brings me to that issue of pride. Swallowing it and asking for help. I don't know if the dilemma is clear. I'm sputtering here. Sorry.

I've got a GoFundMe going. I'll get to that in a sec.

I have this thing about trying not to wallow in self pity for too long. By too long, I mean a day or two. If I let myself wallow much longer than that, I wind up circling around the rim and FLUSH, fucking myself.

So, with this attitude of finding a constructive way forward, I searched for developmental editing certification courses. I found two. One is offered online by UCLA, and the other is offered by University of Chicago. Two heavy hitting educational stalwarts. However, University of Chicago tops $1200. Simply out of the running, even if I was still working. That leaves heavy hitter #2 at $700.

Sadly, $700 is still a shitload of money when you're out of work for six months.

I want to work to restore my pride, but in order to restore it, I have to swallow it and reach out for financial donations.

Either my future exists or it doesn't, so I figure I have nothing to lose.

The course description --> HERE

My GoFundMe --> HERE

Asking for charitable donations is a bitch, and fundraising means I have to pester and pester and pester (OR, I'll call it persist and persist and persist) until I can be in control of my fate and be as constructive a member of society as I can be. My opinion remains, however, that my future is a worthy cause, so here goes!

That's all I want. To help writers improve their manuscripts as much as possible to close the gap between them and book buyers.

I won't ask you to "have a heart". I will ask you to reach into your wallets and be as generous as you're comfortable with.


Have a magical day!

Mackenzie
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/account/wishlist.jsp?giftlistId=gl45612055012