Monday, July 27, 2015

Dear Mr. Cosby...

Dear Mr. Cosby,
I'm the Super Duper Senior and I am a former fan of yours. I grew on your material, from "The Cosby Show" to "Picture Pages" and reruns of "Fat Albert". Me and my family looked up to you and all the contributions you have done for the African American community.

However, my view of you has changed as of recent. I admit, I had no idea of earlier allegations against you. The most negative news I heard towards you were a paternity suit that went nowhere in the mid 90s and the words of Janice Dickinson. I openly admit that Dickinson sounded attention starved and mentally ill in my eyes. It took the words of another comedian, Hannibal Burgess, to make my ears even perk up a little bit. And then, it all happened...

As woman after woman came out with accusations, people began making the issue about race, while I looked on in awe. I had a close relative say "See, this is what happens when you mess with too many white women", which left me totally disgusted. I know that most of the time, rape isn't about race or even gender, it's about power and control. And then came your 2005 court testament where you admitted to obtaining Quaaludes in order to drug and have sex with women and here is where my respect for you died.

I can't watch anything you are affiliated with the exception of "A Different World". All of this makes me go back to Janice Dickinson and why she acts the way she does. Maybe your actions are what made her that way. However, I want to thank you for the scholarship and other contributions you made to the African American community. I am glad that your wife and others willing to defend you to the very end. All I can say, that as an African American and a regular guy with a blog, I am not one of those people because I've helped counsel friends of different races after a rape. The trauma they experience is devastating to both them and the people around them. I only hope that you can face up to what has happened and hope that there aren't anymore victims of someone once know as "America's Favorite Dad".

Sincerely,
Me

P.S. I know you already know this but "Leonard part 6" and "Ghost Dad" suck so much ass...

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Great Grandma Helen

Today, at 10:45 in the morning, I received news that my Great Grandma, Helen Otis, had passed away. While most people don't get to know their great grandparents very well, I got to know mine as she was active and willing to share her world with me.

She watched me as I was a little kid when I had summer school, when the school was just down the street from her. I originally wasn't particularly fond of being around her as she smoked and had a dog, Sammy, that annoyed the hell out of me. I'm not even sure where the turning point was where I became fond of her but I did. I think it was when I felt everyone else was forcing me to grow up, she let me be a kid. She let me be that overly sensitive, chubby little kid.

She was in bowling league and anytime I was with her, her teammates would always pinch my cheeks and tell me how cute I was. I think she sensed how annoying I found this so she always gave me a couple of dollars to play video games. On a particular day after bowling, she drove me to a little shopping center and took me inside one shop that had Spider-man and Batman on their window. She had a seat and let me run rickshaw inside this place that was filled with comic books and other memorabilia. She said I was allowed to pick out some comic books, not giving a real price range into how much to spend until I grabbed a couple of very expensive X-men comics. She would bring me back to this place, time after time until they moved.

We had our bad times too. At times, I took her for granted and acted like the spoiled brat that I was but no matter what happened between us, we would get over it because she loved me and I loved her but I think I began taking her for granted recently. I didn't contact as much as I should've, though I called her on the holidays or would try to stop by her place. I knew her health wasn't so hot and told her that I would try to check in on her but as always, life happens. When I called her for 92nd birthday, which was Tuesday, I was surprised to hear my aunt answer the phone, telling me that Great Grandma's condition worsened and that she may have had to a nursing home. I just told my aunt to keep me informed. And then today happened...

If there was one regret I ever had, it was that she never saw me graduate. When I was a child and when I "graduated" from elementary school, I didn't invite her and when she asked why, I told her because I thought she would embarrass me. She told me that she loved me but what I said hurt and at first, I shrugged it off but as I got older, I realized me saying so stupid must have been devastating for her to hear. She never got to see me march because I never really marched again. I graduated high school through summer school and just received it in the mail and I am finally graduating college, after over 10 years, this year, except she won't be there. That is the biggest regret I ever had and I wish I could take this action back with all my heart.

All I can say is goodbye Great grandma. Thank you for being one of the few people I felt that I felt believed in me. You are my rock and my sunshine and without you, my world is a little grayer.

Always and forever,
Jimaur