...the day you turned 21
Wow. I wrote this question and still wasn't prepared to answer it. (I'll do better next time guys...OR y'all can ask some questions yourself, lol)
I turned 21 in 1994.
Everything seemed topsy turvy at the time. I'd lost my job less than a month before behind my sleepiness on the job. I was in a relationship with someone 22 years my senior and that was causing havoc in my family relationships. The only good thing about this day was the fact that my then-boo cared enough to be the only one to give me a gift.
He and I had gone downtown to Manhattan. He'd taken me to my consultation at Bellevue Hospital where I was to have my sleep study to determine whether or not I had Narcolepsy (which obviously I do, lol). There was this little book store on 27th (I think) and we'd gone there a couple of times. I saw this book with my name on it and was intrigued. My name had been the source of many jokes and I never liked it. The only people who seemed to appreciate my name were White people. No lie...everywhere I go that my name is mentioned, I'm told how beautiful my name is. My OWN folks? I was Kali from the Valley, Kal-trate, Kal-Kan, Kaliflower and of course Kalifornia. It was annoying as hell to have folks teasing me on a daily basis in some way. It's one of the reasons I respect names so much. Learning that words...and therefore names are the verbal manifestation of a spiritual vibration...was all I needed to know to get that much closer to loving the name my mom was SO proud to have named me.
Kali: Child closest to God, Egyptian...
So, when my birthday came...I felt like it was gonna be bummer. All of the stress in my house over this man and my now unemployed status, was giving me the blues. Until Ali showed up. He presented the book to me with an inscription that said, "To My Goddess".
To say I cheesed and got chinky from high cheeks forced upward by my smile...is an understatement.
There was so much in motion in that moment. I had for the first time found someone (who'd found me) who saw me as a prize. He was the only one to give me a gift...and quite possibly my only friend at the time. Twas a very special night.
My 21st year would be a helluva an entry into official adulthood. By the time 22 rolled around...I was tide. lol
10 scopers scoping:
GIRL...The name joke thing I still get that today..Can you imagine growing up with a last name like ALLMAN...EX: Almond Joy got Nuts..Mound don't...and to top it all off it was nothing but GIRLS in my family
Kal-Trate and Kal Can are wack teasing names (not that the others were better). Whoever made those up were lazy. I asically got "Lamont Sanford" and "You big dummy"...lol
That was sweet... Well do you like it when I call you KaliBoo... ?
what a blessing to have a name with true meaning...and your spirit reflects it my sistar. He gave you the gift of gifts "self worth"
@Diva~ LOL people are ignant.
@Lamont~ yea it was weak...and that's messed up what they called you. *giggling a lil*
@Mahogany~ I LOVE when you call me that...it's out of love.
@Budda~ Thank you so much. I LOVE my name now. It has MANY meanings, but I won't go there today. lol
Nice story Kween.
Ya know, I don't think that I got one single solitary gift on my 21st birthday. As a matter of fact, I'm sure I didn't.
Thanks Reggie...it's probably why I'm a fanatic about my birthday. It's the one day of my year I feel special...or at least want to.
I think your name is beautiful, Kali :) I'm glad your honey at the time made you feel special.
AWWWWWWW!!!! :-D
:)
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