i miss outside

until we meet again

last weekend I was supposed to be in DC at Broccoli City Fest celebrating a friends birthday, but as we all know our world has shifted, and everyone’s plans are cancelled. its not the first celebratory event that ive had to miss and ive honestly gotten used to the idea of digital gatherings. we are all grappling with the stark change in our reality—it seems to be the topic of almost every conversation, though it is yet to be overstated. to be, in real time, sharing a global experience with a billion other people is incredibly surreal for me, to say the least.

there is so much to mourn now. and one of the things that i, like so many of us, miss dearly is going outside. of course i venture out into the world for groceries, necessities, and fresh air, but i miss OUTSIDE outside….capital “O” outside. one where i run into friends while out for errands, dance at street festivals, compliment a strangers hair, and physically gather with friends and strangers for the sake of mourning, love, joy, and resistance. with so much at stake, it feels trivial to feel the loss of antics with friends at a music festival, but ive realized that its ok to miss the small things—-all those small things make up a life.

so here is one of my most cherished capital “O” outside moments—-Afropunk Fest ATL 2017. as me and my crew awaited the next performer, I looked up and saw this menagerie of black girl hair in all its glory. braids, afros, bleach blond, and fuzzy curls. it made me smile big, so i snapped this pic, one of many i took that weekend, and now have as a memento. until its time to hold each other and recover from the trauma of this moment in person, i hope we continue to find ways to create moments like these in the digital world.

stay inside, wash your hands, call your friends.

(photo by me—find more on my instagram @mars.is.bored)