Wakanda Forever

 I don't usually have a strong reaction to the death of celebrities.  I mean, I have the same reaction I have when someone I don't know dies. I feel bad for their friends and family, I regret the potential that has been removed from the world, and if they die young I am sad for all of the things they didn't get done.  But overall, it's not a gut punch, not like when it's someone I actually know.

So today, when I woke up to the news that Chadwick Boseman had died, I was quite honestly surprised at how hard it hit me.  I hadn't really heard of him before he played T'Challa in Black Panther, though I know he'd done a couple of high-profile roles before that.  I just knew there was a new character entering the MCU, and that it was a character with a strong potential to be a game-changer for so many young persons of color.  It's important for people, especially kids, to see someone who looks like them portrayed in a strong, positive way.  

And boy did he do that!  Boseman's T'Challa was everything the character should be. He was dignified, but could laugh at himself. He was strong, but had vulnerabilities.  He was a hero, but made mistakes.  There was a gravitas that Mr. Boseman brought to the role that is undeniable. T'Challa was represented as a young man who had been raised to cherish and protect the people of his country, and of the world. He recognized the mistakes his father made, was angry about them because they were the wrong thing to do, and even at the end after fighting Killmonger twice for his life, he still offered mercy to the one trying to kill him.

My biggest regret for the movie, honestly, was that T'Challa's exchange with Killmonger at the end didn't go like this:

T'Challa: We may be able to heal you.

Killmonger: So you can lock me up? Nah, bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships. Because they knew death was better than bondage.

T'Challa: No, let us heal you so that you can reunite with the family who should have taken care of you all along. We can work together to make the world better, to make life better for all those who need what we can offer.

Sadly, that's not how it went, and so we lost Killmonger as a character.  I know WHY they made the decision to end it as they did, and it was an amazingly strong ending. I just wish that redemption had been offered and received on both sides.

Even so, the impact of Black Panther in the MCU and in the real world are undeniable. A large part of that impact came from the man who played the character. I know there are other actors who could have done a wonderful job in the role, but I honestly will have a hard time ever seeing someone else as T'Challa. Chadwick Boseman made T'Challa his own. He leaves large footprints to follow, large shoes to fill. His legacy is one of power, positivity, pride. I wish we could have seen what else he could have done.

Wakanda Forever.

Serial Dreams

I thought I would share a snippet from a conversation with a friend via Facebook Messenger today. We were talking about the past, and where we are now, and I was talking about why my previous business, Fat Lady Foods, will probably never happen again, which isn't a bad thing, really:

"It might, but I'm tired. Part of it is everything going on right now, but part of it is that I've worked for almost 40 years of my 50+ year life, and I'm ready to just be done. I want to get the store to where I don't have to be here every day, and just take some time to do things I love for fun. That will include making jams and things, but will also be stitching, and fostering (mostly pets, but there's a possibility that we may open our home to foster kids at some point too), volunteering for causes I believe in, and just generally focusing on making the world a brighter place.

I've discovered that dreams are successive, not a be-all and end-all. You have one dream, you work on it, turn it into reality, and then you find another one and begin again, carrying the lessons you learned on previous ones with you. I think people should always strive to create and achieve new dreams."

So remember, we all get tired sometimes, but while we need to pause and rest occasionally, we also should keep looking for the next dream. One of my favorite quotes is from Louisa May Alcott. I haven't put it up here lately, but this seems like a good time to do so:

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”

Follow the aspirations that shine in the sunlight. They're always there. Let them inspire you on the days when it's so damned hard to get out of bed. Let their light be the pinpoint in the darkness on the days when it threatens to close in and smother you. They're there, waiting for you to smile and dream when you see their beauty.