God's Bespoke Tailoring, a blog by Reid Klos

It’s 10:13 pm and I’m still goofing around on my laptop.  Just a little haunted by my homegirl’s radio show topic tonight.  Earlier between 8p – 9p CST I tuned in to my “sister’s” show Talking To Tasha on BlogTalkRadio.  It is the Week of Prayer For The Healing of AIDS, so I wanted to show my support and see how well her show was coming along.  I picked a great night.

On The Radio

Natasha was giving her listeners the old one-two-SNAP.  It was geared toward down-low black men, or MSMs (men who sex men) and the women whose lives they are tearing apart.  She had something to say to rappers that promote the foolishness of IT-girls being the ones with small waists, big rumps, supple breasts and the pole dancing skills of a Cirque du Soleil acrobat.  She didn’t leave BET out of the thrashing either considering it allows the foolishness to be promoted.  And, yes, in case you were wondering she had a little something for Congress as well.  It’s time to stop asking “What role does the government have in the AIDS epidemic?”  As Natasha blasted on facebook: “the gova who…if we don’t raise hell they won’t raise a finger…”

Well you know I had to call in. It was too good to pass up.  And I don’t know how much I added to the show, but she asked me something along the lines of what I thought black women should do to protect themselves.

I frankly told her that I think they should be willing to ask the pointed questions.

My response really made me think.  We as a people, you and I, are often afraid to ask the pointed questions to others, and most importantly to ourselves.  “We’ve taken ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ too far,” Natasha commented.  Indeed we have.

On Facebook and Twitter

So I’m awake blowing up facebook and twitter.  I even went so far as to tweet one of my favorite models, @evamarcille, this little diddy: “pose this question to your girls…before U engage in relations do you ask a man if he has sex with men?”  Will I get a response?  I dunno.  But I felt that I had to spread the word.

I mean, we’re living in a day and time that we are so connected to each other yet so disconnected.  That was one of the things we talked about on Talking To Tasha.  What happened to the camaraderie; the feeling of responsibility for each other?  It is best summed up by the words of Jesus: “…the love of many will grow cold…”

All these facebook friends and twitter followers and blah, blah, blah.  We have no sense of accountability toward each other besides updating our status so that the billions of people around the world can know that I just got off the toilet.  Really?

Out of Control

I guess I’m just a little frazzled tonight.

How about you?

Is any of this making you wonder if you’re doing something worthwhile?  Are you using your voice to make a difference?  Are you using the opportunities that you have to make a change?  Are you using the privileges that you have to do something besides scratch your butt and sniff?  I’m just saying.

This video–> Out of Control: The AIDS Epidemic in Black America is the truth.  I keep getting interrupted while I’m watching it, but what I’ve seen is, whew, eye opening.

Am I going to become the next spokesperson for AIDS? I dunno?  Maybe.  I just know that I’m feeling a little duped.  Duped because, like an ostrich, I’ve gotten frightened by life and I’ve had my head in the sand.

Okay…

My favorite line in The Devil Wears Prada is when Nigel is talking to Andy about her lackadaisical work ethic at the magazine and why Miranda isn’t giving her the props she feels she deserves.  He says, “Wake up, SIX,” snapping her into the reality that she wasn’t doing all that she could to succeed.  I’ve been quoting that for about a month now to myself when I open my eyes to a situation be it spiritual, at work, or anything.

Hey, you. Yes, you. Wake up, Six!

There’s an elephant in the room and it is causing major damage. Call it out the next time you have a chance.  Don’t be afraid to ask the pointed questions.  Don’t be afraid of the responses.  The dialogue needs to happen.  Your life may depend on it.