"You done good..."

I wrote a story that I knew was going to get people to talking, and I wanted to make sure I toed the line because the subject matter was sensitive.

So I ran it by my mother.

My mother underestimates her value. She's a wealth of institutional knowledge when it comes to life in general. She advises me when I'm steering in the wrong direction.

She's my personal dictionary.

So I sent her the story, which talked about how an exchange between two councilmen, one black and one white, that involved evoking a cotton field had spurred conversations in the community about whether it was racist, simply over the line or whether blacks are hypersensitive when it comes to certain things.

She said it brought back the story of how she'd been shot in the leg (not by a real gun, but injured nonetheless) while visiting family in Alabama. They took her to the hospital, but she wouldn't be seen.

That's 1960s Alabama for you, when George Wallace ruled with an iron fist and black people weren't worthy to him til he lost the ability to walk and later became "born again."

"You done good," she said. That's all I needed.

Not well, but good. You know how the vocab has to be a little hood when you do something better than well - like puttin yo foot in some food?

Is it possible to bring a blessing your way?

I asked for the job situation to get better. I asked that love no longer pass me by.

And, as usual, that money become less stretched.

All have been accomplished.

Did I do too much?

I'm one of those people who believe that everything in your life CANNOT go right at the same time. Right now, though, it is.

Can you truly pray you way out of a rut?

I'm beginning to think it's possible. I've never been the most religious person. I've always had a spiritual backing to my thoughts and emotions. I pray when I'm not in need.

But I've been a praying fool these last few weeks. Trust me when I say I've felt "in need."

I've asked for one thing recently, and it appears to be coming my way. But if it does, what do I want for? I guess there's the fact that the girl and I are in different cities. But that's never been a problem for me. I dunno.

I hate feeling like this, like there's nothing for me to strive for in terms of personal wants. It's a place where people get, then become apathetic and complacent, lacking the drive to push out of the current state of being.

I always want more.

But how do you want more when everything seems so good?