White Girl Keisha
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Today, my new bunkie moved in. After a week of massive moves in the building in an effort to cap the numbers at the camp, the quarantine wing was reopened for priority housing. This wing features ten oversized, two-man rooms. I was moved away from my last bunkie, for reasons I will discuss later, and put in the priority housing. The first night I was alone, anxiously waiting to find out who my new bunkie would be. On the second day, I was greeted by Ms. Kentucky, who announced that she would be my new bunkie, but only for a day as she had decided that she wanted to return to her original room with her friends. So her stint as my bunkie was short lived. I spent one additional day/night alone. Then, this morning my new bunkie who we call ‘White Girl Keisha’ (yes, she is white, but no her name is not Keisha) moved in. She gained the name because she is a spunky white girl who was born and raised in Idaho but relocated to ATL to join the entertainment scene. She has a slick mouth and a BBL to match, so there’s that.
It is cool because White Girl Keisha is actually a part of my friend group. She hangs with me and my two former bunkies. This always makes for a good situation because my old bunkies are always in my room. This way it is not too awkward; we all just get along. My former bunkies, who I call my Puerto Rican princesses, White Girl Keisha, and a girl from Michigan are my closest friends. Additionally, there is Captain and my co-worker but I am usually with them individually and not as a group. My friend group has already started planning our post-release trips. We have locations picked out for the next ten years once everyone is released and off probation. We are calling it FTF and Travel. LOL!
I am not going to lie, I was upset when I was told that we had to move. I built a great relationship with my second bunkie. I wasn't sure what the move was all about. I suspect that someone reported that we were girlfriends because of how close we are. I have no issues at all with anyone who identifies as lesbian, bi-sexual, pansexual, etc. However, as far as I am concerned, I am far from liking women in any way other than a friend. Additionally, I am old enough to be her mom. Most importantly, I am clear that there is a huge calling on my life and this is only a small part of my journey. Therefore, I move with intentionally and integrity. With that in mind I would never do anything here that anyone could ever come back and say that I did that would impune my integrity. Imagine me on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday and she tells me that my prison girlfriend wants to speak. LOL!
After my moment of being upset about the move, I reminded myself that life does not happen TO ME, it happens THROUGH ME. I, therefore, sat in contemplation trying to ascertain what the move was about. Why did God move me to another room, which is literally around the corner? What was the separation about?
The answer...I needed to be quiet; to get still. Again, he needed me to be alone so I could think, so I could take it all in. The exact time that I was in the room alone was when everything was going on on the outside with the whole Cheer Updates mess. In that room, by myself, I was able to process and really take in what was happening. God needed me to be separated so I could get my next set of instructions. It was a reminder to keep my eyes on the prize. It was a reminder that when everything and everyone around me is going crazy, I need to ground myself. Distractions, people, and situations can easily take you off course. I am not going to lie, that is how I got here. Getting off course and forgetting who I was. On the next level of my journey, I can't afford to forget.
God is building a soldier who can stand strong even in the middle of a storm. A challenge that I readily accept.
