TheAyeshaSite

I’m a beautiful Black woman and I’ve done some cool things in my lifetime that I’m really proud of. I record all of my accomplishments on my LinkedIn profile. I’m 36 and 7 months now. It’s almost September. I’m going to be meeting with Edi and the other members of the NJCU Writers Workshop. My LinkedIn profile is getting me noticed. LinkedIn costs $29.99 a month and is not cheap. I got into Cave Canem twice.  I wrote a letter in support of Cave Canem gladly when asked to. I loved the workshop. I’m a workshop poet. When Cave Canem has events workshop poets pay less than the cost of the entrance price. I hope to have success with my memoir and get it published. I’d be so happy if I publish my memoir, I call Ayesha’s Story a memoir.

Today I thought of my all of my poetry successes and the poetry anthology Com-pen-di-um that I will have five poems in soon I’m waiting to hear from. Writing a memoir is the thing I am mostly focused on but I am working at Mercer as a Mentor on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3pm too. I am meeting Edi and the other members of the NJCU Writers Workshop on Tuesday September 12 from 7pm to 9pm. I am excited that there are three poetry readings at Princeton Public Library in September, October and November this Fall. Iove blogging and I made three blogger friends that like my blog. I liked their blogs back. My course is in writing for children and teenagers.

When people think of me they usually think of my unique name, Ayesha Karim. You know my name was what made me feel special when I was a little girl. Another thing that always made me feel special is the nice gifts I’d get for Christmas and my birthday every year. This is still something I look forward to in my 30s. I will continue to look forward to Christmas, Kwanzaa and my birthdays as I get older. I get such nice gifts from my parents on my birthday and for Christmas and from other relatives. I got money from my grandmother one year. I just love my life. It is a good life. It’s mine. I believe in self-love and loving other people. I am happy I learned to love and accept myself. I would not change that fact for the world or all the money in the world. Nothing compares to me.

No one is responsible for my happiness. No one is responsible for my weight. I am responsible for Ayesha Karim. I hate it when people say my mother is responsible for things like my weight. Those are things I control. Being skinny has never been one of my goals. Being thin is a thing that is not an African American thing. I remember Aunt Kay’s husband telling my uncle’s ex-wife Anna to eat her Thanksgiving Dinner and him adding Anna you look fine don’t lose weight you’re perfect just the way you are. My aunt and her husband Neal came over a week ago. I hadn’t seen them in a long time. I remember thinking Ayesha you’re the boss of you. This is your body and this is your life. I would get down to like 180-190lbs and feel like Ayesha is where Ayesha needs to be. I’d look down at my Weight Watchers bathroom scale and see 190 lbs and be happy. Culture affects goal weight is the other thing I would say. I get to say what kind of day I’m going to have. I get to say to that naysayer you’re not going to ruin my day or affect my life. I don’t care who doesn’t like me or doesn’t care for me. I really don’t. I’m going to be Ayesha Karim and be my best self and just live my own life. I exist but slowly I’m learning to live. I had a great 35th birthday party last year with friends. I felt so happy in my special occasion dress and the special occasion was my 35th birthday. Fred made that my most memorable birthday yet. I’m a Black woman. I love KFC and ESSENCE magazine. I remember Susan Taylor and how she established ESSENCE, her own magazine. I want to establish my own magazine: Ayesha magazine but that dream may never come true. My poet/writer/blogger dream came true. I could not be happier with those dreams coming true. I love poetry, I love writing. I love blogging.

When I say I want to OWN it I mean I want to do as many things as I possibly can. Black people mostly talk negative about Oprah but I don’t agree with most black people and what they say about Oprah just like I don’t see myself as they see me. I see the beauty Ayesha and I see strength not weakness. I love The Oprah magazine and I always thought look at how sophisticated Oprah’s magazine is. I dream of one day publishing a magazine called AYESHA magazine and I think to myself look at what cool things I have been able to do. I write poetry,  I am writing a memoir, I graduated from college with a BA in English at age 34, I have an all-star LinkedIn profile that gets me noticed, I have my Facebook page, I have my Twitter, my TUMBLR, I did 45 Yelp reviews, I do book reviews. I have my blog TheAyeshaSite and I am going for a second BA in Early Childhood Education from NJCU. That’s Ayesha kool!

I learned that Carey Haimer and Madeline Monheit are both from Brooklyn too. My friend Christine Munoz is from the Bronx. We are all from NYC. I think there is one other person but the name is escaping me also from Brooklyn in NAMI Mercer NJ.

I believe that African American women are just as special and valuable as women from other backgrounds. Black women have always been thought of as nurturers and we are really able to do all kinds of things. My mom will be 59 years old next year and she is a nurse and a midwife. I am a poet and a writer. I love being a poet and a writer. One of the men at NAMI Mercer NJ called me “the queen of self-promotion” and he basically said, “Ayesha is a workaholic” just to be acknowledged by him at the organization that I volunteer and where I’m also a consumer was incredible

This is the official title of my memoir. This is going to be my first book.

From learning about Super Soul Sunday and seeing that there is a spirit that connects all human beings. We are all spiritual beings. I think The Oprah magazine and think Oprah is such an inspiration to me. I thought of when Mariah Carey was on her show. I know Stedman Graham is her love interest but he never married Oprah. I feel like she could have been in a marriage if she let Stedman go. Oprah inspired me to be like her and have my own magazine not my own network but to be a boss! I don’t believe God created me not to have goals and pursue the things I feel are cool like being able to write a memoir.

I want to be able to just go out and enjoy my life. I am only going to get my one life. I want to celebrate my life and go on Just Friends events with the other members of my social group for adults living with mental illness.