Currently

Currently is a little feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. So without further ado...

My Olivia Pope-inspired outfit I wore to the Celebrate Black TV
Scandal Season Premiere Watch Party at BlogaliciousFIVE. 

Watching: After resisting for two seasons I’ve finally been sucked into the Scandal craze and am officially a part of the Gladiator Nation. I shouldn’t be surprised that I fell for this show as soon as I started watching the old episodes on BET. Shonda Rhimes won me over long ago with Grey’s Anatomy and I’ve had a girl crush on Kerry Washington for years. Initially, I chose not to watch the show because all anyone ever talked about was Olivia Pope’s affair with the President and as a married lady I couldn’t get on a board with a show that glorified adultery. But after watching I quickly realized that Olivia’s love affair with Fitz isn't actually the center of he show’s storyline. And -- though I’m probably the only Scandal fan on the planet that feels this way – I couldn’t care less if Olivia and Fitz end up together. I’m much more interested in how Olivia fixes PR nightmares and how she can rock a white trench coat like nobody’s business. And besides, I’m Team Jake!

Listening to: As loyal readers know, my car radio is normally tuned to WBHM 90.3 FM, Birmingham’s NPR station. But I still make time for music occasionally. Lately, I’ve been listening to Solange’s EP True, Janelle Monae’s The Electric Lady, and Kendra Morris’ Banshee. If you don’t own these you need to change that immediately.

Planning: I’ve already planned all the See Jane Write events I want to have in 2014 and I’m currently working on the 2014 editorial calendar for See Jane Write Magazine.

Reading: Sexy Feminism: A Girl's Guide to Love, Success, and Style. I bought this book back in March and for months it’s been sitting on my bookshelf literally collecting dust. I finally started reading it and I’m in love. The book offers ways we modern feminists can practice feminist activism in our everyday lives and have fun along the way.

Looking forward to: Summer Break. Is it too early for me to say that?

Making me happy: If I’m really honest with myself, not much in my life is making me happy these days. Nearly every thing in my life is draining me dry. I need to make some life changes and I need to make them soon.

Thinking about: Margin. I have no margin in my life. Nearly every second of every day is filled with tasks: teaching, grading papers, working on freelance stories, blogging, running See Jane Write, leading a church small group, exercising, cooking, cleaning. And I have to make time to eat, shower and comb my hair – things I honestly sometimes struggle to find time for. On top of all of this, my family is going through a really rough time right now and I’m dealing with some health issues, issues that are only exacerbated by my stress level. Something has to give. But what? I love all of the things I do, fiercely. How can I choose?

A friend of mine whose life is pretty hectic these days said something to me recently that really struck me. When I asked how she was doing she rattled off all the things going on and I expected her to follow this laundry list with complaints about the chaos of her life, complaints I felt she'd be justified in voicing. But instead she said, quite happily, “My life is full.”

That’s the attitude that I want to have. When people ask how I’m doing I typically give a heavy sigh and say, “I’m OK, just really busy.” 

But I want my answer to be: “I’m wonderful! My life is full.”