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where is my inheritance so i don’t have to work anymore: part 1/x
a man came into my job and told me to smile even though i was wearing a mask. here’s a letter to him. enjoy. —————– sir, it was 7:10 am when you and your terribly dressed cronies blatantly ignored the sign on the door that said “no mask, no service” and walked into my coffee…
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watching funny black men with my funny white partner
i’m dating someone new and i like them. there are the firsts: the kiss, the hug you feel in your toes, the “waking up to the sun when you intended to greet yesterday’s moonlight” sleepover. and as exciting as it is, there’s this fear i have with dating as an adult which is if i…
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a tale of two titties
my mom took me bra shopping after my first period. the white satin-esque training bra set atop my developing breasts like an ill fitting hat. to 11-year-old me, my chest looked fleshy, but it fell short in needing a bra for support. but an aspiration that young girl and i still share is that i…
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a week of wear: “you ‘bout to lose yo’ job”
I’m leaving my job. Oddly, I’m calm about it. I wasn’t happy; my mental health was suffering and experiencing that for the sake of a paycheck was not worth it. I am passionate about people. As a supervisor, I take pride in the position I have to impact the lives of others seriously. It’s something…
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a week of wear: these boots ain’t made for standing in a coffee shop all day
My mantra for my first week of training at a coffee shop? Wash, rinse, sanitize. I wore dresses and lots of color as a means of comforting myself during a week where white supremacy reared its head at the Capitol; and starting a job that I’m unsure if it’s the right fit for me. I…
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i don’t want a birthday cake
My birthday has always been eclipsed by an American past time: the Super Bowl. In 1993, four days before I was born, the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills were facing off. In my mind, my dad will always be characterized by his delicious cooking, his enthusiasm for sports, and beer. My dad and I…
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on my first year with locs
When I run my index finger and thumb along the length of my locs, I’m met with thin and thinning locs, some of the same density from root to tip and others with thick bulbs along their ends. Sometimes, I find myself combining locs or seeing how much of my locs I can gather into…
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in defense of wearing cardigans on a hot day
Summer is great. She’s cute. I get it. However, I’m ready to pull out my cardigans and sweaters again. The temperatures in this part of New Mexico have been in the mid-90s. And if it happens to rain? Pfft. You’ll be welcomed into inescapable mugginess and humidity, and looking for a cooler spot to rest,…
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monday: take me outside, sit in the green garden
The late Oliver Sacks said this about gardens: “All of us have had the experience of wandering through a lush garden or a timeless desert, walking by a river or an ocean, or climbing a mountain and finding ourselves simultaneously calmed and reinvigorated, engaged in mind, refreshed in body and spirit.” That’s how I feel.…
Bryanna Beaman
Writer & Digital Creative
Bryanna Beaman 