Category: article

I’m awake! I swear….

Spearcarrier

For the past day, day and a half or so I’ve been trying to learn an Irish accent. Accents are not my forte, really, so this isn’t as easy as it sounds. The husband says my accent sounds good, but I’m more critical about it and would rather keep practicing. And practicing.

The reason why I started on this venture is for a possible audition coming up. The character I have set my eyes on would need an Irish accent. But I t’ink I won’t be-a goin’ if I can’t get t’is accent down, now.

Well, there would be other factors.

Even if I don’t go, I plan to keep working on the accent. It would be nice to add an accent to my voice acting repertoire.

You know, for all that Youtube repressed some of my videos their system has the most annoying habit of suggesting those self-same videos for me to watch. Repeatedly. Are they thinking I’m going to change my mind?

If you don’t know, I’m talking about that 1 star review to the hairdresser I gave and the internet-wide blow up that resulted. I certainly learned some lessons out of that experience, mind you. I learned that being angry when you give a review is not good. Back off, give a calmer review with your thoughts in order, and let the bullies be the ones at fault. Not you.

I learned not to back down just because you’re being bullied by people who don’t like what you have to say. (Apparently being an unhappy customer can be dangerous to people’s feels or something.)

I learned not to care what they have to say to me on the internet, because in the end it doesn’t matter what you do. And lords know I tried to be reasonable through at least 3 videos despite knowing in my heart it was a waste of time. To the internet, you’re already the bad guy and it’s you that’s going to be punished for other people’s actions.

I learned that if people are seriously that threatened regarding a simple one star review, there needs to be more of them. And we need more people in the world brave enough to give them and not back down from it. Bullies should not be allowed to win.

I also learned that people truly don’t believe discrimination happens unless it furthers their agenda. The other matters aside that people have claimed I’m lying about… Yes, hair discrimination is real. Yes, I’m not the only person to experience it. Yes, it’s not a big deal thanks to a free market. (Well, except for when it happened to me in high school and on the job. But I am thankful those days are over, and as my own employer if I choose to be mean to myself over my hair then I also can write a savage memo to myself. Or something.) Also yes, being discriminated against for my hair still gives me the right to give a bad hairdresser a bloody one star review! Or even negative ten. LOL

Regardless of those lessons, though, I do prefer to spend my days balanced and reasonably free of drama. Youtube, dang it! You repressed my videos from searches because you said they were inappropriate or something… and then you shove the drama in my face at least once a day. Back off! Grrr.

Beyond that, the new year has begun with the usual routine. This isn’t bad, because it means the new year isn’t starting off with disaster. I hear there are people in California right now that don’t have it so good due to a massive landslide. I am grateful for what I have this morning, even though this is day five of me trying to sleep at night and failing. I have a house to toss and turn in at the very least!

Work on The Heavenly Bride resumed a few weeks ago. I realize that I didn’t mention it. The Holidays were unusually busy.

But you know what I should like to make right now, and I’ve been yearning to make for a few months now? Another music video. And… an animation.

Well there is a song I’m planning to record soon, if my autoharp will behave. That would be an excuse for a video, although what I’m *wanting* to do is use public domain and someone else’s music.

Sigh. So many things to create. I either need more time or more of me. Or both. I hate having to choose! LOL

Occom’s Razors

Spearcarrier

Have you ever met an Indian princess? I don’t mean a pampered, dark-skinned beauty from India. I mean an American Aboriginal honey; the fair and self-sufficient daughter of her tribe. No? Got a reason for that. It has nothing to do with them being locked in lonely, ivory towers either. And no it’s not because Indians (read: Native Americans) are extinct.

The other red folks; they say, “There is no such thing as an Indian princess.”  And we laugh at people who lay claim to having a Cherokee princess in their family tree. There is no such thing. Why? Because we didn’t have kings.

But I will look you in the face and I will tell you very seriously that I am a princess.

It’s a joke of course, while not being one. Always has been  that way.

You see, my family tree has some fun things in it – the way all family trees do. First of all, it has my mother and my father. It has a host of other red folks, a few German or English folks (that does NOT make me part White! Keep your White thinking out of my blog post lol!), and yes a few Black folks. All family trees are like that.

When you dig deeper it has other fun things. It has… Pocahontas. Alleged, but it’s there.

It has a few kings, some princes, a couple of dukes. Considering who Pocahontas married, that’s not a surprise. They’d be there because nobility were the folks who first came over.

So I can officially tell you my great-great-grand whatever is a Disney princess. Ha! These are the jokes, laugh or go away.

It also has an excellent fellow by the name of Samson Occom. Who was he? A Christian minister, Mohegan tribe by birth, who (with help from others) founded my particular tribe, the Brotherton. And I am his blood descendant. Which means my ancestor is not only the leader, he’s the founder.

You don’t have to know all of that to get the joke – when I look at you and tell you I’m a princess. Har. After all, wasn’t it said by little Shirley Temple in a movie once that all little girls were princesses? I just happen to be the feather wearing kind is all.

I only bring this up because I’ve lately been trying to revive some publications that were historically put out by people involved with my tribe, and some things by super-great Grandpa himself. I was just reading an article someone wrote about him, and I laughed at how families will come around and do circles. He was into carpentry, specifically made small joining works. That’s what my last name means: a woodworker that makes specific types of furniture. (And yes, I am known to make something once in a great while.) He practiced book binding: which is close to the things I do and always have done. And of course he did a lot of hunting and fishing… family trades I grew up with, as my father was a shrimper and truck driver. And like my super-great-grandfather I used to be a very very devout Christian.

Even generations later the fruit doesn’t fall from the tree.

So as I find documents, clean them up, and slowly begin working with getting them into our publication menu for other tribal members to find and have a physical copy of I think to myself that I hope he would approve. I actually think he would, so I am not worried.

Just this week I finally got a cleaned up copy of Indian Melodies by Thomas Commuck in for publication. This is a songbook for shape-note singing…. yes, all hymns. It’s of historical importance, but this article isn’t about it’s history. There are a lot of articles to be found on that point already.

I almost printed it last year, but I was talked out of it. There was already a copy available, I was told. So I ordered that… and was sorely disappointed with what I got. The company didn’t even TRY to make the pages legible. It was all wasted paper. Also, it came from India. That shouldn’t be a sore point, but it was… I wanted this book back home where it belonged! I’m a Brotherton, I own a publishing company, and no one was going to talk me out of it twice. I have been working very very hard on it as a result.

I’m waiting on some physical copies to see how it turned out. Then it will be in the catalog if I like them.

Well, that’s enough roots moment talk from me. Got so much work to do. Catch you on the other side of the corn field.