TV: Friend & Foe

I remember the day (though not the date) in the weeks after 9/11 when I finally turned the TV off. Sadness, fear and loss was all it brought me, 24/7, on more than 100 channels. I was wasted. Washed out. Done. I could absorb no more.

I might be approaching that place with coverage of the economy. And yet, every glimpse of the President-Elect fills me up with hope and happiness. So I suppose I'll leave the TV on, but I'll be more judicious about what's on it.

Paychecks & Stereotypes

On today's episode of Own Your Own Biz, a fed-up Queen K went to her new client's office to demand overdue payment in person. I sure did. Got my money, too.

It's all quite strange.

Reputable, longstanding nonprofit darned near begs me to do some work for them. I say the process has to begin with a little research and get going. Funny, but one of my partners chastised me for underpricing myself when she heard what I'd charged on a 1/2 now, 1/2 at project completion basis. Turns out, it didn't really matter. (Note to self: when a client doesn't sign a contract, do NOT continue to do the work.)

Yep. When I finished meeting with staff, clients, etc., I had neither contract nor half-payment. When I called, my contact told me her boss would be calling me. He didn't. I called again, and none of my contacts were available.

Two weeks ago today, I sent a second invoice. Messengered it, in fact.

Nothing.

So today I went there. Stayed an hour but never took my coat off or unbuttoned it.

The head guy gave me a PILE of crazy stuff about Board-staff politics, organizational infighting, and more BS, none of which excused them from disappearing off the planet. He claimed it wasn't about money, but asked if I'd help with a fundraising project. Those 2 sentences darned near cancel either other out, don't they?

He also said that he'd "heard" that I didn't do all the work described on my invoice, including new web copy. When I told him that at his request I had written and uploaded a welcoming "President's message" for the homepage, he said [and I could NOT make this stuff up]: "I haven't ever seen our website. Do you know the address?"

Oh my, look at the time.

But the worst part may have been when my contact slyly whispered her apology, saying that her best efforts to handle the situation in a more professional manner were ignored. She shook her head sadly and said, "It's just bobo. That's all it is."

Bobo?

"Black owned, Black operated," she said.

Bobo. The word was new to me but the concept wasn't. My mother had a more... colorful description for it that began with the N-word. Truth be told, I reached the same conclusion about this organization on my own. I felt bad about it, but there it is. And now, this woman was telling me that she believed my vile assessment to be true.

So what's up with that, Obamaland?

I've always believed that stereotypes almost always start with some gram of truth. That nugget of truth about one person, or a few people becomes a stereotype when it's exaggerated and stretched to cover an entire group. The whole truth is that all black owned and operated businesses aren't unprofessional. They don't all have screaming matches at Board meetings and greedy folks at the top. But a few do, and apparently I have found one.

The First Post

At the risk of sounding like John McCain:

Welcome, my friends!

This is the latest permutation -- the latest nuance, if you will, of the blog that exists in my head somewhere. I think that the only part of the place that's not a work-in-progress is the name. It came to me while I was driving, and I wasn't even thinking about blogging! Truly. Just zipping down the street, changing the radio station, as I recall, and it came to me. NUANCE! What a great name. A place for my own skewed views and vision on my world and our world.

Everything except the name, then, could change in a second. And I'd like to know wht you think.

I can't really tell you, specifically, what you'll find in this space. Certainly some elements of a Journal - scribbles about my zigzag (but never backwards!) path toward shaping a new life as a writer, a social media guru-ette, and whatever else I might seek to try. Definitely notes on the passing parade (think Anna Quindlen). Maybe just some stuff that's funny, for the sole reason that it's funny.

I think I'll like it here.