High School High Reunion

If you remember last, I mentioned an early high school reunion taking place this month, and I still was sweating the small stuff, as far as my appearance goes. I had my outfit planned out, was going to wear all black to make myself look smaller. That plan quickly went down the drain once, I popped the zipper on my dress, uggh talk about irked?! I haven't been down Dave & Buster's in years, so I was surprised when I saw the $5 cover charge, I was like what is this a club?! I played a few games with my boyfriend before he went to hang out with his friends. I turned to my left and saw some of the same people who were either my friends or associates, and realized how fast 8 years passed by, without me even seeing most of them since graduation. Quick hugs, and smiles and conversation lead us to having drinks and talking about different events from high school, such as Big Steve slamming Chris C. everybody was in school that day and it was hilarious. I began talking with one of my friends, telling her about my fear of people judging the way I look. She put it in this prospective, we're all grown now, and we can't expect our bodies to look the way it did when we were kids, the same exact sentiment of another friend echoed just three weeks earlier. I started looking around at my classmates and realized that Steph was right, some were married, others have children, and the guys no longer look like the boys I used to roll with in high school, the were men now. I thought of my smaller frame and thought I don't want my 18-year-old body back, I want my 21-year-old body back lol! Some funny things happened while we were there, my boi Reese drank one drink and was sweating like he stole something, we were laughing because naturally we knew he probably couldn't handle his liquior, he's not a drinker. Then my boi Sunny said I was weird when I was in school, I said everyone was kind of weird so what made me any different, his reply "Cuz I ain't hit that it school." My reply was I was interested in you then, or now, he was drunk so I didn't get too offended, but the icing on the cake was from Shawn, "Why haven't you settled down yet, let a ni**a buss in you, have a few babies." What kind of sh*t is that to say to someone? Sorry, I'm just not down for being somebody's random baby mom, plus I have some more living to do before I settle down with kids. All in all, it was a great reunion, and we made a vow to spend more time together and hopefully have more of our classmates come out to catch up and reminisce.

Accept me flaws in all

Usually while on facebook, I'll only go on there to post new pics, occasionally update my profile pic, and play cafe world, so when I saw a class reunion for the class of 2002, I clicked on it. A friend of mines from Bok decided to have a small get together at Dave & Buster's March 20th, as a means of catching up, just 2 years shy of our 10 year class reunion. I quickly accepted, as most of my friends and acquaintances I haven't seen in 8 years. Then I thought about something that on television shows people torture themselves about before being around their peers...their weight. I'll admit, I'm not the same size I was in 2002, let alone the same size I was in 2008.

I'm usually one to be confident in my own skin, and I'll admit have gotten quite "settled" in my relationship, but there's something about being around my peers, that makes me take notice of the small things. The picture on the left is me at the Senior class splash party a cool 125 pounds, extra small shirt and size 7/8 jeans. The picture on the right is of me at Del State homecoming 2009 182 wearing a med/lg shirt and a size 13 pants. Some may say well Tia over the years you do gain weight as you get older; however, I don't have any justification of my weight gain outside of eating and little to no exercise. Most of my peers have settled down into marriage with children, and others are single parents, I'm not married and have no children, and I'm a little worried that they'll look at me strange. I say this because a guy I had a crush on in high school saw me on the G bus in 2003, around my freshman year at Del State and said these exact words: "In high school you were the truth, but now I don't know..." As if this dude actually was an Idris Elba, he looked kinda smoked out to me.

Maybe I'm being shallow, or insecure to a certain degree but presentation is everything. I want to still have the wow factor I had in high school when my waist, hips, thighs and arms were slimmer. No doubt when I step up in the place I'll be dressed to the nine's, and I'll make sure to have on an all black outfit, cuz after all, black makes you look smaller. :-p

I got the golden ticket!

I first heard of the President visiting my job Arcadia University on Thursday but it was supposed to be hush, hush. By Friday the word was out and the campus was a buzz, I knew I didn't really have a chance in hell as to seeing him, so I prepared to take pics of the big screen, all the while bubbly on the inside. I had planned on wearing business casual clothing from my days of old at Honda Financial Services, instead of my uniform of tan slacks and a button up shirt. As I was getting off the bus, I saw a bunch of protesters outside the campus with their signs and posters, as well as Cheltenham Police and a number of security from all over.

Around 10:30, we got a call from our big boss Mimi telling us that we got tickets to see the President. At first, we tried walking straight towards the Kuch Center, but quickly were turned away. After 10-15 minutes, my co-workers and I tried again, this time walking around the residence halls and other buildings towards the back of the Kuch Center. We were given our tickets, and went through a pat down and metal detectors, just like my good ole days at Bok and Del State. While standing and waiting, I was interviewed via the radio for a station based in Philly on 900 AM. (Link for that coming soon!) I also put it out there, that while I'm currently employed at Arcadia University, I was always looking for opportunities to branch out into Mass Communications, after all, that's what I prepared a career in. Finally, after a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, and a speech from a single mother currently struggling with high health care premiums, the President of the United States entered the stage to cheers and a standing ovation.

The President greeted everyone from Governor Ed Rendell, to state representatives, and the mayor of Philadelphia, to the students, staff and faculty of Arcadia University. He then proceeded to taking off his suit jacket stating, "Man, it's hot in here." Of course I was hooting b/c after all the President is a handsome man. He then went into his speech on the push for health care reform, and how he wants it to be possible for current young adults to stay on their parents health insurance until the age of 26. I missed that boat unfortunately, I've already began working and I'll be 26 this year. The President made some good points, and of course there were naysayers in the crowd, blurting out their opinions, and that just wasn't the right environment to do so, I saw Secret Service coming around with their glocks on their waists, I was certain they would take the men out, literally. The President finished around noon, shook a few hands, and I couldn't get too close to him anyway, I was all the way in the back. I'm all for the health care reform, my current health insurance only covers 30% of my dental, and I have to pay the rest out of my pocket, currently I'm paying $445 for my wisdom teeth pulling from a month ago. How many people can actually say, they had the opportunity to hear and see the President speak?

Side Note anybody from the Philly area knows NBC 10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, well she was at Arcadia as well. First, her complexion is actually lighter in person than what it is on tv, and she's beautiful. I tried to get a picture of her too, but homegirl that was with her, blocked her from my camera AND my phone.  Then as they were leaving through the back door with other news people, the woman had a nerve to give me the stink eye. Hey lady, it's not everyday that I get to see President Obama, and one of the women in Mass Communications that inspired me to get into Mass Communications.

Sex, Lies and Videotapes

So I'm a day late and a dollar short about the whole FAMU orgy/porn tape hitting the fan, but after a quick google search,I learned that the tape is a lie...or is it? a
Apparently the tape is a form of spam, once someone clicks on the link to so-called view the tape, you open up your computer to a virus. Funny how quickly this has bubbled over and sizzled down. There may actually be a tape out there, coming from a HBCU myself, sex tapes were the norm at Delaware State University...it didn't matter if you consented to the tape or not, 9 times out of 10, someone besides the person you were intimate with saw all the goods. Just as a friend of mine's @tone2fly mentioned in his tweet sex sells, and in the day and age, ppl can become famous for a sex tape, or have their world turned upside down, from some a$$hole from their past releasing the tape for public humiliation, exposure, or the classic case of the girl played you out, now you're salty and bitter. Depending on who was on the tape, they could have easily put the disclaimer out there that it was a fake just to protect their image #imjustsayin'. Well pplz, let's see if there's more to the story than what is being told on the net, stay tuned!

Been around the world

As the new year has progressed to the third month, I realized that I've been without a doubt a homebody. While most of my college friends went away on Spring Break excursions, I went back home to Philadelphia. My own brother is more mobile than I am, he's been out of the country and probably will have many more places that he will visit. I wondered in my 25 years, why haven't I gone farther south than Virginia and farther north than Canada? I figured it must be due to whenever I wanted to plan a trip, some unforeseen event took place tying up my money. So I said this year I'll travel more. In February I visited New York again, this time Queens, NY
I also began taking part in weekend girls night out, instead of my normal weekends of either being bored and doing homework, or going to my mom's in DE. It's refreshing to go out with a group of ladies my age or around my age who don't have a hassle finding a babysitter.
There will be a few more ladies nights before my Memorial Day weekend trip to Miami, just have to get my body right and tight like I was via 2006, b/c my girlfriends are all smaller than my size 13/14alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444203066507268482" />
I also plan to get my passport(I know I'm well overdue for one)and visit Maryland to visit my good friend Porshie, to Las Vegas and hopefully a cruise on a beautiful island. Life is extremely too short, why not enjoy it while I can?

Stop the Madness!

***Disclaimer*** The comments, thoughts and ideas are solely the opinion of the blogger Latiya A. Griffin

Now that that's out of the way, I feel compelled to start my first entry of the new year to talk about young women in 2010. New Year's Day my cousin and I went out to Fuzion night club in Philly to see women bent over, dress up dancing w/o panties on a catwalk what's up with that?! Don't you have any respect for yourself as a women, or do you just crave that kind of attention.

Not to mention that guys actually looked disgusted by these chicks who were "dropping low"


Now, I take a lot of pics while I'm out and about and I've noticed that women are coming outside without taking a look in the mirror. Why are you going out with a scarf/bonnet on your head with rollers in your head, pajama pants and slippers? Or why are these women coming outside wearing clothes that should be left at the store.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:



Finally, I was on the bus on my way home, when a bunch of girls started arguing on the bus, my first thought was they just going back and forth nothing's going to pop off, the next thing I know the two girls got off the same stop as me and starting fight in front of one of the girl's child. This child had to witness his mom keep jumped basically, when the situation could have been avoided had she acted like an adult instead of acting like a kid


Ladies, we have to first respect ourselves before we can demand respect, and always look presentable when we step out the door. You never know who may see you, especially if it's me with my handy camera phone. ~L.A.G.~

2010 is in a few days are you ready?

When I think about this past decade I say to myself man the time has flown but also in the same breath I say where did the time go? 10 years ago I was a sophomore attending Bok Technical High School and just purchased my first cell phone which looked like a cordless, remember the Motorola flip phones? lol! The good, the bad and the ugly happened in the past ten years.
2000-2001 was a good year for the Sixers, A.I. was doing is thing and the city was on fire from the team doing so well...only for us to lose in the playoffs, better luck next year, and the next, you get the picture.

This past decade also endured triumphs and tragedies in Pop culture. August 25, 2001 everybody's favorite Baby Girl Aaliyah died in a plane crash. I cried and knew that her name would carry through my youngest sister and her music would carry on for years to come. September 11,2001 I was in Mr. Brown's Social Science class my senior year of High School as we watched on television the two planes crash into the WTC. I remember being terrified that I couldn't use my phone to call my mom. It was like watching a movie, it didn't seem real to me.

I graduated on 2002 with high hopes of attending Delaware State University that fall, but fell victim to financial woes that would plague me for the remainder of my college career. In January 2003, my college career began. As much as I claimed I couldn't wait to graduate, honestly my time spent at DSU were some of the best years of my life, from the snow storm of 03, people sliding off the cafe roof on lunch trays, 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Trying dropped, Clint Saunders was SGA president and Ronnisha Turner was Miss.DSU.

Those years also followed with me being purged out of the system sleeping on my friend's couch in the Vill, hearing Harold's passionate speech during his run as SGA president, becoming a RA, being peppered sprayed at a party, winning the top rated Journalism scholarship in Delaware, writing for the Hornet newspaper and interning for the News Journal to finally receiving my degree. I met so many people from different backgrounds and cultures, and it made me for open minded. Inspite of the untimely death of students on campus and who attended DSU, I wouldn't trade in my experience for anything, and I don't regret attending a Historically Black College/University.

Other tragedies such as the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the pointless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush and multiple plane crashes all over the world. We also lost a Pop icon Michael Jackson,Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Bernie Mac, Ray Charles, Luther Vandross, Gerald Levert and the list goes on. America also learned that Kanye West is the most outspoken artist of our time lol! Jennifer Lopez or "J Lo" introduced us to the plunging neckline and double sided tape, Lil' Kim's boob, Janet's nipplegate, and Britney Spears' train wreck comeback.

During this decade marriage was no longer viewed as a sacred and holy union, it became an accessory that everyone wanted like the new Louis Vuitton bag. Affairs became the norm as women/men stated that it didn’t matter that their lover was married, that’s their problem no their’s. In this decade people you went to school with will ask do you have kids before they ask are you married, as the single parent population grew tremendously. Being on the down low and coming out of the closet was no longer looked as taboo, and the number cause of death in the African American community amongst women was HIV/AIDS. The music went from good, bad to worse (Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy anyone)? No more music that you could relate to, and you could feel it in your soul, it was replaced by a hot beat with a catchy hook.

I also learned the meaning of tough love and true love, heartaches and heartbreak. I spent a good deal of the latter part of my high school years and early college years chasing after a man who only looked to me being his back pocket chick, someone he can place on the shelf and dust off when he wanted to. Love had to be more than this, or was it mere lust for the finest man to give me a false sense of want, need, desire and affection? Before one can love somebody else, one must love themselves. I became a happy person instead of the Angry Black Woman most people knew me to be, I became more boisterous in my poetry and creative writing. I am me, and can only change for the better. I don't make New Year's resolutions but I declare I'll be a better woman, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and continue to seek God for guidance and discernment of foolish things in life. As I finish this last line, I scream "2010 I'm ready for you!"