Thank you. I sent her the following email:

This made my day too!!! :)

Sen. Flowers family and my family are acquainted - my mother grew up in the same municipality and ran in the same social circles. The ladies who were my mother’s friends and acquaintances are confident, educated, intelligent and didn’t take anything from anybody - regardless of who it is. My mother was that way. Sen.…

I can’t overstate how much this moved me today. And how much we need to ensure she holds that position (or better) for as long as she wants to keep things amplified. A true warrior who simultaneously gives all the fucks for her son/black men, and none, for the patronizing fucks in the room.

Can’t be worse than dating in DC. I’d say I’d trade anything to date in CA again rather than DC, but anything would include the career I came to DC for. And at least my career pays me. Relationships...just take.

Remember this?

Well your child is permanently crippled now, but not autistic. Great parenting.

Can’t wait for polio to make a big comeback. It’s so retro. 

Obviously, Kevin had mental health issues stemming from his incarceration. We need to do more to improve access to psychiatrists and social workers after prisoners are released.

My dad, who grew up in rural MS, uses this phrase, along with other choice gems such as ‘if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, chances are... it’s a duck’ (his way of saying the guy I was dating was a jerk), ‘if you’re gonna be a lightnin’ rod, don’t bitch when the lightnin’ hits…

In the 70s, we had Vietnam, Watergate, runaway inflation, the oil embargo, the Iran hostage crisis, and oh, yeah, polyester clothing in burnt orange and avocado green. We were trying to avoid nervous breakdowns back then, too. (And I was just a kid. No booze or pills for me!)

I love Alice Cooper. Who here is old enough to remember him on the Muppet Show? Just me? Okay then I will just see myself out.

I need to do more, and better, drugs.

Yeah, all that 70s fun I’m just glad he didn’t find Warhol rolled up in his storage unit.

Move to Hollywood or DC.

Back in high school, I was dumped - over AIM - partially because she didn’t really feel ready to be in a relationship but (I would learn later) also because she didn’t like my (admittedly ugly) sneakers.

I’m gonna date myself here “Ewwww, barf! Gag me with a spoon!!!”

After discussing it at lunch in 5th grade, my best friend went out to recess and asked out two boys for me. One immediately said no, and the other one said he’d let me know in class a couple of days later. He didn’t say anything for most of the day, but rather than understand what that meant, I specifically asked him…

When I was in 7th grade I had a huge crush on Mark. At my friends’ behest, I decided I would ask him out. At my school everyone had everyone’s phone number because the school had a directory, so just randomly calling anyone up was not difficult.

When I was in the eighth grade I had a huge crush on a friend of mine. After letting him know, he told me that I was too dorky for him and that he needed someone cuter to kiss.

Fast forward four years later. I had just finished taking my portraits for senior year and was walking through the mall with a friend when who…