Lay Down with Dogs - Get Up with Fleas

  X  Fleas with Attitude

      This dog with x fleas has learned her lesson and has a new attitude!  Through my past experiences I have grown with a new sense of maturity.  Now, I see the real “me”.  I know that I will see my partner, friend, lover, co-worker and soon-to-be husband as an intelligent, honest, real, loving, funny, cleaver, and yes I can go on and on.  I am in love with #91!  

       What is #91?  I interviewed 91 men in a three year "personal ad" dating project.  One question I always get about this project is; " Did you date all 91 men?"  NO!  I interviewed with a standard set of questions about dating and all of the men knew that I was interviewing them in advance. 

       I understand that a lot of men have had their share of troubles like some women.  #91 has taught me that all men should not be judged like dogs in a dog show.  He knows it, too!  With him I do not have to carry a “doggie bag” to collect his “poop”!  He is the “real” one! 

       My three year project was created in Richmond Virginia. I connected with people from northern Virginia to the Tidewater areas of Virginia.  With this three year project in this self help book I hope and pray women will understand the pretzel logic of this story.  In this pretzel logic I hope women will read these words and find some of it funny however, the safety issues must come back around. 

        I cannot believe that I am still ALIVE and WELL!  Many times during the interviews in three years I could have been hurt, raped or even murdered.  The reality as I am writing this reflection and introduction I am looking back to the past.  That was seven years ago. 

       Today’s reality collides with the sweet smells of this July’s summer day and that of the Chesapeake Bay waters of yesterday.  With Ocean View Avenue at my back as I write pushing me forward in the stillness of the early dawn.  The sun is rising across the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel bridge-tunnel at Chicks Beach. Soon it will be going toward Ocean View Pier in another adventure for the day. 

        My adventure and words come together now with SAFETY as the key buzz word and the only word! 

         The last three years living in Norfolk Virginia I have watched lots of people. Some people walking the street along Community Beach will sell themselves and their pimps continue to do their hide and seek business at a picnic table behind the Senior Citizens building.  These people make me roll over with that gut feeling of sickness.  From First View to Second Bay they dress up to “show”.  Someone told me that this was “stylin’ and profiling” on the streets.  Between the million dollar homes and section eight homes crawls out the sandcrabs of "rot" that invest the cold sands of time. The reality of the "now" on the streets near the beach.

       The water tides are low and high with their pains to have to sell their bodies and souls to the devil.  Are these people living in the moment?  Could they be hurt?