Nordette's blog

When I think of the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, I don't think of comedy. How about you? The people who produce the Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans each year also would never call A Streetcar Named Desire funny, but they do know how to have a good time and show the renowned playwright some love. And so, when the festival ends this year on March 28, it will culminate with an outrageous tradition, the Stella Shouting Contest. Actually, it's the "Stella and Stanley Shouting Contest," but the Stanleys steal the show. The attention on Stanley may be more about love for Marlon Brando's portrayal of him than any commentary on Stella.

I hate labeling boxes when I organize my house or move. I hate filing. I hate the term "women of color blogs." The latter makes me uncomfortable because it creates a sea of women so vast it sends my writing mind into a seizure. What does that mean, "women of color bloggers"?

With little risk of being wrong, I'll say, "Most women have an issue with their mothers." They may not have a big Oprah-show-worthy issue with Mom, maybe not even a priest or therapist-worthy issue, possibly not even a sleepless-night irritation, but somewhere deep in her soul, a woman has some kind of matter about mother that pricks her with questions: What does my mother's womanhood teach me or not teach me, and what does my mother's womanhood say about my womanhood?

Today, my son, 19, returned home from classes at the University of New Orleans, bounded into my bedroom where I was working and said, "So, tomorrow, you'll be over the hill." I said, "What do you mean? I'm already over the hill." And I laughed. He said, "Mom, haven't you heard that 50 is the new 40? Everybody knows that the half-way point makes you over the hill."

Part two of a two-part post: Caitlin Boyle of OperationBeautiful.com and Gaby Montero of GivesMeHope.com both seem to say based on their experiences with being more positive and how people have responded to their motivational Web sites and blogs that we humans greatly underestimate thinking positively.