Gumbo People

A medly of ingredients (experiences & memories) that all combine to create a singlar dish. Containing multitudes, not defined. An amalgamation of cultures, heterogeneous among themselves.

Roux: The base of any good gumbo, made by cooking flour and oil together on a low heat for a long period of time to slowly brown the base that will expand into what will become the broth. The soul.

I have been blessed in many different ways, but one that I am the most grateful for is that I have been granted the ability to construct my life in a way that aligns with my vision and my ideal world.

I made a large sacrifice for something that I could only imagine.

I gave up 5 years of my life to the United States Navy for the idea that I could use that position to make a major change in my material condition. And…it worked.

I moved to New York City, Queens to be exact, and now I have a fresh start. I’m going to school full-time in pursuit of a PhD in the Psychological Sciences.

Holy Trinity: The Cajun Holy Trinity is a mix made of onion, bell pepper, and celery. The selection of these vegetables is a staple in many Cajun dishes. The use of the three has been traced all the way back to Africa and other diasporic cultures. 

Another phenomenon that I have noticed within myself is a divorcing of what would be considered secular American culture in favor of embracing tradition, learning of my familial roots in New Orleans that go back centuries as well as learning that I originated from the Hausa tribe of Mali.

Growing up I only saw myself as Black American and after further inspection, I stopped recognizing that term as a fitting identity and did the work of creating a cultural context that encapsulates the entirety of my being that resonates deeper than the trickle of information that America considers the truth.

It’s like I’m becoming a fully actualized human being or something, I love it.

Meat: The last part of any gumbo, and also the part that varies the most. People pick the protein for their dish based on their own traditions and their dietary reasons which can add to or completely change the flavor profile of the dish. These delicious choices are what make the gumbo ours uniquely, even if every other step was the same before this point the gumbo can still be entirely your own.

I consider myself something of a hobby enthusiast. Cycling, reading, writing, sewing, video games, chess, drawing, plant father, cooking, kickboxing, researching, learning languages, political educating, exercising, yoga, photography, cleaning, organizing, cinema, thrifting, learning a musical instrument, running.

I’m not doing all of these things every day but I do cycle through them in a way that allows me to move through life in a fulfilling way. It’s gotten to the point that one of my red flags is when someone has no hobbies. What the hell are you doing with your time?

Drinking, smoking, socializing…

Nothing wrong with any of those things, in moderation, however, it is shown to be normal to not pour your time into cultivating soft/hard skills. I wonder why that is?

My judgmental attitude abated, this was just the side effect of critically interrogating the way that I do things.

So excited for 2025 and what’s to come, stay tuned…?