Giving Tuesday: Birthday Wish List Edition

Photo Cred: Dorothy Attakora-Gyan

Image Description: Red velvet cake with white cream cheese icing and sprinkles purchased at the Accra Mall in Ghana.

I’ve been seeing that as of late, Giving Tuesday is a thing now? So, in the spirit of this latest trend, I’ve decided to hop on the bandwagon and ask for some support. I’ve also seen folks posting links to their Amazon wish lists, and unabashedly asking for community support with all sorts of items, so, here I am, trying a ting. Don’t judge me.

Full disclosure, I hate asking you all for help. I struggle to ask for help period. I inherited a lot of pride. I was raised in a culture and environment where the messaging was that asking for help is weak. You pull yourself up by your bootstraps, the previous generations did. Begging for money is shameful. Strong Black women find a way. Independent African women figure it out. Which I do, by the grace of God. Plus, it’s super embarrassing to ask for help and be met with silence.

Most read and I assume laugh at the irony and karma of it all, then turn away, hit up the group chat to gossip about the pathetic downfall of Dorothy, making all sorts of assumptions about my identity, financial status, and who knows what else. I get it, I’ve been on that end too. Maybe this isn’t true, and my anxious brain is making things up, but what I’m not doing in 2022 is gaslighting myself, so. No sob story, no long ting.

(For those who do support, thank you. Psychology says we tend to zone in on the negative, but I hold immense gratitude for those who extend support in all sorts of ways, including what I can’t see and don’t hear).

Anyway, Aquarius season is around the corner and my birthday is in a few weeks. If you’d like to contribute or are just plain curious about what I want, here’s a list. If you’d like to give your offering to someone who is in direct contact with me to have them send it, I’m open to that too.

1. Referrals to Jobs or Pitch Submissions/ Support My Website/ Share my work/ Like/Subscribe/ Engage

Pretty self-explanatory. I have roughly 100 followers, even fewer Facebook friends, and my website stats show that 11 people visited my website this month, a high % of which was probably me just refreshing the page. My number one wish is to have you support my work. Give credit where it's due. Speak my name in rooms, full disclosure: I probably will embarrass you at some point, I'm just human. Let folks know the work I do. Help get me off the blacklist and hired. Let em know I don't deserve to be canceled, debunk the myths, and where I was offensive, I've been putting in work to improve. And so on and so forth.

2. Airbnb Gift Cards

As most of you know, I’m currently unhoused and unemployed. Besides pride, and a big ego, I also inherited an uncanny knack for denial and delusion, as such, I’ve reframed homelessness as “giving the digital nomad life a try.” I’ve been living out of Airbnb’s the last year and would be grateful if you could support my housing.

3. Prepaid Mastercard Gift Cards

I’ve got a credit card bill of $3k staring me down. I’d love help paying it off.

4. Edibles, Flowers, Oils

Saw on the gram that folks feel some type of way about homeless people spending their money on drugs. So, to be transparent, your money will likely go to a dispensary, not sorry. How else does one stay unbothered in these dystopian realities? Escape I will. Please help support me in taking flight and going off into orbit when possible. I’m really feeling edibles these days and making tea with capsules or flowers has really helped with managing chronic pain. A reminder that using cannabis is medicinal and not always recreational, although, that too. Also, stop shaming homeless people. Give them random gifts instead. Say hi. Chat em up. Stop judging. Be honest about your own addictions. Your self-righteousness is telling.

5. Grocery Gift Cards

I mostly rely on the food bank, so if you could get me some gift cards to Metro or Farm Boy, or any other grocery store, that would be delightful. I love to eat, and I’m starting to get a little too meager for my liking.

6. Donate to my Paypal/Help fund my website renewal

You can send funds directly to paypal.me/DeeArchives

7. Books! Gift Cards to Buy Books/Support Black-Owned Bookstores if you can

Self-proclaimed book nerd, not ashamed. I gifted myself 6 or 7 books last year for my birthday. I can't afford to do so this year and would love more books. I've been struggling to read, so I'm hoping to give Audible a try, do they do gift cards?

Thank you if you made it this far. That’s it, that’s all. 7 is a good number, though the ancestors are begging me to add clothes/shoes/bags/makeup to the list. Word on the street is my wardrobe needs a major rehaul, and my hair and nails need tending to. A makeover would be nice. I'm dreaming of doing a photo shoot and hiring hair and makeup soon. Maybe in the future when I have a home and a closet to keep them, for now, I’m living out of a travel pack, so. 🤷🏿‍♀️

If you are just a troll or hater and came for the laughs, I’m glad I could be of comedic service to you, pay me for the laughter, maybe? Pay Black women. Stop exploiting/using/taking advantage of us. Thanks!

If this resonates, please pass it along and share it with others. If it doesn't, that's okay too. Like others, I and my words are not meant for everyone. If it is for you, please consider making a donation to paypal.me/DeeArchives. I'm also on Buy Me a Coffee at DeeArchives. Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time, in solidarity.