A podcast from the heart of a 40-ish Black Oakland native woman, just out here tryin' to function.
I jumped in to go get my god brother for and happened to glance at my odometer to see #1867, not once but twice. As you may recall, my beloved alma mater, was founded in 1867. And if you know any , we are exceptionally hype as we get ready for . All this to say that .
Remember when I said March was full of celebrations. Well March 2 in particular is a great example.
Slide 1 - my beloved alma mater is celebrating 156 years of Black Excellence. Today is Howard's Charter Day. Extra shout out to the Men's basketball team for winning the MEAC regular season championship, and the Men's swim team for winning the NEC championship late last week.
Slide 2 - Today is and Dr. Seuss' birthday. Everyone loves Cat in the Hat.
Slide 3 - Today is also my mother's birthday. My mother and my Soror. Speaking of Sorors....
Slide 4 - (such a great number) - Happy Charter Day to the Sorors of the Hayward Tri-City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Slide 5 - Happy birthday to my niece piece!
Welcome to March. So many things to celebrate, Women's History Month, Sisterhood month, Charter Day (Howard), birthdays, the coming of Spring, Daylight Savings 🙌🏾.
As we welcome in a new month, tap in about what you're most looking forward to below.
While some are celebrating Valentine's Day or some version of it, today hits different for me as today is the first anniversary of my grandmother's passing. I miss Verna terribly but I know that I'll see her again. I feel like the first one hurts the most, they hurt less over time. I'll have a piece of peanut brittle in her honor (from See's of course).
If you're celebrating with your girls, your friends or your love (s), may your Feb 14th be everything you need it to be. And if Valentine's Day isn't your thing, today is still .
Well damn that was fast. How did we get to February so quickly?
This is what I wanted my first post of 2023 to be but the Town would not let me be great.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year as we welcome January to the room while remembering that it's a good time to grow. H/T to for the last photo.
Cheers to 2023
2022 has certainly been year full of lights, some high, some low, but in all, I made it to and through it. This year I had my fair share of doctor’s visits, complete with biopsies and outpatient procedures, domestic and international travel, celebrations, breakups and losses, level ups and outs, joy and pain, sunshine and rain.
Some points of consideration (as represented by mostly selfies):
January - friends with filters who play too much, kicking the year off with good food, good friends and another year of sisterhood, scholarship, service and social action.
February - showed up and said see you later to my grandmother and celebrated four years of being Sag8cious.
March - took a last minute trip to spend time with my Bison boos, celebrated a milestone birthday for the munchkin and another month of shared sisterhood.
April - showed up and celebrated love and helped support local scholars.
May - despite a major disappointment, celebrated another revolution around the sun.
June - went to London, Reno and a Bison pool party, celebrated a hard fought accomplishment for the Munchkin.
July - tried a new hairstyle, found a new profile picture.
August - more travel; two stops in Texas, reconnection with my sisterhood.
September - took some lumps but also celebrated a win or two.
October - showed up for family, went “home” for the first time in almost ten years and took my favorite picture of the year.
November - honored my grandmother for her favorite holiday, in a way that was special for both of us.
December - had some real disappointments but found a way to find some holiday cheer.
2022 showed and taught me a lot and I’m ready to see and learn more in 2023, cautious but optimistic. More to come….
I don’t know about you but I just haven’t been much into the holidays this year. Maybe because 2022 had just been such a year and I’m missing some of my loved ones, maybe because times and things are changing. I’m not forcing anything this year. Big chillin’.
If ever there was a time to this is surely the time.
May this Christmas and the holiday season be all that you need it to be.
Do you know what today is? Today would have been my dad’s 78th birthday which means it’s also my 2nd anniversary with Convos With Cam! Because I love birthdays, I have a gift for you….A New Episode!!!!
I know it’s like but where you been and the only thing I can really say is Life Been Lifin’. New Season with the intentional promise of doing better. That’s what I have for now.
Like Mother's Day, Father's Day comes with a multitude of emotions. I know that Father's Day is tough, especially for those who had great relationships with their fathers and their fathers are no longer with them physically.
This is a photo of me and my dad circa 1979. I miss my guy so much. But I know I'll see him again. Until then,
Dear Tuggie,
It's been ten years, TEN YEARS, since I heard your voice, gave you a hug, told you that I loved you. It's been ten years since you passed. And it's been five years since your brother joined you in Heaven.
A lot has happened since you left. I'm sure you see a lot of familiar faces over the years and some recently. I know you and your mother-in-law are up there cutting up and I hope you are getting along with your brother-in-laws.
Some highlights over the last ten years, mostly from my life:
*Still driving Pumpkin even though she's tried to give up the ghost a couple of times
*I went and graduated from Grad School at (2017)
*I started working at (2021), I even started commuting similar to how you used to. I might have to go to Su Hong one day soon, for old times sake
*I am an active member of (2018). Aunt Clem is happy, so is Mom.
*I've had some surgeries, procedures and biopsies. (2015, 2021, 2022) My health has gone to đź’©, especially as of late. I'm working fo get back on track but it's certainly a journey.
*I've had some heart breaks, some romantic (we don't worry about them because I don't think you would have liked them anyway) and some platonic. (2012- current). In all cases, it did hurt but I also learned from them.
*The Warriors have won the championship a few times (2015, 2017, 2018) and are positioned to do it again. That Steph Curry guy is working out pretty well. Gary Payton has a son on the team also.
*Speaking of sports, the Raiders moved to Vegas (2020), the 49ers moved to Santa Clara (2014) but they're still the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants won two World Series rings (2012, 2014). Tom Brady's pink ass retired for 10 mins. He left New England and plays for Tampa Bay. Chuckie came back to coach the Raiders but said some dumb đź’© so now he gone (2021).
* I still have your iPhone.
*I launched a podcast and my first episode was about you. I haven't done too much with it because life.
Daddy, you were really the glue that kept us together. I try to do it & make you proud most days. I miss you like crazy but I know that I'll see you later.
♥️ Millie (now known as Cam in some circles)
Wishing our hostess (doing all the mostest) a very Happy Birthday 🎉🎂
Today I remember and celebrate two of the women whose blood line I share.
The picture on the right is of me and my grandmother, Mrs. Verna Laster (my mother's mother) from 2017. In this photo, we were celebrating her 90th birthday. It was so good to go "home", see so many family members during a happy time. Most times the get togethers would happen during the repast after a funeral or if we all piled into my grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, her favorite holiday. As some of you may know, my grandmother passed away Valentine's Day. This is my first Mother's Day without her. This is also my mother's first Mother's Day without her.
The picture on the left is of me and my mother, Mrs. Carolyn Harvey in 2018 at my induction ceremony. My mother, my Soror. She wanted this for us for a long time and I'm glad that it finally happened. As some of you may know, things with my mom and I have been tough, especially over the last 10 years, since my father has passed. In that toughness, I still try to honor my mother but when I say it's tough, that's actually an understatement.
My relationships with both of these women have transformed over the course of my life. While I wish things happened differently, the knowledge and the healing I have now will help shift the dynamics in mother/daughter relationships throughout my family and my community moving forward.
I know that Mother's Day is nuanced, to say the least, especially is the social media, Instagram-able metric driven times we live in. For all the moms (Pet moms, bonus moms, God Moms, Grandmoms, aunties and everyone else who has poured life into those who came through you by birth or through you by chance), may today be filled with everything you need it to be. For those who are grieving the loss of their moms, be it they are physically or emotionally unavailable, may you be comforted and loved by your circle. For those who desire or desired motherhood and it didn't happen or hasn't happened yet for whatever reason, may your heart be healed. Big hugs and backrubs to all. ~Happy Mother's Day
Can't close out Women's History Month without shouting out all the women out here killin' it. All of you are out here killin' it in ways you don't even know.
Happy Women's History Month
Today is March 31, the end of Q1 for 2022. So much has happened since the year started. Drop your Q1 wins and Q2 goals in the comments.
Happy International Women's Day. Lots of life has been happening off-line which has been impacting me being on-line but I couldn't let the day close out without giving it up for all women and showing up for myself today.
I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to acknowledge that today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. While COVID is still very much at the forefront of our minds right now, HIV/AIDS has been sweeping through our community for a long time. Let's stop this epidemic together.
You may have heard that Spirit and Frontier airlines are merging into one airline. You've probably heard or lived through your own horror story with either one of these airlines. Drop in the comments something you would rather do than fly this airline.
Whew....I'm kinda disappointed that I am just now getting to this post but the last half of my Friday has been stressful. Speaking of stress, let's talk about stress, mental health and your heart.
Paraphrasing from heart.org -
Your mental health can positively or negatively impact your physical health and risk factors for heart disease or stroke. Sure what's stressful for one isn't necessarily stressful for another and some stress is good. But bad stress can lead to poor health factors like:
- overeating and being overweight (hello somebody)
- smoking
- an unhealthy diet
It can also lead to negative mental health conditions like:
- Depression, Anxiety (✋🏾)
- Anger, Pessimism
What can you do about stress?
- Exercise (we know, we know)
- Make and spend quality time with people you love and trust
*And some times cuss them people out for stressing you out (this is not advocated by the American Heart Association, these are my words)
=======
Every Friday during the month of February, I'm sharing heart healthy tips while highlighting red lipsticks from black makeup lines.
Today's red lip is my current fave from .
=======
Hit the link in my bio to help me raise funds for . We're doing it for
my cousin posted this picture of my father and I in our family FB group recently. I had never seen this picture of us. And people love to tell me that I still look the same. It's a great picture.
A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with my VP at work. I shared with him that this year represents 10 years since my father died. In some ways, it doesn't feel like 10 years. In some ways it feels like 10 lifetimes. During our conversation, I mentioned that my dad was 67 when he died, which is 10 years older than my VP right now. It's also 24 years from now for me. (Stay with me, I'm finna make a point).
My father died from a heart attack (among other things). As you can see in the photo, he wasn't a small dude. I am older now than my dad was in the photo. I am a lot like my dad in a bunch of ways, including some not so good ones, mainly around my weight management.
When my father had his first heart attack, I started getting involved with the American Heart Association and their Go Red for Women awareness campaign. Tomorrow, Feb 4 is Go Red day. Every Friday this month I'll be sharing heart stats or tips to get and keep your heart healthy. I'll also be highlighting some of the hottest red lipsticks around by black makeup lines. More to come.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May this year be a year of renewal, restoration and everything you manifest!
As y'all know I'm from Oakland but I'm not a . I wasn't a , they just weren't my team. I did have respect for the organization, some of its coaches and players. On that list was Coach John Madden. Most of my familiarity with Coach came as he was doing Color Commentary for . Plus this man has a whole video game named after him (a game I want to learn how to play BTW). Even though he stepped away from the booth, I feel like Coach was still a solid guy. Rest Well, Coach.
Before the day ends in the Bay Area, I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas.
And in wishing you a Merry Christmas, I also know that the holidays can be tough; especially in a pandemic, especially when you've lost loved ones during the holidays or this is your first holiday season without them. And social media doesn't help. On one hand, you want to see your friends and family celebrating, but on the other, you feel like you just want this time to pass so you can get back to your . You can be both, happy and sad, feel joy and sorrow. As I've said before or Be kind to yourself. The season is almost done.
Check out my latest episode and tell me what you think!
Before the day gets away, just need to call out that December 1 is . Do you know your status? Testing is simple, prevention is easy. Get tested, know your status. Save lives.
Today is the first anniversary of and it also would have been my dad's 77th birthday. I was intentional releasing my podcast on his birthday, because my dad was my guy. I could talk about him all day. Some of you have shared that you appreciate my stores about my dad, and how he sounds like someone in your family. Tuggie was that dude.
Before the night is over, I'll have a sip of Red in his honor. You can come toast with me at 8pm PT on IG Live and celebrate this two for one.
Oakland, CA
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Convos With Cam posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Convos With Cam:
