Thahabu

I received the warmest support and protection from fellow girls while at a BBQ party where Princess Nokia performed on Saturday. Princess Nokia is a gorgeous black and proud Puerto Rican woman who promotes girl power and solidarity in her music. Her songs are a variety of spiritual sonic bad bitchness that makes you believe you are The Most Excellent and Astounding Human Being on the Planet. I guess I was jumping and dancing super hard because in the middle of the set she invited me and other people in the crowd to come dance on stage with her and her friends. It was such an ebullient thrill to be among all these beautiful girls who felt the same fun-loving free energy I did. I left that set with so much inspiration bouncing around in my head.

As my friends and I sat recovering from her set, some other girls sat with us and chatted about school, money, and our dreams of traveling. The summer air became chilly as the sun began to set, and I remembered that I had packed a pair of leggings in my bag for a situation such as this. The only barrier keeping me away from optimal leg warmth was that I needed a place to change out of my shorts. The line to the bathroom was long, and I couldn’t just undress in front of everyone in the venue. Or at least that’s what I thought. One of the girls, who I now remember is named Francesca, offered to make a human fortress around me with her friends and mine, so I could change my pants without offending partygoers. They abandoned their lawn chairs to stand closely around me as I stepped in and out of my shorts and into my leggings. It was such a spontaneous and thoughtful act of kindness. It may seem silly but I was really depressed over the weekend, having those irrational anxious thoughts of Iā€™m never going to accomplish anything! My friends secretly hate me! The world is such a terrible place filled with people who want to hurt me! and this one event reaffirmed my faith in the world. Shout out to you, Francesca. Thanks for helping a girl in need! ♦