I notice an empty seat next to her on a bench. Man, she looks familiar…
“Hi."
She turns and responds. "Hello."
"Excuse me, but are you Angel from Concrete Loop?” I ask.
She pauses for a second, a smile begins to form beneath her funky, black-framed glasses.
Then slowly replies, "Umm, yeah…“
———————
I’ll never forget the day I met Angel Laws. It was some day in February of 2009. The 25th I believe. I had decided to go to a show at the last minute after a friend offered me a free ticket. Anyway, we were all at the House of Blues in Chicago, waiting in line to enter the venue for a Solange & Estelle concert. Little did I know, that day would mark the beginning of an awesome personal/business relationship.
As I sit here a little over five years later, reflecting I’m trying to remember all the great, inspiring things I’ve done with Ms. Laws and the great weblog that is ConcreteLoop. From speaking at a panel for the annual Blogging While Brown Conference to covering the Essence Black Women in Music event to randomly taking the Megabus to Philly for a friend’s birthday bash. There are so many experiences that honestly, I can’t even begin to even try and remember. I’ll just sum my experiences as "What. A. Blur!”
But at the same time, I’ll also call “What. A. Blessing.” If there’s one thing I have taken away from this segment of my life, it’s that quality ALWAYS trumps quantity. Being a thought leader goes even further than being a follower who does exactly what everyone else does. Don’t limit yourself to the norm and there’s nothing wrong with moving to the beat of your own drum! (Okay, that’s more like 4 things but you get where I’m going here.)
Above all, I loved that her baby, ConcreteLoop nearly blossomed into an 8 year-old flower that dared to be different (Can we talk about the visually pleasing graphics and the color accents in the text?) despite what other sites were doing in the blogosphere.
I sum this post by saying thank you, Angel. For bringing me on to the team. For all the peaks and valleys. Thank you for indirectly reminding me that I am capable of anything. At the same time, thank you for letting me take on grand schemes, even though you knew what the outcome would be. Thank you for being you and being a solid example of someone who is comfortable in their own skin. Thank you for being a part of my personal journey of growth and happiness in New York City. I’ll never forget these last 5 years.
Here’s to new beginnings, my good friend! On to our next life chapters!