Get Right 2008

"I'm about to sign you up...
And we can get right before the night is up!
We can get riiight; Riiiight...
We can get right!"

- Jennifer Lopez

Summertime is upon us. The 4th of July is the landmark holiday that ushers in summertime BBQs, pool parties, "summer Fridays", four-day weekends and enough alcohol to last a lifetime. The summer before my senior year in college was blissful. I had accomplished everything on my college agenda but obtain a degree. Join a dance group? Check. Honors Fraternity? Check. BGLO Sorority? Check. Meet a boy? Check! To top it off, I was en route to Cannes, France for a summer study abroad program. I was on track to graduate with honors, and ahead of schedule, no less. I was on top of the world.

However, one of my best friends (I have four, and they're known as "the bridesmaids") was not. I'll call her "Anisa". She was dealing with a really emotional break-up, and a roller coaster of a college experience. Her school, though phenomenal in reputation, was a secluded liberal arts school in the northeast. Contrary to her outgoing, fun-loving, exciting personality; her school was pretty quiet, cold, and intense with intellectual stimulation dripping from every campus corner. She loved it there, but this sentiment was an acquired taste... and her taste buds had almost gone numb.

One afternoon, while basking in the sun at a friend's pool, we dove into the sensitive topic of her break-up. We waded through the ups and downs of her on-again-off-again relationship. We splashed through ideas for improving her college experience... and then the tide turned. We plunged into stories about my school year and I couldn't help but celebrate the wonderful (through trying) time I'd had. Yes, I had pledged my life away, but I'd made some of my best friends in the process(es). I showered her with stories of sleepless nights, twenty-page "assignments", house parties, "searching" for answers, finally finding them (praise God), probate shows, and ending the year with a little fling...

"Goal," she had said to herself. Anisa had made a mental pledge to have the best summer possible. She was going to embrace all of the difficulties she currently faced, and transform them into an amazing, fulfilling, party-filled vacation.

From there, "Get Right" was born. The song by Jennifer Lopez was the most popular tune out that summer, and it was the perfect anthem for young women everywhere. The song applied to every facet of life, and could be enjoyed in the midst of any activity. Running on the treadmill? "Get Right" was motivation to run for ten more minutes and attain some tight abs and Amerie legs (a la "One Thing" music video). Chillin by the pool? "Get Right" complimented your sexy bikini and enhanced your swag. At the club? "Get Right" stayed in rotation. Once you heard those infamous horns, all you needed was for your homegirl to hold your bag. Dude behind you didn't know he was about to "Get Right" too...

Get Right was, and is (much like the Single Aesthetic), about living your best life now. It's about going to the gym religiously and building a better body. It's about traveling to vast corners of the country to see friends, loved ones, and foundational members of your emotional support system. It's about drinking enough alcohol to drown a small child (cause it be's like that sometimes). It's about dancing on tabletops and hanging onto your BFFs for dear life. It's about gambling at Canadian casinos; tanning until you don't recognize yourself; praying and meditating; reading new books and discovering new things; visiting any and every happy hour within a 10 mile radius; and maxing out your credit card on expensive trips and unnecessary clothes if it means you'll cry fewer tears that night. Never mind the debt you'll incur or the hangover you'll endure. You're young, and can pay Citibank back later. Plus, your internship coordinator and/or part-time job supervisor won't likely notice that you're ten minutes late and consuming coffee like it's water. Whether you're on top of the world or under the bridge, Get Right is about getting back on track...with urgency... in the company of loving friends.

I still remember the weeks leading up to my trip to France. We partied hard in the Bull City. We tanned, we talked, and we PARTIED. Since then, every summer has been about Getting Right. We get back in the gym, back on the scene, and travel all over the country. There have been some summers where I have leaned more heavily on the Get Right mantra than Anisa, and vice versa. The summer after I graduated, I was in dire need of Getting Right. The "fling" had embedded himself into my senior year. On graduation eve, mere hours before placing the cap and gown on my head and shoulders, the boy had quietly ruined my life...

And without missing a beat, Anisa was there by my side. She helped me pull pieces of my fragmented self back together. She listened. She consoled. She ran with me... took shots with me... and got me to Miami where we had an unforgettable time!! Just typing this gets me all nostalgic. Over the course of the summer, I regained composure, learned some valuable life lessons, made a number of mistakes, and smiled as often as possible. It's amazing how much you can enjoy life after someone does something super-shitty to you. But I digress. She's really an amazing girl, and I'm blessed to have her in my life.

This summer... I think we're both chillin. She has a somewhat serious boy in her life. I'm entertaining "Mr. Right Now" as he makes himself available. But, as I pack my bag for Chicago and The Taste, I can't help but smile. I have just returned from the gym... and I'm feeling good. It's summertime! TIME TO GET RIGHT!