Being about 'That Life'

I'm a lame.

I don't enjoy going to clubs, and I don't like bodycon dresses and can't afford red bottoms.

Though I can (and have) rock the hell out of a weave, I've been estranged from the track for some time now.

In a world where being a black woman is defined by hair, shoes and handbags, my identity is muted. I'm sitting back on the sidelines watching in confusion.

What do 'we' aspire for ourselves?...and is it so simple that it can be summed up by being tricked off and swagged out?

News broke this past weekend of a domestic dispute involving the recently wedded Basketball Wives cast member Evelyn Lozada and professional football player Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson. While this post, or as I more accurately refer to them now as diatribes, is loosely influenced by their story, I'm not condoning any action of violence that occurred. Got it?... okay cool, follow me

We all know the girls out there that love to be seen and feel like they might miss something by skipping out on an event (All-Star Weekend, Award show after parties, fight weekends in Vegas/AC, concerts, etc...) you know, the mixxy chicks, get money girls, or the revolting, #teamBadBitch.... we all know some that aspire to take their place at the top. Or at least be able to chill at a table in VIP and "pop bottles"

So here's where things get tricky. The phrase "about That Life" is fairly new, but That Life is about as old as Moses.

The Life or The Game whether it be a woman hustling a man to get money, a man pimping a woman to get money or a man hustling in the streets to get money, that life or the game will always remain the same. The cast of characters is the only thing that's guaranteed to change.

My understanding of this comes from watching too many inappropriate movies and television shows as a kid and being raised by a woman that was always honest and never took to sugar coating.

There was a point in time when lifestyle portrayed in rap videos was alluring to me. My former teenage self was all about the boys with cornrows, chains and tattoos, while in reality there aren't any boys in high school that have this, unless his classroom was on a street corner.

Therein lies a problem, grown men have and can afford to (or at least front to) afford chains, rims (don't judge it was the early 2000s) and can groom themselves to look the part of what the girls like. And it was those grown men that were catching my eye, and unfortunately their grown asses were looking right back, and pursuing. (We can touch on this later...a completely different monster)

My mom always told me the stories of how her neighborhood peers made so much money hustling in the 80s that it was like a movie. And sure, we can watch Paid In Full or New Jack City and fantasize, but the stories I heard was about girls living in North Philly (her breeding ground) with "pockabooks" (how we pronounce it... ) worth thousands of dollars, jewelry, cars money, whatever they wanted, because they lived that life.

Flash forward to me in 2002, my mom saw that I was feeling myself a little bit. The dudes dug me, chicks were hating (...at least thats how I imagined it) and I could have easily transitioned into the game.

I was given a copy of 'The Coldest Winter Ever' by Sister Souljah.

My vantage changed. I asked questions. I wanted to know why Uncle 'So-and-So' was really in jail and why Aunt 'whats-her-face' was so haggered looking (...like I'd really name names)

All outcomes aren't as dramatic as the movies, but that game is real.

Groupies aren't just annoying fan girls. Some are very sophisticated, smart, and low key. They'd never approach anyone to ask for a picture or an autograph, but they know how to be at the right place at the right time.

Knowing all the pitfalls that come with being in the game, the players have to be dedicated and know for sure that it's worth the risk of getting into it.

I'm too sensitive and self-righteous. Money doesn't mean enough to me and fucking for a few ends, a semi-permanent spot in VIP and a nice bag would feel too demeaning.

But if I could take the, 'I love and respect myself too much' logic out of this situation, I'd be trying to secure my hotel and airfare for next year's All-Star weekend right now.

My gripe isn't that life, or the women that live that life. It's the inconsistency that bothers me. Those that talk the talk but get chewed up and spit out in the end are what makes the game so troublesome. Like they didn't know what they were getting into.

How could I ever judge the players of the game, when you see so many that win? Child support checks? Spousal support?... Roll your eyes if you want, but if you have the mentality of someone that feels that don't have much to offer other than a pretty face and a wet ass (as my mother would so eloquently put it) marrying and getting pregnant by a baller and living off the residuals is a win.

That's the point, it's a tough game, but you make it work.

Evelyn talked the best game of all the Basketball Wives, and for a while, it seemed like she was winning the most.

While compelling, and making for entertaining television, her story is no different than other women that find themselves involved in a relationship with a baller. They met (at a club) he swept her off her feet, she got comfortable and accustomed to the lifestyle, he proceeded to show his ass (cheat, lie, disrespect, etc.)

So she left (before or after his money disappeared remains a mystery that I wouldn't blame her either way) and landed a reality show. From there came celebrity and the introduction to another baller. A bigger one, with more money and a higher profile than the previous one.

Yet, this time things were different, she was bringing in her own cash and didn't have the identity as just some trophy.

So her reputation as a bitter and angry hothead was overshadowed by the fact that this new baller put a huge ring on her finger within less than a year of knowing her. While this seemed strange to the rest of us outsiders, it's common practice for these women to be involved with different ballers, that's how reputations are built and commodity is determined. (There's a difference between the Superheads/Kat Stacks and the Evelyns, but the common denominator is there's always a baller out there that's willing to get involved with both types)

With all that Evelyn had gone through in the past, she was prepared for the role as wife and the temptation that her husband-to-be would face.

She even asked that he be honest with her and to use condoms if the temptation became too hard to resist.

Evelyn even gave an interview where she detailed her sex life that in essence meant anything and everything she could do to please and satisfy him (including, bringing other women into their bedroom) she'd do it.

Then Saturday night happened.

Without going too far into detail, a receipt for a box of condoms was found.

So, speaking from the perspective of someone standing on the side watching the game, what's the problem? Is that not how the game is played?

As much as Evelyn had all of us and herself fooled, she in fact in not about that life.

Being the hottest chick with the baddest shoe game can't protect you from the shock of realizing that all of the material things won't keep a man from stepping out. Shit, even Halle Berry got cheated on.

So what is 'That Life' really about?... and can we as women really handle it?

Remember when Steve McNair was murdered by his mistress a couple of years ago? I bet when she realized he was married, she lied to herself saying that she could handle being the other woman, only to realize that he had no plans on leaving his wife for her, she snapped and took his life and her own.

If she was really about that life, that would've never happened.

'That Life' is a front. Let's be real with ourselves.

Every woman likes nice shoes, expensive bags and jewelry, but what any woman would appreciate the most, whether she realizes it or not, is to be respected. Until love and respect holds more value than a monogrammed bag and shoes that have red soles on them, the game will remain strong and the ever changing cast of players in the quest for 'That Life' will continue to entertain us.