I have so much on my mind right now. I am in the process of cleaning my yard. Then I have my exam that I must study for; my ADHD weighs heavy on my mind. I do one thing and then start another; it's so annoying. I need to have a huge billboard in front of me, a list of things to start with. I need a map to look at and direct me on my tasks in my yard, my life, and other things that I need to get done. Now, my allergies are bothering me! I can't get anything right and done. I just want to scream... sometimes, this is why I need a man, a partner, to help me get things done. I wasn't even good when I was married, either. There are some things in my area of life that I am working on. One thing that weighs heavy on my mind is that what if I meet my partner for life? Am I going to be a wonderful wife? Will I be capable of doing a wife's duty at home? I shouldn't worry about the future and how I would be if I were a wife again. Things that make you stop and question everything... Really crazy. I think it's a process for me to examine and generate a list to appease my mind. Lists, an accountability tool. It's what I always need.
Today is when the air is crisp, and the weather is perfect. I love this time of the year. In my tribe, we are preparing for winter stories and shoe games. I have never practiced the season change to participate in the winter stories and shoe games. I watch the way they continue the culture in the way they do things in the winter. It seems they try to put in their community gatherings as much as possible at the end of the season. I love the way my tribe celebrates the change of seasons. It is always so eventful this time of the year. It is so beautiful at the end of summer, and everyone is rushing around to prepare things. Things like the Navajo Fairs and the huge parades that they have. Walking around the vendors and looking at their creations is so much fun. The food is amazing, and there are a lot of fresh veggies and food trucks. The food trucks usually have fry bread, mutton stew, mutton burgers, and reg Navajo burgers with green chilies. The green chilies are usually Hatch Green Chilies from the Hatch farms in New Mexico. Everything is perfect, full of heritage and pride for who we are. There are also tons of delectable breads from other tribes, Pueblo and Hopi.
The fairs usually have nighttime activities; for kids and families, active carnivals go on into the night. Then there are the pow-wow dances; they have dancers that travel from all across the United States. It is so much fun to attend a pow-wow. The ceremonial events are active through the night as well. The Ye'ii Bi Cheii's are roaming the streets before and during the fair, collecting money in change to dollar bills. They offer discipline to give our children, and usually, the kids are terrified of them. If you ever saw a Ye'ii Bi Cheii, you would be uncomfortable, too. But it's fun to watch the kids get scared. They straighten up pretty quick, all for a dollar.
I follow a Navajo Medicine Man on YouTube who teaches much about our culture. In this video I shared under the image, he explains the Ye'ii Bi Cheii. If you want, you can learn the teachings of what our culture is about. There are amazing things he mentions, and it is so informative. I love the Beauty Way, the Hozho Way, and the Blessing Way; this is part of our life. It's a brilliant teaching of what we are to do in our daily lives, to live peacefully and direct on our paths as we live.
There is so much going on with my Reservation right now. Sometimes, I wish I could be there. Maybe I am thinking that I might go to the Shiprock Fair instead. I am very familiar with the way the schedule of events happens. I am debating at the moment whether or not I want to go. My friend from Texas (Who I have mentioned before) might be interested in going with me. I will need to ask him if he is interested in participating in this huge event with the Navajo Nation. He mentioned that he would like to learn and know more about our Navajo culture. I hope it works out; maybe I can attend the fair and get some mutton this year. I love mutton; the way they prepare the mutton, the stews they prepare, and the fry bread is nothing like mine. It is ten times better.
All this talk about the change in season has got me hungry for mutton and fry bread. One of the things I am so proud to be and actually be blessed to be created is to be a Navajo woman. I love my culture, and I love the people. I am sure you can relate to being a part of a culture. I know some of us are not full-blood of a race. I also know that race is one thing that is a touchy issue. However, I do not care; I am a Navajo woman. I belong to a particular race of people and am proud of that, regardless of what Western society says about race and identity. Lastly, my yard is complete for the day, not perfect, but complete for now.
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