The Summer of My Dreams
Today officially marks the end of one of the best summers of my life. As I shared with my therapist, this summer was “me season.” I was outside. And I made some of the best memories of my life. As I bid adieu to Summer ’24 and hallur to what could my final year in school, I want to look back … and share these memories with you. I hope you are inspired to find joy in your own dreams and make power moves.
May: So, once Professor Lassiter (me) posts grades, she’s gone until August. But Ph.D. lady (also me) had to do a little something called defend a dissertation prospectus. It was the first time all 4 of my committee members were together, and it was nice to have confirmation that I have the right committee as I talked about the “why” behind my research. After 2.5 hours of discussion … yes, girl … I was released into the wild.
Sidebar: Summer for PhD people is like the Hunger Games or that Survivor show. These tenured profs do not work in the summer. And neither do adjuncts like me, but I digress … I was on my own, only armed with edits and marching orders for the next steps in the process.
Another sidebar: Summer is the hardest time for PhD people to do ANYTHING. Don’t judge us! We are tired and just want a little bit of freedom. So this brings me to …
June: Atlanta was being peak Atlanta (see snowpocalypse, I-85 bridge collapse), and broken water mains brought a temporary halt to the Megan Thee Stallion concert. I was on the fence about going but having Hot Girl energy is contagious. Soooooo when my girl Aysha asked me about going … I was there with another friend (my soror Shanae). There’s nothing like being with your girls for a good time (especially on a Monday night!)! The party kept going with karaoke on Friday, Urban Trivia Live on Saturday, and seeing my *bestie Nikole Hannah-Jones for the fourth time for her Atlanta stop on the The 1619 Project book tour on Sunday.
AND THEN I FLEW TO NYC TO SEE ROBERT DENIRO.
See what had happened was … I was minding my business and the universe (Instagram) showed me an ad for DeNiroCon, AKA the creator of the TriBeCa film festival was turning 80 and there was going to be a special festival in his honor.
I have loved Robert DeNiro my entire life and will not be taking your questions at this time.
Speaking of questions …
Do not ask me how much I paid for my Goodfellas pass for all-access entry and reserved seating. Do not ask me how quickly I booked a flight and hotel. You CAN, however, ask me how it felt to have all the stars align for something I manifested in summer of 2023 after seeing DeNiro’s wax figure in Vegas. The hotel was a 3-minute walk from the main festival location. The restaurant attached to the hotel was beautiful, the food was delicious, and they provided a breakfast voucher for me.
Three days of being entranced by one of the greatest actors of all time. Immersive experiences. Exhibits featuring his best-known films. Merch. Screenings. Super fans like me.
And my man Robert DeNiro just steps away from me … three days in a row. What I found the most endearing is that his legacy is not about his movies. In his words … “I just want to be a good father.” He loves his children and spoke lovingly about the importance of fatherhood.
Nevertheless, this was a celebration of a man who has touched people from all over the world … because they were there in the room with him. On Father’s Day, DeNiro and his friend (and artist) JR held a fireside chat. It was supposed to last about an hour, but went on for much longer. Spike Lee and Alec Baldwin were in the room with us, and the moderators allowed time for Q&A. A man shared a story about his father’s reticence about his military service. After watching “The Deer Hunter,” his father began to open up about his experience in war. From my seat, I could see Mr. DeNiro began to get emotional. He shed tears thanking the gentleman for his story and mentioned the importance of remembering our veterans. It was a poignant moment that I’ll never forget. Needless to say, the audience Q&A was a bonding moment for a room full of strangers from all over the world and the one man who could bring us all together.
Overall, this experience is easily one of the top 5 in my life. I watched “Goodfellas” with Spike Lee and heard from screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi about his conversations with Henry Hill and Mario Puzo. “Silver Linings Playbook” is one of my favorite films, and I got to watch it and sit on the front row for a fireside chat with director David O. Russell and actor Ben Stiller. John Tuturro introduced “The Good Shepherd” and I watched this movie for the first time. Another first: Watching “Analyze This” – highly recommend!! – followed by a fireside chat with DeNiro, Billy Crystal, and Gayle King. Another highlight: Watching “Mean Streets” followed by a talk with DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, and Nas.
HELLO!!!!! Martin freaking Scorsese!!!! Look, just click here and come back to the blog.
In addition to being in the happiest place on Earth (DeNiroCon, not Disney), I also got to catch up with friends and family. I got lost (as I usually do when in NYC) trying to find a restaurant to meet up with my people, but being in the Big Apple is always the experience of a lifetime. The final experience: I was able to catch Christopher Walken introduce “The Deer Hunter” (his Oscar award-winning role) before I had to hop on a plane back to Georgia.
July: OK, so I knew in April that July was going to kick my ass. Therefore, May and June were all about planning. So, in the midst of catching flights, going to concerts, PhD-ing, and everything else, I was scheduling meetings, confirming class speakers, working on syllabi, and getting my life together because I knew what the month would bring.
The beginning of the month was all about Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Iiiiiiiiincorporated! Even after 20+ years of membership, I still get emotional about being active in my sorority. Our biennial Boule was being held in Dallas. I’ve been to several Boule meetings over the past two decades, but this one was extra special because I got to spend it with my little cousin, a Spring 2024 initiate.
Me every five minutes: I remember when she was born! I brought her home from the hospital and I was there when she was initiated!
I first saw Attorney General Kamala Harris speak at the 2016 Atlanta Boule, and I got to hear her again at this year’s event. That’s VP Harris to you, Soror VP to me! After nearly a week of handling sorority business, immersing myself in the sisterhood, and having so much fun, it was back to business!
Well, new business: I went right into a two-week summer teaching assignment. Georgia State University offers dual enrollment for high school students, and they host a summertime learning academy to acclimate students to college-level work. I taught public speaking and led three classes each day. From incorporating TikTok challenges, improvisation, Taboo!, and more, my students were able to get out of their comfort zones and approach public speaking with pride. I was exhausted by the end … but I’d do it all over again!
Shout out to all the K-12 teachers because HOW??? Y’all should be millionaires!
And then … there was NABJ. I renewed my membership and attended last year’s conference which renewed my soul! This year’s conference was in Chicago … and this happened.
Hell no I did not go to that session.
Hell yes I went to other sessions where Black excellence was the focus instead of white supremacy. Although this year’s conference was temporarily overshadowed by foolery and #45, it is still critical that we have spaces for us, by us. NABJ is open to anyone who wants to attend, which I highly recommend, and I was able to learn more about journalism education, women in leadership, and the intersection of politics and media. Although my career is no longer anchored in journalism, it (and DeNiro) will always be my first loves. Again, not taking any questions because the heart wants what it wants.
August: Welp, after getting over COVID (womp, womp), it was back to work. Well, sort of .. just 4 days per week. Hey, write this one down: USE YOUR PTO. I took mental health days each Friday of this month. If you earn time, you need to use it. And I needed the rest.
In between my summer adventures, I was still …
- PhDing: Participating in online writing groups and in-person write-ins, scheduling time for prospectus edits, and revising the draft that will transition to my dissertation.
- Career Coaching: I am a small business owner (s/o The Lassiter Firm, LLC) and have been guiding clients as they navigate career shifts (expected and unexpected). It’s rewarding work, and I love helping people.
- Exercising: I found the gym of my dreams. It’s Black-owned and has EVERYTHING – group fitness classes, regular equipment, an inside track, a sauna, whirlpool, fancy locker room, a steam room, smoothie bar, fresh towels … I’m in love.
- Self-caring: Look, once I found out I could use my HSA for massages and facials … IT’S BEEN UP FROM THERE. Living my best life and getting a tax deduction …
- Working: I have a full-time job, which affords me amazing opportunities … like having a conversation with Ambassador Andy Young.
But now it’s time to say goodbye to a hot girl summer … and hello to adulting. All the things.
Still choosing me. No regrets!
*Nikole Hannah-Jones doesn’t know me from Adam but after seeing her 50 11 times at events in 2023 AND taking multiple pictures with her at said events AND having a personalized copy of The 1619 Project … I said what I said.
