The Sista Hood on the Mic, A Novel by E-Fierce: Are you a HOMEGIRL?

I was thinking and reflecting about the AMAZING homegirls in my life after receiving a beautiful card from my one of my oldest friends, LOLITA who I've known since the sixth grade---like 27 years. We hadn't seen each other since late high school, and when I reading at LIBRERIA MARTINEZ in Los Angeles, she and her husband drove three hours north from San Diego to see me. I was like, wow that was love and felt so honored with her gift of time and friendship. And it's not like they didn't have three beauiful children at home to find child care for. Reconnecting with Lolita, who inspired one of the characters in my book was a gift.

On book tour, the gifts continued to POUR. My homegirl Lourdes, the publicity goddess had my back while in LA and throughout the release of my book. My girl Reyna, Brenda and Claudine came to show their support. During pre-book tour events, my girl Aurora and her LA posse came through at La Feria Del Libro and we celebrated then swam in the Pacific late at night. I

In Frisco, I had a homegirl POT LUCK and was blessed with staying with my girl Tina and her homie sweetheart, Lolan. I read at MODERN TIMES (please support independent book stores) in my old barrio a THE MISSION nd was filled with LOVE from old and new. I reconnected with old friends that remain steadfast in my life like Gilliann, Tina, Roxanne and Elena. And I was further blessed by family time.

Before the tour, my girl Candy came by from Chicago and the love at the Book Party from all the Chica Luna's, Lissette, URBAN ENVY, the actors who read from the staged reading, Sofia, Johanna , Jennifer, and of course MY NEW MY SPACE FRIENDS and my little sister Pattydukes who graced me with her amazing emcee skills on the SISTAHOOD CD. And of course, TRICIA WANG who coordinated the whole book release party with lot's of TLC. I am still high from the best gift a sista could get, the friendship and love of her HOMEGIRLS. And I'm excited about the new homegirls that I met along the way and look forward to building. Not a day goes by that I forget one moment of that love, now and throughout my life. Thank you HOMEGIRLS for your support and love!

As I venture closer to 40, no, not yet-- I got three years still! You start reflecting and come to a time in your life where you understand what it means to have TRUE homegirls. So, this entry is going to be dedicated to my homegirls that I love and throughout my years have become my CHOSEN familia.

Being my usual curious self, I had to check out what the dictionary definition was of homegirl, so here it is:

Noun: homegirl
A fellow female member of a youth gang

I was like, what? Oh, no that biased dictionary didn't! But then I thought about when I was a kid and how my first set of homegirls: Nicole, Norma, Lolita and I were in some ways a gang. Not in the shoot 'em up, vision that people have of gangs. But, we were a clique, a posse, a group and we were a gang of chicas. I don't claim GANG, 'cuz let's be real, when people conjure that word they think YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR UP TO NO GOOD (mainly Latino and/or African American). Yet, when I was a child, it was my posse of friends that understood and got me through times when no one else understood. Sometimes, when no adults were to be found, we mentored each other and protected one another in whatever way we knew how. In other words, we survived together.

So, I went looking for another definition. This one is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Homeboy
(Redirected from Homegirl)

Homeboy (feminine: Homegirl) is a slang term of unsettled origin. It means "friend". It was most current in the 1970s and 1980s among African American and Mexican American youths. It is/was often shortened to "homes", "holmes", and "homie".

Homeboy may refer to:
Homeboy Industries, a youth program to assist gang members

Now specifically, targeting African American and Mexican youths. And of course there had to be a referral to gang. But, my fav was why can't homegirl have HER own entry and homeboy be redirected to her.

I could talk about this forever and continue to look for other definitions, but let me give my own definition of what a HOMEGIRL means to me. For without my homegirls, wow, my life would be so less complete. Since the defintion above, said it was unsettled in meaning, let's define HOMEGIRL for ourselves, hopefully you'll also ADD your own definitions.

According to Elisha:

HOMEGIRL
(also referred to as comadre, 'mana, goddess, sista, sister, soul sista, hermana, homie)

Noun. A girl or woman of ANY age that unconditonally loves, trusts, listens and fiercely supports another girl or woman. She is a friend that has your back and tells you the truth even when it's hard for you to hear. You can either talk with her every day or once a year, but whenever you speak it was as if time never passed, no explanations, you just get one another. She wants you to succeed, and support you in learning to love yourself as you do her. She cheers for your success as you do hers. When your partner is gone, she is still there. When you family doesn't get it, she wipes your tears. When your weary and just plain tired, she gives you the strength to push forward. When no one else has your back or understands, she stands up and fights for you not caring what anyone else thinks. Someone who knows when she is projecting her own shit on you and owns up to it. Someone who gives you props when everyone else is hatin'. Someone who when the world is negative, you NEVER doubt that she's in your corner and even when she makes mistakes you know that is never came from a place of malice.

To my homegirls old and new, I LOVE you! I don't even need to shout you out, because you already know who you are!

Peace y Light!

Pics with a few of my homies, I wish I had photos of them all: