My name is August, named after the month I was born, which was on a Saturday night on the ninth day of the eighth month a long time ago in Chelsea.
I'm a Leo which means I'm a tender-hearted, loyal, flamboyant, bossy-boots who struggles with formalities! If I were an animal, I couldn't be anything other than a lion. I'm down with the whole king of the jungle/look at my mane/hear me roar thing. I truly believe that lions are beautiful, strong, aesthetic creatures; they remind me of me!
The inner August would love to be on stage, but I've been afflicted with a fear of the spot-light. It stems back from having to sing All Things Bright and Beautiful against my wishes in front of a full assembly at primary school knowing full well that I can't sing. That was the birth and the death of my stage career.
I have natural tendencies to be emotional and dramatic which at times include shouting (I shouted at a man in Sainsbury's on Monday morning), crying (I cried on Saturday because there's a mouse in my house and I don't know where it's disappeared to) and breakages (I'd rather not explain). I also have another side to me which is calm and level-headed. This is a side that I'm learning to cultivate through Buddhist teachings and self help books because I've spent too many years being dramatic instead of choosing not to "sweat the small stuff". This saying comes from my manager and I totally agree with it. The transition is very difficult because I sometimes automatically go to have a tantrum and then I remember these words: "who benefits from having a tantrum? It's more beneficial to be calm and logical". But it's hard, very hard!!
I'm mother to two teenaged boys. I've been lucky so far because they've been more of a blessing than a curse! It's been hard work but their personalities have helped us all create a well-balanced family.
I'm single but not looking – I keep meeting various versions of Mr Left and have yet to meet Mr Right.
So what are my pastimes?
I love partying as much as I Iove curling up with a good book. I'm reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency; I borrowed that from Ellie at work and I'm also reading Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. It's doing my head in and I'm constantly checking words in the dictionary and reading paragraphs over and over again just to make sure I understand what I've read but it's a challenge that I'm enjoying.
I love going to restaurants as much as I enjoy cooking. I enjoy my family as much as I enjoy being with my friends. I love being pampered and don't mind working for and paying for the odd luxury like a manicure, pedicure and going to the hairdressers – which is quite tame compared to some people's trips to the health spa or the beauty salon, getting pummelled, irrigated, back-sacked-and-cracked and Botox treatments. I get paid by the hour so I calculate all luxuries according to my hourly rate. This makes it easy for me to justify whether a spend is a good idea or a sin. If I've got to work for three days for something silly, then I don't do it. If I can work for three hours for something fabulous then I go for it.
Travel is a must. It broadens one's horizons. I'd return to Thailand, Jamaica, Barbados, Gran Canaria, Greece, Tenerife and Switzerland any day of the week. I have many more places I'd like to visit and I'd love to spend a weekend shopping in New York for my 40th birthday. My dream destination is Necker Island! Holiday hell would be camping.
I get bored VERY easily which means I'm always taking a peek into the devil's playground which is not a good thing for a God fearing woman. I'm always very afraid of myself when I'm bored. If I say to my friend Eve that I'm bored, she hates me with a passion because my boredom often results in a massive clean up campaign afterwards. She's normally the one wearing the rubber gloves, holding the broom. On the other hand, if I tell my friend Jade I need excitement, I don't see my house for 24 hours and when I return home, my false eyelashes are hanging off my cheeks, I'm carrying my shoes, I can't find my front door and my liver's the size of a raisin.
I'm the youngest of six children; I have three brothers and two sisters; one sister lives in America but everyone else is based in London.
My parents took early retirement and retreat to their second home in Jamaica every year for months on end; every plane journey shrinks my inheritance. Boooooo!
My favorite things ...
The Oprah Winfrey Show - 20th Anniversary Collection DVD. I think I love Oprah, she's a goddess in my eyes so watching the best bits of the shows she's done over the years is one of my favourite things!
When it's sunny, I like sitting in the sun reading. I like picnic's and barbecues. I like being outside when it's hot. If I don't end up living in a beach front house in the Caribbean, my work on this earth hasn't been done properly.
I love music; my life seems to run alongside a constant sound-track. My taste in music is too varied to name just one genre. I don't have a favourite song either, although I Believe I Can Fly used to be my favourite until R. Kelly's kiddie fiddling came to light. My Stevie Wonder, At the Close of a Century CD box set gets played a lot. I also like Jay Z; his lyrics are clever and I like his delivery style. I also like Chrisette Michele, Jazmine Sullivan, Mavado, Estelle, Off The Wall and Thriller, Diana Ross & The Supremes, the Lovers Rock era (Sister Love, Victor Romero Evans, Deborahe Glasgow, The Investigators), the New Jack Swing era (Guy, En Vogue, Heavy D, Today, Blackstreet) and I love Garage, Funky House and Phil Collins!
I am a shoe-aholic and love Christian Louboutin's collection. I don't own any Louboutin's, I just love looking at them. At this point in my life, I can't justify spending £700 on a pair of shoes. Aldo and Faith are always a good alternative!
I don't have a favourite film, but if Denzel Washington's in a film, I need to watch it. He's a great actor. I like Denzel for his acting abilities, I don't fancy him; I fancy Idris Elba, he's hot like pepper! They were good to watch in American Gangster.
I love stand-up comedy. I enjoy watching Chris Rock, Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle and Bernie Mac. I also remember going to see Felix Dexter many years ago. When I left the theatre, my cheeks and stomach muscles were hurting for about an hour afterwards because I laughed so much. I also like Gina Yashere, she's very funny.
What human characteristics impress me?
Confidence; it's such a wonderful thing to have. If I didn't have it, I'd want it. I have it but want more of it. It's one of those characteristics which you can attain even if you're not born with it. Having the ability to give someone confidence is also massively impressive.
So why am I here?
I'm here to write stuff I want you to enjoy reading in order to provoke dialogue or something to make you think! I love the written word and can't imagine exiting this world without doing what I'm doing right now. The power of word can change the course of your life in moments. Words can make you laugh, make you cry and make you commit murder!
I like these words: "let your yes mean yes and your no mean no, anything other than that is pure evil". If I apply those words to my life, it keeps me on a narrow road. I find when my road is too wide; it becomes full of pot-holes.
I hope from The August Mayfield Diaries I'm able to purge, I hope I make you talk to your computer which is something I do often, I hope I'm able to create a topic for discussion amongst you and your friends and I also hope I'm able to make you laugh sometimes as I think laughing is as important as breathing ... and if I get something back, that's a bonus.
Peace & Love
