It has been many years since I penned a story for something other than academia related. Honestly, I feel unbalanced and have to gain my footing once again. But – I am optimistic about whatever my mind decides to purge onto the page before me. Let me introduce myself. I am a millennial, who grew up in a time when the internet was just being introduced. Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were the singers I admired and happily imitated in my bedroom. Their love songs blaring through my cd player, while I sang along to an imaginary audience with a hairbrush as my microphone. Acting as if I understood the pain of heartbreak and the thrills of being in love at that age. I wasn’t even in the double-digits yet! Tyra Banks was (and still is) my fashion icon and role model. I dreamed of gracing the fashion runways of Paris and New York. Because of my height, people always thought I was either a basketball player or a model. I lacked the basic skills to be a baller. My efforts to turn the latter into a reality were met with disappointment. I came to terms with it a very long time ago. The universe had a different path for me.
The past couple years have been focused on self-reflection. Life is delicate and it is okay to be selfish in the pursuit of one’s happiness. When I was in elementary school, a teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I remember saying a librarian. Yes, I was the nerdy, quiet kid. The girl who finished all her homework before watching my favorite television shows. I have always been fascinated by books and visiting libraries. Every week I anticipated going to the school library to pick out the perfect book in hopes of being captivated by the words of the storyteller. The very smell of a library or book still brings me joy. In case you’re wondering, I did not become a librarian. Special shout out to all the librarians! One of the best gifts I received as a child was a book from one of the nicest teachers I ever had the pleasure of knowing. The book was called The Giver by Lois Lowry. The protagonist lived in what seemed to be a utopian society where the lives of its residents were planned for them. However, because of his new assigned role, he gained more knowledge and asked more questions. In the end, he gained the most precious gift of all - his voice. This is my way of using mine. No longer being a hidden figure. Finally taking the leap in my new black and white high-top Converse sneakers.
I will end with this… don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Make a permanent mark on this world.
InkStaind,
Mo
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