Skip to main content

Rejected and Redirected

I’ve decided to come back to the world of blogging. I wrestled with it but I felt God leading me to build something of my own. I wasted so much valuable time trying to be accepted in other writing circles that weren’t super inviting or receiving of what I brought to the table, that I almost forgot that there is a need for my brand of creativity. Sometimes, what we want and even who we want to see us or accept us, doesn’t deserve us. I’ve had the opportunity to have some experiences with different platforms where I was able to write, but not necessarily have the freedom to write about the things I want to write about. Whenever I shared my ideas with some of these platforms, I received a number of “thanks but no thanks” responses, and was completely ignored. Silly me, thinking I’d be received with open arms. This is a good thing though. Anyways, I’m taking what I have and building. It’s some great, thought-provoking, inspiring, and encouraging stuff and I’m going to make some waves. I’ve decided to do my own thing and create my own opportunities. Rejection can sting, but I’m learning the benefits of how it can serve as a catalyst for redirection, and I’m diving in. Making Waves was originally going to be a collection of short stories but I’ve decided to go another route. I’ll still share those stories and more, but in a different and better way. Stay tuned. The tides will be rising… feels so good to be back. 

Popular posts from this blog

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space.  I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...