Frederick
Douglass, Abolitionist
 |
| Celebrating victory at my first book signing in July 2011 |
The
paths we’ve trod tell our stories of triumph and we should tell them one by one,
stride by stride. Whatever these stories are— no matter how big or small, they
are ours.
When I wrote my autobiography Navigating Life's Roadways, the anecdotes from my childhood and adult
experiences reveal a plethora of my struggles and successes. For instance, because I
was raised in a house with no indoor bathroom or running water, it was certainly
a glorious moment when I had a toilet inside the same place I lived. Now I even
have a few. The flush is a win! My first job as a dishwasher at the cafe in
my hometown of Waverly Virginia paid fifty cents an hour and now I make a little more than that! (Although
between my schedule and the hours I keep being self-employed, there is no doubt
there may be times when I still make
fifty cents an hour!)
At our
family gatherings we laugh and reflect on the extremely difficult challenges of
our past and revel in the at times not-as-difficult skirmishes of today. As the
expression goes, “It’s all relative.”
Most of
us can glance back and be in awe of the conquests made within our community of
family and friends. Kids graduated. Promotions came. Cancer went into
remission. Grandchildren finally arrived. Wrongly accused were exonerated. Churches
were joined. Houses bought. Loans came through. Good jobs came along. Car
started—again. Checks are in the mail. Opportunities are open. Laws passed.
Times changed.
I stop
and rejoice in the overcoming—reaffirming the progress in our gathered and appointed
places.
We have
earned the right to stand back and admire our fortitude. After all, finding the
way forward requires much effort.
Excerpted from my motivational
autobiography, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey
and Inspiration for Your Journey in print and Kindle eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FQDPYE
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