Friday, December 20, 2013

Be Victorious! Find Your Village to Celebrate


 


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