Whew!
Been a couple of weeks since we last argued. Did you suffer from separation anxiety? How about from withdrawals? Or, I reckon nothing at all (laugh out loud)!
Nevertheless, I certainly missed the heck out of you!
Been inhaling the asphalt of New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, and the state that still dons the Confederate flag on its capitol grounds, South Carolina. Some days and nights while driving down those dusty highways and byways, penned my entire article within my head, but was just too damn exhausted from traveling the chitlin’ circuit to put it to paper.
Coasted into Alabama feeling oozy from nostalgia as I reminisced that it was a year ago that I “stumbled” into the offices of Keith Longmore (Chief Operating Officer of West Orlando News On-Line).
My debut article on April 22, 2012 (I Got Drunk Yesterday) vividly described the sordid details and hellacious pitter-patter that transpired between piranhas, Keith, and the disguised revolutionary activist, Angela Davis, aka Andrea. This rough-and-tumbled hoe-down was refereed by the refined and gracious Senior Editor, Gillian Nanton.
Unashamedly, I have a radioactive knack for telling people to kiss my ass—-and, boy, so does Keith! Buried beneath both of our ossified and cagey exteriors, ferocious comeuppance, acidic tongues, and temperamental personas, we soon discovered that we were actually carbon copies of one another.
No harm. No foul.
Rankling and feuding aside, we also quickly rationalized that ravaging one another was completely unjustified and this spent energy should be reserved for our adversaries.
Halting the decapitation, reverence replaced reproach.
Happily, my “stumble” into Keith’s life gave me the refuge, the refulgence, and the reaming that I sorely needed. After his legendary brow-beating rants, I not only began writing this weekly column, but I also took a sabbatical and began writing my long-awaited and much requested book which is now a few months from completion. Bottom-line, his rawness stripped and razed my “slowvember” butt into much needed action.
Became recalibrated!
While Keith’s smack down bruised my ego, as well as, stoked my competitiveness, Gillian’s comforting words intravenously fed my soul and ratcheted my urgency to begin and successfully complete this writing project. I am indebted to her for those reassuring words which eroded my insecurities and self-doubts.
Thus, began the journey!
Destiny had me to “stumble” into an off-the-beaten path store in February, 2012 where I found a book literally “begging” for me to buy it. Can’t explain the kinetics pulsating from this book, but after much haggling, indecision, inquisitiveness, and debate, I finally acquiesced to the spirit and bought it never realizing how this transaction would drastically alter my fate.
Best literary purchase ever made!
After devouring Lucius Gantt’s book, I Talked About the Beast, my socially-minded consciousness was reignited.
Watch out!
Angela Davis, aka Andrea, had finally found her revolutionary gadfly! My September 30, 2012’s article (Loving Living Legends) descriptively recounted the pivotal role this trail blazer would play in catapulting my ascension into the literary world. Grateful that my mentor helped loosen my literary “training wheels!”
Goodness—Charles Dickens was right—life will give you the best of times and even the worst of times!
During the thorniness phase of my life, fortunately, I “stumbled” into the arms of one of the “sweetest” individuals that God has ever created! Never experienced forceps-like love like this before until I met my husband, Nicholas!
Proud that my “tall drink of water” was an astringently dedicated soul mate, as well as, an unwavering supporter of my goals and to my innumerable dreams and ambitions!
Like most couples, we have shared some hair-raising episodic and life-altering events that have tested our faith, our endurance, and our love. Yet, regardless of the circumstances or situations, I could count on Nicholas to always proceed with Sampson-like determination and with herculean vigor.
As we embark towards our third decade of marriage and friendship, I am blessed to have found a man that ignores life’s undertows come “hell or high water!” Thanks, Nick, for being my gentle and loving Rock of Gibraltar!
Similarly to Moses, this Egyptian, figuratively, plucked a discarded, dumped, and abandoned little girl from the raging waters!
“A drowning man needs air.”
Although I “stumbled” into motherhood, I could not have asked for a more effervescent, endearing, and attentive daughter. Over the years, I often wondered about the futility of God’s wisdom in selecting me to be Mantha’s mom. Elated that she agreed that He made the perfect decision.
And, what an eclectic mom she inherited (laughing out loud)!
Enjoyed the many hours of instilling and delivering instructional teaching, preparation, advice, exposure, guidance, scream-fests, and motherly insights into her innocent and impressionable life.
Imagine, having the awesome task and responsibility for nurturing and creating the outer beauty of Halle Barry, the ferociousness of Harriet Tubman, the elegance of Nancy Wilson, the intellect of Oprah Winfrey, the elocution of Maya Angelou, the courageousness of Rosa Parks, the political acumen of Shirley Chisholm, the theatrical presence of Ruby Dee, the sophistication of Michelle Obama, and the bravery of Coretta Scott King.
Amazing!
Mantha, dad and I are proudly looking forward to your journey into womanhood and are eagerly anticipating witnessing the plethora of opportunities that you will explore, seize, and conquer!
Temperance is not my hallmark so I truly appreciated that my dad (Aaron Williams) sought inner harborage as I rabidly, publicly, and outspokenly remunerated and recounted his failures as a parent and the tragic consequences and heartaches that had befallen on his daughters’ lives.
Hopefully, the painful revelations of our father-daughter “stumbles” will become a firewall for other families’ discordances.
Remember, dad, “one daughter out of three ain’t bad!”
Extensive travel, business-related projects, and the compilation of my book necessitated that I take a two-year sabbatical. Though my reclusiveness has impacted my attendance at church; Senior Pastor H.T. Rhim has been so very understanding, supportive, and prayerful.
Delighted to have “stumbled” into St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church (Black Bottom) nearly two decades ago. Thanks, Pastor Rhim, for your BIBLE (Biblical Instructions Before Leaving Earth)!
What constitutes a friend?
Judging from Keith Longmore’s selection of me as a columnist a year ago, I imagined that he instinctively suspected that I was not a “run-of-the-mill” activists, advocate, writer, and friend. I want to believe that his x-ray vision of my soul concluded that I was a reincarnation of an unabashedly, acerbic, electrifying, outspoken, and unafraid Ida B. Wells Barnett.
Surprisingly, until that fateful meeting and introduction to Keith, Gillian, and Lucius, I was unaware of the depths of my writing abilities and talents.
Wow!
With this new-found voice, I look forward to foregoing my literary puberty as I “stumble” towards year two as your columnist. Thanks to each of the aforementioned people, as well as, to my fans, to my critics, and even to my enemies for your nutritious commentaries or your angry rebuffs!
In either case, I learned something.
Finally, I must give praise and honor to God. Throughout all of my “stumbles,” I thank Him for sustaining me.
So, God, when You are ready, let’s go. I have some more “stumbling” to do!
