I am a child of the 1970s who grew up in a blue collar section of a New Jersey suburb.
I clearly recall the first time I realized that the world saw me as different, as less than, because of the color of my skin.
I remember how that one comment snatched me viciously out of my childhood bubble. I remember questioning my worth, even though my parents told me over and over again that nothing anyone says changes my worth, unless I let it.
I didn?t know how to process this. I had so many emotions. So I sat down and wrote as fast as my little eight-year-old hands would let me.?I remember how my rage poured out onto the page. I threw the paper aside and cried and then I went outside to play.
A few days later I happened to read what I wrote and I couldn?t believe those words came from me. That?s when I realized that there is this well of love and wisdom and acceptance deep inside me that knows exactly what to say to when I am hurting or sad or just can?t seem to make sense of what is going on, but I can only hear what it wants to tell me when I write.
So, I write to share my well with the world and that’s all there is to it.
