To Learn of Freedom
| This is the 481st story of Our Life Logs | “I always tell people that education is the only thing that no one can ever take away from you. It provides access to freedom. It provides access to resources. It provides opportunities in life.” -Dr. Gifty Chung The country of my mother tongue, my family, a great deal of my childhood, and my culture actually isn’t … Continue reading To Learn of Freedom
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Grits and Eggs
| This is the 480th story of Our Life Logs | In 1926, in the rural lands of Eaton, Georgia, my mother Catherine gave birth to me. Back then, there were no doctors and nurses, at least, not the way we think of them today. Only midwives delivered babies, even the white ones. The only midwife that worked in our county went by the name of Ma … Continue reading Grits and Eggs
The Memories We Pass On
| This is the 479th story of Our Life Logs | Each time we visited the hospital with the fear that this would be the time, the moment life would leave my father, he would pull me aside. He would go over the plan, making sure I had it memorized. He said that I was the strongest, the one who would take care of Mom, and of … Continue reading The Memories We Pass On
Life Without Drugs
| This is the 478th story of Our Life Logs | 2013, Virginia Beach. “Dude, they’re coming over the fence right now, bro! You gotta come here, man!” I rolled my eyes. There he goes again—always so paranoid. “Slow Man, I already told you, nobody coming here to rob us, dude. I literally just moved these tools in here yesterday. If you’re gonna be trippin’ like this … Continue reading Life Without Drugs
Who Are the Good Guys?
| This is the 477th story of Our Life Logs | Miami was sleepy in the ‘50s—nothing like the bustling buildings and energy it has now. When my family moved across town, over the canal to 87th street, it was like the world dropped off. Everything beyond that was a bunch of streams, lakes, and (in true Floridian fashion) swamps where you could walk for miles without … Continue reading Who Are the Good Guys?
No, Depression Can’t Have Me
| This is the 476th story of Our Life Logs | I was born in the 1980s in Gainesville, Florida. Growing up in a very strict Christian family, I was expected to settle down and start a family. As I waited for Mr. Right to come into my life, I built a career as a dance choreographer when I was in my 20s. It was through fate … Continue reading No, Depression Can’t Have Me
No Longer a Victim
| This is the 475th story of Our Life Logs | People used to look at me and see nothing more than an addict who couldn’t keep a needle out of her arm long enough to take care of her kids. I was a hot mess that no one wanted to deal with. But no one ever bothered to understand the “why.” Why I was addicted to … Continue reading No Longer a Victim
I Am Not Weak
| This is the 474th story of Our Life Logs | I’ve often wondered what drove me to have those wicked thoughts of wanting to commit suicide. Did I, in fact, have a mental illness? Was I a coward? Was I really being selfish? Eventually, I answered those questions. Here’s how. I was born in Washington, DC in 1975. The youngest of three to parents that were … Continue reading I Am Not Weak
The Dream That Pushes Us Forward
| This is the 473rd story of Our Life Logs | Editor’s note: This story was written in memory of the one who lived it. I grew up in Norfolk, England. From a young age I dreamed of distant lands. Adventures in exotic places filled my head as I made my long walk every day to the little school house passed the countryside, fields of corn and … Continue reading The Dream That Pushes Us Forward
It’s the Baby
| This is the 472nd story of Our Life Logs | Even now I’m still stunned when I think of the way it all went so fantastically to hell in front of my eyes. And then, what it took to bring me back to earth. I come from a small town in the South (USA). I was raised poor, the eldest of four that my momma had … Continue reading It’s the Baby
Life Is What You Bake It
| This is the 471st story of Our Life Logs | As the positive comments rolled in at the potluck, I could feel myself begin to float. Maybe I really could do this. Maybe everyone was wrong after all. I could do this, I could…then the winds of doubt blew through my mind as quickly as the hope came. But what if I fail? What if it’s … Continue reading Life Is What You Bake It
Fight Like a Mother
| This is the 470th story of Our Life Logs | I was born in 1962 amid the sprawling streets of Annapolis, Maryland, and lived on its outskirts for the first 12 years of my life. Then we moved for a couple of different reasons. First of all, in that time, race was a pretty big issue, with African Americans having spent the past decade fighting for … Continue reading Fight Like a Mother