My Truth About Becoming A Social Worker
Fastward some weeks and kindergarten began. My teacher went around the room to all the students sitting in what is now called “criss-cross-applesauce.” When she got to me, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I froze. I didn’t know. She went through some options quickly. “Would you want to be a doctor or lawyer?” I said, “Lawyer.” She went on to the next student. Truth is, I didn't know what a lawyer was or what they did. I just liked how it sounded. I asked my mom about it when I got home. After she explained their role, I was good with it. It was a sudden decision. But, I held on to it as my career choice until my senior year in college: I was going to be a lawyer.
A lot happened after that day in kindergarten. As a college student, I loved everything about criminal justice. However, going to law school didn't seem to fit my life at that time. I decided against it my first semester of my senior year. I graduated from undergrad and accepted a job unrelated to my dream or degree. I stayed there for about two months before I determined I couldn’t continue that way. I applied for a Master of Social Work program and was accepted. Once accepted, I had a new language to learn. Social work was so different from criminal justice. It was two different mindsets and systems. It was a new world for me. I adjusted and graduated with an MSW in May 2010.
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Christmas... In Case No One Ever Told You
I don’t feel it’s necessary to run down the list of what everyone thinks or feels about Christmas but I’ll mention a few: I know that some people consider Christmas as a pagan holiday. I know that some people don’t celebrate it at all. I know that some people have researched St. Nick and other nifty facts surrounding the holiday. But I also know that some people do not know the meaning of Christmas. I don’t want to take the last fact for granted. So, I dedicate this blog post to sharing the meaning of Christmas.
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The Familiar is only a Phantom Pain
I worked in a nursing home for nearly five years. That amount of time has created a storehouse of unforgettable memories. I particularly remember an elderly lady whom we will refer to as Mrs. X. Mrs. X was a vocal lady. She had severe Dementia and wasn’t oriented to where she was or what year we were living in. Some days she looked for her mother because she did not remember that her mother was deceased. Sadly enough, she also forgot that both of her legs had been amputated several years ago.
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Back to School- Things I wish I Knew
20 years ago, I was a high school Junior in 2003 (sheesh!). I thought I was going into the US Air Force. I thought the same my senior year. Although I said I wanted to be a lawyer since I was a kindergarten student. I decided against the Air Force–without a backup plan during my senior year. I only knew a few History Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). Those were Winston-Salem State (WSSU), Fayetteville State (FSU), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T), and North Carolina Central University (NCCU). I learned about those from a couple of high school alumni who returned to inform current students about the colleges they attended and what it was like. I also heard about different schools from my church members. I had two older cousins who left for universities. One went to Fayetteville State (FSU), and the other went to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC). Those few people and A Different World were about as close as I got to college information.
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Big Mama Was Wrong (Pt. 2) Introduction
I wrote Big Mama Was Wrong: Exploring Mental Health and Today’s Black Teens because I wanted it to be a resource. My goal was to enlighten parents, caregivers, and others about the stigmas I have observed as a mental health clinician for children and adolescents. I wanted conversations with therapists to be less embarrassing or scary. I also wanted others to understand the importance of seeking help, the type of help available, and some signs that seeking help may be necessary. I noticed patterns and realized that mental health within the Black community was the road less traveled but could have helped so many others along their journeys if they considered it.
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