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.
Read MoreIt’s no exaggeration when I say that 2022 owes me nothing. I had some challenges and moments that felt like setbacks; however, I came out on top every time. 2022 taught me a lot about myself: how I respond under pressure, where my faith was in situations, and some positive negative factors of my heart. I have a lot of takeaways but here are the top three:
Read MoreI sometimes visualize “The Barney Bag” when I think of the enemy’s tricks and devices. For those who: 1) May find it bizarre that I know about the Barney bag; 2) Find it bizarre that I parallel the two concepts, and 3) Have no clue what the Barney bag is, follow me. I became an aunt at the age of 5. Although I was older than my nieces and nephews, I had to watch what they liked-and they LOVED Barney. Hence, I’ve seen a lot of episodes and know some of the jams from the show.
Read MoreI’ve been telling y’all for months that I had "a lot" to share. The “a lot” starts here. 2020 approached me with a pandemic and romantic interest. I met a guy through his mom in July 2020. We seemed to click instantly. We became a couple towards the fall of the same year. It was an adjustment in several ways:
My first relationship in the kingdom
My first relationship in over a decade
My first long-distance relationship
Some time ago I wrote a letter to my younger self. Click here to read it. A few years later and I’m officially 35. At 18, I thought 30 was old. When I turned 25, I thought: “30 isn’t that old” but I gave 40 the side-eye, once I turned 35. I’ve decided that 35 is a good age to write forward...
To my future self:
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