Rainbows in the Clouds

I had one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences last night. I went to hear one of my 'sheros' speak ... Dr. Maya Angelou was here in LV and spoke to a sold out crowd at the Cashman Field Theatre.

What a beautiful, amazing, gracious woman she is. She read her poetry, spoke to us on the importantce of "seeing rainbows in our clouds," AKA finding the lesson in adversity! My very favorite topic! She spoke about being a young woman in St. Louis and she was raped by a 'family friend...' This man was arrested and then later he was killed in jail. When she heard that he had been murdered, she just 'knew' that it was her words (in telling) that killed him. So, she did not speak for a number of years after that event. During this time of not speaking, she began to read - voraciously. She found her love of poetry and then, once she decided she would begin to speak again, it was a poem she recited first. In her adversity, or her clouds, she found a rainbow in her love of poetry. This rainbow has stayed with her for her entire life. She said of her not speaking, "It was not my voice that left, but I who left my voice..."

Remarkable - I am better for having heard her words.

Dreamgirls

I love this movie....

I have seen Dreamgirls 3 times now and I am open to go again with whoever needs someone to see it with.

I keep thinking about Effie White (Jennifer Hudson's character) and her struggle to find herself and her place in life during the movie. I relate to her in many ways. I have often felt misunderstood in my life for one reason or another. I was definitely not a 'diva' as she seemed to be in the movie, but I did have struggles fitting in and feeling normal. As an adult, I now know why I felt that way, but as a young person and a teen, I just felt weird and wondered what was wrong with me....there was nothing wrong with me, but there were things going on in my life that were wrong.

Now, as an adult, who has evolved - I see myself on the stage next to Effie White singing "I'm Changing..." and I have and I am - evolving everyday. Loving myself and the challenges I have faced. It is all for my understanding and my experience....

Do you think I'll win an award for my efforts? Probably not, but that is OK because my reward is a life full of joy, peace and understanding of what life has handed me and how I can love myself through it all.

If you haven't seen this movie --- go, go, go...as a woman I loved the empowerment of it all....

Starting Again

Well...we all get second chances and I am taking a second chance at being a blogger...whatever that means... I have thought of myself as a writer starting at about the age of 14, but now, thanks to technology, I can write what I feel and share these thoughts with others --- whoever is out in cyber space reading. That is a bit of a scary thought, but at the same time, I have 2 blogs I read often and they make me laugh, cry and help me learn so much. AND an old friend has started a blog...with pictures of her beautiful family, her beautiful self and thoughts that are meaningful..so I thought, "if she can do it, so will I!" Here I am ... blogging! Who woulda thunk it!