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.