One of the greatest gifts I have allowed myself to receive in my life are the reminders that I find of things that I need to recall or remember. Sometimes a word, a conversation, a photograph. I just have to be ready to listen. Last night I went to a celebration in Oakland in honor… Continue reading Reminders
Tag: Ghana
Wound Care
While I was living in Ghana after college there was a line in a book that really spoke to me (An Imperfect Offering) that said "No scars, no stories, no life." My body has its fair share of scars, the majority from a dog attack at a young age that left me with 32 stitches spread… Continue reading Wound Care
Close Encounters
black women breathe flowers, too. just because we are taught to grow them in the lining of our quiet (our grandmothers secret). does not mean we do not swelter with wild tenderness. we soft swim. we petal. we scent limbs. love. we just have been too long a garden for sharp and deadly teeth. so… Continue reading Close Encounters
The Science of Movement
"To truly understand yourself, your purpose and those around you, you must keep moving. You must move at least five times; five times to open your heart and dip your toes into something new, fresh and life changing." I have almost begun the single digit countdown to my next big move: Cambridge, England for (at… Continue reading The Science of Movement
When a Piece Reads You
It has now officially been over a year since I graduated. May 26, 2011 seems like a lifetime ago on some days, and on other days I can remember distinctly the way the sun felt on me as I posed for millions of photos as if it were yesterday. For the majority of the past year… Continue reading When a Piece Reads You
Peace Does Not Simply Mean the Absence of Conflict
While writing the program manual for my project over the last several weeks, I have been wrestling with the question of what exactly does peace—more specifically living in peace and peaceful societies—mean to me. What would it mean for the children I am here to work with to grow up in peace? Peace, I have… Continue reading Peace Does Not Simply Mean the Absence of Conflict
The Question of Strawberry Lemonade Cake
I have been asked before how it is that I can find such enjoyment in life while living in a country that constantly visually reminds me of the reality of human plight. Although I live in a pleasant neighborhood, I can still exit my door and walk for about five minutes and see any number… Continue reading The Question of Strawberry Lemonade Cake
The New, Old Familiar
So here I am, safe and sound in Ghana after a long flight from Atlanta. When I got to Kotoka Airport, it took a very long time to get through customs. In the two years since I’ve been to Ghana, the airport has gotten quite high-tech, and I had to have my picture taken, as… Continue reading The New, Old Familiar
Revisiting Lessons from a Cowardly Lion
The Wizard of Oz is one of those rare delights in which the movie is just as—if not better—than the book. And who among us who grew up with the story could forget the main characters—Dorothy, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow—who were all searching for the Wizard of Oz to help them… Continue reading Revisiting Lessons from a Cowardly Lion
Vegas for Friendships
I’m not really the gambling type of girl, although all summer I have wanted to visit the amazing Scott Elfenbein in Las Vegas due to the crazy stories he shares about his job there. However, my recent trip out east to NYC and Cambridge to help move one of my best friends, Matt, into his… Continue reading Vegas for Friendships
Odelia Younge 