Lacing up my shoes!

One person's reality can be another persons lie and vice versa!

I've seen a lot, experienced much more and I'm full. I want to empty out to share what I've learned, what I believe and what I feel.

Many may not agree with my opinions, beliefs or ideologies, but like I said this my my journey and my reality. Let's all agree to disagree.

1st I give all Praises to GOD for whom I have my being and with HIM I could not be!

Now let's start walking, not from the beginning, but from right here, right now where I sit in Gambia, West Africa. No, I wasn't born here and didn't consciously plan to live here, but here I am on this leg of my journey.

Many people think I'm on an extended vacation or I'm in Africa living it up, well that's just not what's happening. I living in a reality check! That's right, a reality check! Living here as been an eye opening experience and I have many revelations and understandings now since living here that I don't think I ever would have had if I had remained in Chicago.

Here's the 1st mind blower: I believe now that slavery was and still is a very evil thing that man did and does to oppress and manipulate lesser or what seems to be lesser people. But my revelation is that GOD had a purpose for all that happens. You've heard the statement, that's if you're Christian, "devil meant it for bad, but GOD meant it for good". Well that's now what I think about slavery.  Ok, there goes the uproar! Don't leave me folks; hang in there and here me out please! 

Africa need us, I'm talking about Africans from the African Diaspora. We were brought out of Africa for a time such as this, to come back to Africa with all that we've learned and experienced to help with the further development and future of Africa. When I look around most charitable organizations in Africa are headed or owned by Europeans. While there are Africans from the Diaspora living here it is quite rare to find them involved in charitable businesses. Like so many here they are also looking for ways to reap from the land of plenty.

A step back: as a young girl I had dreams of living in Africa. No one in my family talked about Africa or our ancestors even though my great grandmother was our 1st ancestor born out of slavery. It was with me in my spirit, even the woman that I am now is who I knew as a child. As I got older I was what I consider to be a rebel, especially compared to how my mother felt about "colored people". I was a fist clenched and pumping sistah, afro wearing, back to Africa kind of girl. I was so angry that I was born in the states without my African Heritage, culture, language , identity. I felt deprived. Truth be told I still don't know my lineage and still desire that information, but one thing I know now is that I'm glad that I was born in the states!

Chances and statistics are that if I was born in Africa as a female I'd be uneducated, without my clitoris, poorer than what I am, married early, have fulfilled my life expectancy, have no voice or the ability to express my opinion, have a dead child and suffered many other abuses. Now I'm not saying that there are not educated, free minded African women, but they are the phenomenon.