I claim to have no ego,

As I plan each day with hope and worry.

This life is not my story.

It was written long before me, in the blood of my ancestors,

It's in the stars, in the universe,

I am me, who is me, it’s what’s to be no matter what I do,

I breathe and I am me being,

We are us being here, together, humans-being.

Who am I?

I am not the story I tell myself, not to myself, on social media, or to any of the people I meet while waiting in any of the lines where strangers speak.

We are not the story, we are just the humans-being, responding in anger and frustration to our hurts and indignation of the clash of another human-being out here struggling in their being in this world with hope and worry, pride, and anger.

As I plan the day before me, what’s my roadblock, where’s my glory, no one notices, we’re all imploding, while we’re loaded with arms of wisdom and pockets bulging, where’s our grace?

Where’s our faith?

I am called to this story, that was written long before me, it’s in the bones and the marrow of my ancestor miles from here on a plantation, without glory, he had no story but to live each day rising to His Knowing that his breath in its torture would give way to a new day.

I have this power, to show up knowing at this moment to tell a story that was written long before me in the soul of my great-grandmother when she saw my father daily at the mass at Wilde Lake and in her knowing of her role in her story she began the union that would carry the future of a different man, who lost his story in a war that still reflects the limits of this democracy.

His life would bear the story, of a woman he’d never know, who lived her life always knowing of the anger and the divide, who sat attending the Ellicott City Colored School not left for glory, but as a reminder of our story, that was written long before us in the lives we never lived.

These lives are the gifts that fuel me. This is my fight, it’s inside of me, to find the space for us all to be.

To fight for grace, humor, and humility. We need this space to find each other, as we strive to our greatest power.

We can’t go back. We fight for here, now, for every day, to find the other, ask ourselves do we share power or are we giving it away with each slight and offense, with values levied against in protection and defense, we are not united, do allies show up like this?

We must find a new way forward, we are not our feelings, we have great power to the telling of a bigger story that was written long before we were we and you were here with me now... We will not erase or replace or rewrite the legacy that has brought me to be, I will stand here, now, proud, powerful, I’ll bring understanding, can you bring grace?

Let us find room to be imperfect in our design, destined from another time, written before me here.

Stand with me. Look around. Who do you see? What do you see? Who will you be? This is the telling of your story.

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If you’re in town Monday, October 20th, I’d love to share a little bit of my heart and family with you. I’m taking the stage at Ignite Howard County for five minutes—talking about belonging, grace, and the 278 years of family wisdom that fuel everything we do here. From my great-uncle at 98 to my ancestor who lived from enslavement to freedom (1779-1876), these stories remind me why our small, daily choices matter.

Can’t make it Monday? Check out past Ignite Howard County talks on their YouTube channel, and look for mine to be posted soon after the event! There are so many stories from our community that celebrate the wonder, wisdom, and connection that make Howard County home and I’m grateful to be a part of them soon! https://www.youtube.com/@ignitehowardcounty360