When I wrote my piece for Awakening: The Unreal Untold, and Unexpected, an anthology created by The Writing Journey, I didn't expect it to take me where it did. This anthology is filled with stories that surprised even their authors—and that's what makes it special.
Fictional pieces include stories about what happens when mind control fails, portals open, and darker urges emerge. Non-fiction pieces include stories of truths surfacing and the power of self-realization and change.
My piece explores seeing the world through a broader lens than afforded by my upbringing. "What I Didn't Know Then" is a creative non-fiction essay that was a step outside my creative writing zone, as I usually publish fiction. Outside of fiction writing, I have become more committed to contributing to a more just and compassionate world. This process has been evolving over decades.
As I learned more about our country's un-Whitewashed history, I have come to understand the undergirding of the United States of America by White Supremacy, racism, and misogyny. I share my own realizations of how these systems of oppression affected and continue to affect my life and uphold the systems of power that oppress. I was surprised and had to acknowledge just how much intersectional oppression I had internalized and still fight to overcome, especially the misogyny that had for so long silenced me.
I hope you enjoy insight into my journey of growth, how I found my voice, and my drive to live my values and transform our lives.
Mocked by a local Naperville, IL hate group for encouraging voting and holding the American flag in 2018.
Modern suffragists ready to ride; the 100-Year Commemoration of the 19th Amendment in 2020.
Protest sign about living our values: diversity is celebrated; kindness is everything; love is love.
A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr., an inspiration for the courage to speak out.
