Once upon a time there was a little girl who was born in a city where opportunities beyond domestic work or  hard labor were nonexistent for people of color.  The only occupations beside cook and maid were teacher, police officer, receptionist, certified nursing assistant.  This little girl was not interested in any of these occupations.  She wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, or even the president of the United States.  She had parents who listened to her dreams and did all that they could to prepare her should the occupational opportunity present itself.  Needless to say, this young lady was quite the handful for her teachers.  Her exceptional intelligence baffled and even frustrated some who were to be instructing her.  Instead, she was instructing them in the ways of dream building and not dream bashing.  As she grew, her parents exposed her to different places, ideologies, as well as differing cultures.  Having grown up in a city that was racially diverse, she faced an entirely different animal when she moved to a place with cornfields and people who looked nothing like her and only a handful of those who did.  This required her parents to work even harder to teach her of a rich heritage and the importance of empowerment.  No longer around the extended relatives that loved her greatly, she had to make new friends which she did.  This girl always examined the environment before she began to spread her magic of making you believe that everybody is important and should be valued.  This is what she was taught from her very foundations before leaving that city of limited opportunities for people of color.  This young girl  has grown into a tenacious woman who is determined to break glass ceilings, not only for herself but woman of all races and people everywhere.  “People have a voice and they need to be heard.  People have talent and it should be shared.  People want to make a difference and they should have the opportunity.”

“I have an idea that I want to launch and I want you to help me do this.”

“Do what dear? What is the idea?”

“You are always talking about how you want to write.  Here is the opportunity for you to do just that about WHATEVER you want.  It will be a group of people who want to take their writing to the next level.  I will call it The Write Addiction and it will have writers who will take a day of the week and they will be responsible for submitting their piece for publishing on their assigned day.  Do you want to be a part of this?”

“YES!”

“Do you want Friday’s?”

“YES!”

“You have to come up with a catchy name for your day which will be included in the title of your blog each week.”

“Cool.  What about Funkadelic Fridays?”

“Okay.  Let’s do this!”

“Thankyou for thinking of me.”

Give or take a few additions or subtractions, this is basically how the conversation took place between me and Marta five years ago.  It has been a blessing, being a part of this cohort of writers. It has stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of.  I have written stories, poems, editorials, educational pieces, and ramblings that I hope will help others.  Fellow writers have come and gone.  Some have gone on to become published authors with contracts.  Some have stepped out and published their own material.  All of us whether we pursue publishing contracts or not, owe a great deal of gratitude to this tenacious young woman who wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, or even the President of the United States.  Thank you Marta for helping those who did not know where to look, find their voice.  Thank you Marta for the means to share some of our most intimate experiences of loss and gain.  Thank you Marta for realizing that to be blessed, one must bless others.  THANK YOU MARTA!  HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY THE WRITEADDICTION WRITERS GROUP. KEEP THOSE WORDS FLOWING!!!

~~~Lindabelle~~~