My mother once, in one of her spontaneous lectures, told me that in order for me to be a success in my life, on my own terms, I would have to fight harder than those with privilege. I would have to fight twice as hard as a man because I'm a woman. I would have to fight three times as hard as a man of wealth because I came from a poor background. And I would have to fight four times as hard as a white man of wealth because I'm black. It seems like I have forgotten those words all these years, sat here bemoaning my 'luck', being grateful for any little scrap of joy sent my way, creating a world for myself where I'm not happy with what I have or what I've become, but convincing myself this is my lot, and it is enough.
It's not. I'm better than this. I have too many dreams to fulfil, too much responsibility to myself and my family to be average or below. It's time to fight harder. Why the hell have I been so fucking lazy? Argh! Anyway, as the saying goes, "The best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago. The second best time is today."
Thanks Mum, for popping by and reminding me of that.
No comments:
Post a Comment