If Not For Adversity...

When I was young and began to speak
in full sentences, it was clear
my mind functioned on a heightened
level of consciousness. So many
thoughts, ideas, and concepts were
developing and maturing at an
extremely high rate...faster
than my brain could control my muscles
to speak...and so...without notice, in the
excitement of having fully formed
thoughts to express and contribute
to any conversation, I began to stutter.
My family and I worked diligently to
improve my speech impediment.
And now, I'm an educator...having logged
countless hours of public speaking in
undergraduate and graduate classes
and extra curricular activities.

By the time I was 6 years old, my
parents divorced; our family as I knew
it was over. Maybe it was my youth
that enabled me to create certain
realities or distortions of reality over
the years, but as the curtain rose, the
smoke cleared, and the dust settled,
my days and nights over the years
blended together as a dark blur of
time that I have difficulty, as an adult,
to remember vaguely. Ironically, when
giving advice or looking for words to
inspire students, friends, family or loved
ones, I feel a fire of passion that I'm
sure burns from the same place that
helped me through those blurred years.

Upon reflection as an adult, it is safe to
conclude that the dynamics of every
relationship I have ever attempted
have been directly affected by
those years of blurred thoughts and
experiences. To explain this to
a young lady I haven't known for an
extended time was inconceivable, thus
creating a cycle of heartache,
headache and sleep deprivation. As
a man approaching his mid 30's, I
have achieved and received clarity
on many issues that have plagued,
construed and Blessed my life, yet,
I'm wise enough to know that I still
have much to learn.

I consistently make conscious
efforts to maintain and increase a
positive mind frame and a vibrant
beat of hope in my heart. I do this
because this is how I want to live,
so this is how I choose to live. I accept
Adversity as an ally, not an
Adversary. If not for adversity,
how would we learn,
grow and become better?