My Awkward Self...

Have you ever heard a song, smelled a scent or saw something that triggered a memory so vivid it brought you back to that exact moment in your life? I know, it can be good or bad but my hopes are the great moments overshadow the bad ones. Writing this week’s blog has set off a change reaction in my mind and to be honest I’m having a hard time focusing with the flood of memories rushing in. I want to share funny, interesting and maybe even odd

things about me to help you get to know me better. I’ve shared about my family, I’ve even shared about my children (well one of them) and now it’s time for me to share some of my story.

I grew up in New Orleans and I was a very “active” child. I’ve learned when people say you have an “active” child with an “active imagination” in the south it’s not meant as a compliment (much like “bless her heart”). I was also the mixed kid that was constantly asked if I was adopted. It got to the point kids at school would just tell me that I was probably adopted but my mom didn’t want to tell me yet. Of course, looking back at that I think its funny but I literally asked my mom to get us spray painted shirts (remember those) that said, “She’s not adopted. I am her real mom! Yes, white women can have black children.” Nevertheless, I grew up and eventually we moved in with my grandmother (BB). I begged my mom to let me go to the local middle/high school because that’s where my brother and sister had graduated and I wanted to graduate from there also. That was when my “black experience” began. Julie became an uncommon name (I was literally the only Julie). This school was full of RuKisha’s and Shondrecca’s and I was home. In the beginning of my sophomore year I started a program called Upward Bound. It was on a college campus and we spend nearly every Saturday there taking classes to prepare us for college. In the summer we spent about 6 weeks living on campus. This program was amazing. I made friends from high schools all over the city and I have some of my wildest memories. The summer of my senior year my roommate and I didn’t know each other very well but we soon became the best of friends. Have you ever had a friend that brings out the most courageous side of you? This was what my roommate became for me. To this day when she and I get together we have the best time ever. That particular summer was where it all began. Allow me to set the tone for you: it’s 2001, open mics are the thing to do, neo soul is the sound to be heard, warm nights (hot as hell nights… it’s NOLA) are at an all time high and a bunch of high school kids with raging hormones spend hours on end together. Every Thursday or Friday night the program would have an open mic night to give us something to do. My roommate and I decided we were going to sign up. All week we are making a mixed tape cause we were about to set it off. We mashed up 2 songs: Destiny’s Child, “I don’t think you ready” and Missy Elliott, “One minute man.” Now, before I tell you what we did let me explain this is New Orleans and we were really stupid kids. We practiced our routine, we created our costumes and we were ready. It was finally our turn. We wrapped these zebra towels around us and went to the front of the room. The music came on and we started dancing in the most foolish of fashions. Destiny’s Child came on first and when the snippet ended we throw those towels off and had our bathing suits on underneath and started clowning to One Minute Man. The panic and sheer fear that set in as our counselors realized what was happening was priceless. Needless to say there were no more open mic nights the rest of the summer but we made sure it went out with a bang! I will never forget that memory! Even with all the new and amazing memories I’ve made, that was a moment in my life where I didn’t care what anyone around me thought and I had a blast. Now, of course as an adult I look back and think that was very childish and risky. However, life is made up of moments that either causes you to look back and say I wish I had or that was a remarkable adventure. We all need a friend that grabs our hand and jumps out of the plane with us (ironically my friend in this story packs parachutes). Life is too short to not live it to your fullest potential. I’m not saying to go out of control or be foolish and make poor decisions. I am saying take the leap of faith and trust that God will make sure your gifts makes room for you. Be BOLD this week, challenge yourself to step out of your box and step into the dream you’ve been putting on hold. What do you have to lose?

With love

-Juls