Writers Against Racism: DAIS – “Learning The Language of Power”

Dear readers, your support and kind words are tremendously appreciated. Thank you for the e-mails, blog comments and Facebook posts. 

 TRUTH: The first leg of this journey feels like I have been catapulted into the same world from a different entry point.  It’s dramatically different.

"I still feel like me and that's all I can feel." Monday, May 16, 2011

TRUTH:  My recent breast cancer diagnosis began as an emotional roller coaster with my thoughts jumping into the future - back to the past – and then here to the present. This post is all over the place because that was cancer does to you, once you’ve been diagnosed.

For example, now when I receive a prayer card in the mail (from my mother’s friend), or a phone call from my sister (in the early part of the morning – when she never called me before), my eyebrow quickly raises.  These are sweet gestures that I am trying very hard to accept with grace, but inside I keep saying, “I AM STILL THE SAME ME! I DIDN’T GO ANYWHERE!”

Also, I remember as a little girl playing hide-and-go-seek  in my house with my brothers (Remember that game?). Well one day I found the perfect hiding place – our tiny storage closet - big mistake. My little brothers were smarter than me and locked me inside. I screamed and banged until they let me out. Hence I have had HORRIBLE  claustrophobia ever since!  I mention this because tomorrow I have a PET and bone scan scheduled, and on Wednesday, a closed MRI. YIKES, is all I can say.  And no, I am NOT taking pictures of this scene. *smile*

On a separate note…

This past Saturday I spent the day with almost 400 students at the Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students (DAIS) 12th Annual Multicultural Student Leadership Conference.  The theme – Learning The Language of Power - with session topics including:  The Freaks Come Out At Night, Born This Way, Look Mommy – They’re Different Colors, The Minority Table.  It’s important to note that these topics were student generated and student led.  It was wonderful to see so many high school students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, interacting and sharing their stories. Joan and Ken Marable deserve high praise, as they are the dedicated organizers of this yearly event.

E-mail me: abowllan@mediasourceinc.com

Follow me on Twitter: @abowllan

Find me on Facebook!