HIGHLIGHTS, THANK YOU'S AND BIG DREAMS FOR '11

I love to reflect before the new year rolls in and reflect upon milestones that I have experienced.

Highlights include building amazing bridges with various community organizations, planning and leading diversity walks, a 5K and being a coach for Girls on The Run. We were able to make so many kids smile by offering various workshops and outreach programs for young people in Michigan and on the East Coast. We celebrated literacy by launching "Summer Camp Survival" our first chapter book this year! We fought hard to get people to recognize the damage and impact that bullying and destructive behaviors adds not only to the intended victim (s) but the whole community. This year we were recognized by CORP Magazine for our work in Diversity and for the "Who I Am" series. We shared the message of my books at Princeton University and had an amazing speaking engagement at their National Symposium on Race. We celebrated our mission by allowing others to join us as we participated in laptops drives, beautification projects and conferences that celebrate the hope that is amongst us. I met some amazing people who nominated me and allowed me to receive A Yellow Envelope Award (A project based in Texas) which celebrated my work in our local community. If I leave anyone out I am sorry but a special thank you to: Jason Michener-My Hubistrator, Joni Hubred-Golden, Chelsea Rodgers My intern and Marketing Associate/Consultant, Social Media Club Detroit, Tweetea, Black Women in Business Brainstorm, CORP Magazine, PBS: A Wider World, Operation: Kid-Equip, Lighthouse PATH, Salvation Army, Princeton Prize in Race Relations, Detroit Soup, Michigan Diversity Council, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Detroit Church of Christ, Holocaust Museum, Celebrate Michigan, CW50, MYTV20, #BackChannel from WXYZ, Stephen Clark, Alicia Smith, Ann Arbor Book Festival, Workantile, Flourish Florals, Mia Verde, Trinity Life Solutions, Girls on The Run, Biggby Coffee, Bonefish Grill, Borders, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Synergy and so many more that are in my heart even if not in my head at this point. Let's make 2011 amazing! I am so excited to step into new territory, take on new ventures and create content that allows us to grow, be entertained and to make a difference! Thanks for reading and for being a part of WHOIAM! -Read something great!

A guest blog from Torrie Bush...Read something great!

Full Circle

It’s easy to get inspired when you’re taught by the greats. No, I’m not talking about Milton, Shakespeare, or Keats. I’m talking about local heavyweights, Jackson, Hayes, and Waits. Yes, as a student at Southfield-Lathrup High School from 1996-2000, I was taught by literary heavyweights…scholars ahead of their time and their colleagues; scholars who inspired me to teach. So when I got my first teaching job at my old alma mater, you can only imagine the rush of emotions I felt when I found myself among the ranks of those I looked up to. I was told to call them my their first names (I can’t do that, I thought) and I did. Two out three were still there when I returned, and today only one remains.
The “heavyweights” quickly became my mentors and friends. We taught together, shared ideas & frustrations, and honed in on our craft. But what surprised me the most was when they came to me for ideas or help. Me? No really, me? I suppose I had taken for granted the fact that I was a college student during the age of blogs, wikis, and podcasts. To me these were just various forms of technology to get students interested and involved in the lesson, but to my veteran colleagues, these were foreign words. I had something meaningful & awesome to share with the people who had already given me so much. At that moment I felt like we had all come full circle. I was the teacher, and for a few moments during the school year, they were my pupils. They learned from me and I from them.

Something old Something new

When I first got married everyone I talked to stressed to me the importance of preserving my wedding gown. I really never got around to shelling out the extra bucks to have it placed in the wedding dress fountain of youth and here I am almost six years later wondering if it has changed colors and textures in my original wedding bag. I had a talk with a friend at a meeting and he talked about junking a wedding gown. He mentioned that his bride to be was going to have pictures taken of her in her dress having fun. He said that she thought it would be great to have non traditional poses that might ruin the dress but preserve the memories. I thought this was a great idea.
My mind began to think about how I could use my old wedding dress if it was still in tact. I also had a self-esteem check wondering if it still fit properly. Today I tried it on and grabbed my hubistrator and he happily took photos of me around the house being silly and just having fun.
What did I learn from this? I learned that life is meant to smell the roses and enjoy the special moments. That's what we did tonight! This might be a non traditional post for ma and my blog but think about it. My goal is to help others to embrace inner beauty and self-esteem. These pictures include me in no make-up, freshly washed unstyled hair and a big smile. Let's teach our kids to enjoy the little things in life! :)
-Read something great

BE A PART OF THEIR STORY...DECEMBER EDITION!

Readers, I have been so blessed to Lead up the "Be A Part Of Their Story Literacy Project" since 2009. This project started because I was asked by various charitable groups for books, presentations and supplies for their participants. It broke my heart when I realized that I did not have enough capitol to help these groups out in the way that I wanted to so I was inspired to be creative. I developed a model for a project that would help the non-profit groups in Michigan to be able to enjoy the "Who I Am" series and my other books at no cost. I tapped on the shoulders of my business colleagues, held fundraisers, brought in the community and teamed up with other groups to make this possible.
To date we have been able to partner with Little Girls Big Dreams, Operation: Kid Equip, LightHouse Path, Detroit Reality Check, Salvation Army and many other groups to make their dreams come true. I recall being a young girl who's family had to rely on special groups such as these to get by. Lighthouse helped us to be able to have groceries and they even went out of their way to provide funding for an educational goal for me when I was a teen. Salvation Army provided food, and lots of gifts during the holiday season for me and my family.
I can't forget how much these acts of kindness impacted my life and I can't turn my back on the needs out there today. There are so many girls out there who were like me who yearn to live their dreams but they might need to see someone who came from an under served background who is now considered successful to give them extra inspiration. This Saturday I am going back to LightHouse to share my books, story and hope with the girls and we even added a special feature this season by asking Girls in Tech to get involved and to have a laptop drive to share with the parents. Would you like to help? We are still seeking donations it extra special-you can use the button on this page to give back. If you can't help this week-no worries this project is ongoing and the next December distribution will be at Detroit Reality Check on December 18th.
If you have specific questions-please email me at whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com
Read something great!