By the time you are reading this article I will be in full-celebratory mode. You see it has been 20 years, December 10, 1999, to be exact, when I was nudged into my calling – to be a free man – who would utilize my gifts and skills learned the prior 20 years working for various homecare service agencies. So, if you will, allow me to share part of my journey with you, in hopes that someone else might start preparing for your eventual Liberation Day.
From November 5, 1980 until that fateful December day in 1999, I had been employed as a Staffing Coordinator, Office Manager and eventually Regional Director for two homecare agencies, gaining skills and knowledge that would benefit me along my current pathway. Those early days and years I had to learn how to communicate on the telephone, resolve disputes and misunderstandings between various parties, and acknowledge that some things that I wanted to do only come in God’s time.
I had to learn the importance of networking, marketing, accounts receivables and payables, banking and finance. All of this working full time and taking management classes in the evening at a local community college. I was focused on improving myself and believing, for the first time in years, that great things were opening up for me.
I faced a multitude of challenges with respect to addressing racism from people who needed our company to provide care to their loved ones…you know, that old “don’t send us any colored girls” expression. One of the clients even had to apologize to me, after his wife was given the “best care ever” until her death, by our best Nursing Assistant, who just happened to be a Black Woman. That was a small, but important, victory and lesson for me. Never let someone else’s ignorance cloud my ability to be my best self.
Over the past 20 years I have had clients who had challenges that could have made me upset and lash out, and that would only bring me down to their level of incivility. How many times each day/week are you faced with having to count to 10, because of something that was said to you in anger? How many clients can you afford to lose because you were not able to see past this present moment? We usually find out later that the person had some other issues going on that had nothing to do with me/you/us which caused them to be less-than-perfect with us. And often they apologize for their behavior.
Many businesses have not stood this test of time. Colleagues I have known, many I have collaborated with on projects over that time are working for someone else. Some no longer even creating video content.
It has been quite a journey. And I hope to still be here another decade to guide younger people in developing their skills while preparing for a next-level launch into their God-given gifts that will serve and benefit our communities.
I am ever grateful to The Creator/Most high God for blessing me to still be here; healthy, curious, engaged with community, and above all FREE. Twenty years and counting….
Peace.
The Traveler Weekly 