She Writes
Bio
I was born to write! I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. My children are my motivators. I have a passion for informing and inspiring others to be their best self! The women that inspire me are powerful beyond measures.đź’•đź’•
Stories (6)
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Public Housing
I often joke describing my Instagram posts as, “projects chronicles shenanigans.” Of course, this is nothing to joke about, but just my way of bringing some levity to real life for many of us who live at the lower spectrum of society. And those Instagram stories are just my experiences. Within the yellow walls, red doors, brown tiles, and long hallways exist today's public housing. All of them look the same, nothing special sets them apart. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Inside many, you will hear all the same sounds of children crying and playing; adults yelling, laughing, fighting and sometimes even partying. According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD) "Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. In fact, if you were lucky enough to have been selected from the many awaiting their turn, public housing used to be the Utopia of the low-income family who couldn't afford “the house with the white picket fences” or to live in better affluent neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, for the progenies (like myself) who grew up within the walls of public housing as it is widely known, but nicknamed, “the projects,” it is the place where you couldn't wait to move away. The place when you left, it was like being granted parole for good behavior or before you got scarred for life. It's the place once you left, you never wanted to come back, not even for a visit. Growing up, I had come to know public housing as a cautionary tale. By the time my family moved to public housing in the 80’s, it was already well on its way to becoming known as the place where, you never wanted to be caught out after a certain time or in a particular neighborhood. At the time, my neighborhood especially was riddled with the current crack and cocaine epidemic, and rampant prostitution. By the time I was thirteen, I quickly realized that public housing was no Utopia. It was the first time I heard the term “ghetto,” a part of the city that is a slum, impoverished, destitute and occupied by a minority group or groups.
By She Writes7 years ago in The Swamp
What's in a Ring?
If you are a follower of my writings, then you know I write a lot about relationships. Six years ago, I met this man, and in the beginning of our relationship I wrote a piece titled, "Keeping Mr. Right." At that time, havingbeen single for so long, I had developed a plethora of unrealistic ideals of the perfect man. Soon after I met this man, I was faced with the very real possibility of self-sabotage. As a result, I was forced to reassess the ideal man I had created in my mind and the very real man I was falling for. So, as you can imagine, I had a real conundrum. Fast forward to now, and I can tell you a lot has changed since then; for one thing, I married that man. We all know at some pivotal stage in a romantic relationship, if we are truly committed, the question of is she or is she not the one will eventually come up. Which brings me to my question: what's in a ring? My answer: everything! And here's why.
By She Writes7 years ago in Humans
What's the Deal with Open Marriage?
Last weekend, while surfing through Netflix I came across a documentary calledExplained, a new weekly docuseries launched by Vox to explain, hence the name, many things that leave us scratching our heads. The episode I watched was about monogamy and non-monogamous relationships. Right away, my interest was piqued. I was immediately struck by one expert commenter who said, “Monogamy is of a made-up construct, a way to enforce gender roles and social order.” Watching the documentary, I thought to myself, if that is true, then the same assertion could be made about non-monogamous relationships. Likewise, it could also be said that non-monogamous is of a made up construct design to disrupt (rather than enforce) gender roles and social order. Before I even had the chance to fully digest this thought, I was struck by another expert commenter who said, “Monogamy is not natural, it's a choice.” What?! My mouth literally hit the floor.
By She Writes7 years ago in Humans
My Worst Date
Growing up I wanted three things in life: get married, have lots of kids, and fight against injustice. But there I was, barely thirty, divorced, and a single parent working from paycheck to paycheck. I am not going to lie, it was a real struggle trying to raise two kids on my own, so love was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn't want it, I didn't need it, and I certainly didn't anticipate it. Above all, after barely making it out of a toxic relationship, I didn't feel I was in the mental space and emotionally capable of entering into a new relationship. Despite that, I still felt very lonely at times and on occasions gave my telephone number out to potential suitors.
By She Writes8 years ago in Humans
Dear Mr. President
You don't know me, so let me introduce myself. My name is Kency and I am originally from Au cap, Haiti. I am proud to be the second generation of my family to obtain citizenship to become part of this great country. According to the US Census, in 2009, it was estimated that 830,000 Haitian Americans live in the U.S. When my parents first came to the United States, they believed this country held the key to a better life for them and their children. Like my parents, many Haitians who come here and continue to come are in pursuit of a better life, economic freedom, and freedom to strive for happiness. The same freedom you seem to be taking advantage of to spread your racism.
By She Writes8 years ago in The Swamp
For Better or Worse
I was eighteen, pregnant, and nervous about telling my boyfriend that I was pregnant. I did not understand how having painful sex could result in a baby. But I knew from sex ed that just because the sex was painful and unenjoyable, that didn't necessarily mean I couldn't get pregnant. It didn't take long for my boyfriend to notice that I was unusually quiet. So after a little probing, I finally told him. He did not appear to be surprised. In fact, he seemed happy at the news, like he had planned it.
By She Writes8 years ago in Humans
