Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era, my parents were uneducated, hard workers with good common sense. Neither advanced beyond elementary school, but they had hope for a better life for us. They knew how to work and survive during hard times. My mother quit school after the third grade because her mother died when she was eight years old. She had to take care of her younger siblings. She talked about the difficulties she experienced, especially being a child herself.
Alcohol was first in life for my father. It was ahead of family needs. Alcohol seemed to remove him from his state of oppression. He went to church only on special occasions because he believed more emphasis was placed on taking care of the pastor than worshiping God.
Our parents drilled into us how we were to behave when out from under their care. They knew they had to prepare us for what we may be faced with daily in that era. My father emphasized avoiding trouble and keeping away from troublemakers. He spoke this more to my brothers than me and my sisters. He didn't talk much, but; we knew he felt responsible for anything that happened in our family.
Helping each other was a way of life. No one looked to the government for help when things got tough. Material things weren't an issue because we didn't hold any. Our values were within the family. We gain strength and support from each other. I am not ashamed of the way I was raised. I don't hold any hate toward anyone for the things we didn't have or places we weren't allowed to go. I take it all as a learning experience because it helped shape my life and make me the person I am today. It also gave me strength and confidence in facing the important issues of today.
We were faced with many challenges growing up. It strengthened us and made us proud to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Often, I dreamed and wondered what the rest of the world was like and how different it was from the small city where we lived. We hadn't traveled far from home. Royston, Georgia, My Mother's hometown, is about seventy miles from where we lived.
My imagination would run wild seeing people, places, and things. I was consumed by my hopes and dreams. Years after my hopes and dreams had subsided, the unthinkable happened. An opportunity for travel. "How cool is that?" We lived in China, Nigeria, Canada, France, England, Northern Ireland, and visited many other parts of the world.
I have talked about the many difficulties we have experienced, but we evolved and benefitted to get where we are today. We didn't mind working to have something. We didn't expect something for nothing. My father would say, "Beware of someone willing to give you something for anything, nothing is free. It will cost you something." Individual struggles have been a part of our lives since the beginning of time. They should not cause us to take life or destroy anyone's property. Evil and hate cause destruction.
We've come a long way and still have a way to go. Our past helps plan better for the future. It would help us all to try and show more love and respect for each other and do what we can to make our world a better place to live.
You will get a glimpse of our living experiences in China and Nigeria.
