At 40, You Stick With Your First Love

As I mention in my bio, I'm always going to be a journalist. It was what I wanted to do when I first met Dominic Kalipersad, a Trinidadian anchorman, who came to visit my elementary school, Arima Girls RC, sometime in the early 1980s or so. I remember being very impressed by him, and wanting to be him.

So, pretty much, all the subjects I chose in high school for the fourth and fifth forms were related to my future journalism career. At 15, I even told the counsellor that's what I was going to do and he said, good subject choices--especially typing, Spanish and of course, History. Unfortunately, my high school, North Eastern College, didn't really have a working magazine or newspaper that I could cut my teeth on. However, I remember being part of a group that was trying to start one. I do remember the naysayers in my high school who said I won't be journalist, that I'll just work for the BOMB, Trinidad's version of National Enquirer. No credibility. Good thing I didn't look back.

At the University of the West Indies, too, I got heavily involved in any publishing and printing I could volunteer for. We didn't have weekly or monthly newspapers but we did get involved in newsletters and zines, etc. It was a good learning experience.

My first gig in journalism was with Black Diaspora Magazine in NY. I stayed there about five years, during which I earned my master's in journalism from Columbia University in 2000. At Black Diaspora, I started as an associate editor, moved to managing editor then executive editor within five years. Talk about fast. But it was a solid experience as I didn't only have to write stories, but I directed the flow of stories through the magazine each month; I managed the freelance writers and photographers; I worked with the art direcotr in closing each issue per month; worked on covers; themes; photos. It was a fruit to nuts operation. And the publisher, Mr. John-Sandy always told me I was ahead of the curve with my sponge-like mind; and that not many people could work through an entire publication from start to finish. I took it as a compliment. One of the best parts of working BD was the press junkets off to Hollywood to meet Blair Underwood, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Ice Cube and of course, Quentin Tarrantino, Sam Jackson (I got a story about that one), and more. I enjoyed the travel writing in countries like Aruba, St. Martin/Maarten, Tobago, Jamaica, St. Lucia. But I wanted more. I started out the same time with my girl Deborah Gregory, who was writing for Essence, I believe. We were all kind of starving artists, but now she's the author of Cheetah Girls, my daughter's all time fav. Big ups to my NY sister. You done good, girl. I also met P-Diddy when he was still Puffy. And my girl, Mariah Carey, who admitted her name is Mariah Nunez, in the most Latino sounding voice I've ever heard. She picked a couple of us journalists to come and eat some pasta that she cooked. My girl could hook it up.

It was a good place to cut my teeth, so to speak. It was a good way to spend my 20s; I got mad memories of it all, kind of tucked away though. Soon after that, I headed to Washington, D.C., to be a reporter with the Washington Afro American in June 2001. By December, I was the editor. Sigh. I was really enjoying the reporting in the community, pen in mouth, notebook in hand, prodding and probing, hitting my deadlines. Again, I was put back in a newsroom to do closing of issues. It was good that I made relationships with the folks at Channel 9 as I had to there every other Thursday to talk about that week's Afro. Big ups to Andrea Roane and Mike Buchanan. Of course, I met Bruce Johnson, Janet Terry, Ms. Drummond and a whole bunch others. I still feel a major part of your family, even though I'm in a whole other direction. But you're still the best in my eyes.

Wanting to be a serious political reporter, I accepted the American Political Science Association Fellowship (APSA) on the Hill. It gave Dick Cheney, Joan Claybrooke and a couple of others their starts. I worked in Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott's office, where I met Larry Dillard who opened my eyes to the "dark side" of public relations, more specifically government public relations. I learned about the press release and media relations from him. Plus, I was able to combine how PR people treated me as a journalist, and was able to combine that with what I do, and then some.

Between then, and now, I've worked as a PR person for a Councilmember, a mayoral candidate; as an editor for a contractor that had a government contract; freelance editor and writer; and public relations and communications professional. And of course, I have my own business, Invisible Colours LLC.

Now, I'm a public information officer for a District of Columbia government agency and I'm able to take all those experiences and pile them into one. But I haven't given up writing. I still freelance for East of the River newspaper. The above link is my latest story.

Fierce, Fabulous and Forty

It's a funny thing about turning 40. It's as if there's some secret club or organization that women who turn 40 and who know your age, greet you a little differently. Just this morning, I got a greeting by another just-turned-40 woman, "welcome to the club." I've never been greeted like that as a 30-year-old. It's almost as if there's a premise, that you don't truly grow up until you're 40. Hmm, that's interesting. I always thought you never really knew yourself until you're 26. And self-discovery is the path to self-fulfillment, growth and of course, maturity. So, I guess, I truly wasn't matured until this past June 16 when I hit the big 4-0. Ha Ha. That's really funny, if it is so.

But so far, I've become more reflective. I've found myself to be discontented with certain areas in my life, and contemplating how to change some of them. I don't want to be stuck on stupid for not moving forward or back. But at the same time, you're always concerned about making changes, and their consequences, good or bad. I think it's good to think life through, with all its nuances and quirkiness. I'll take the good, bad and ugly and work through it all with God's guidance of course.

Today, was my daughter, Taleyah's first day of school. My big girl's in second grade. It was really great seeing the other parents. We were all there, walking our little munchkins to class. One mom told me, "I'll probably be doing this until he's in college." Dakota doesn't start Maury until this Thursday. DCPS wanted to ease the preschoolers in, a little at a time. So, that should be fun this Thursday as well.

This is the first time, too, that we didn't have to drop Nicholas off to school for the first day as he's already in college. Classes started since Aug. 18. I felt a little tinge there. My big boy's now a man.