Hi there,
Ugh! It's over! I know, I know, you don't know what I am talking about. Well this past week I was in a Ms. Haiti pageant on my college campus.I won third place! The actual event was on Thursday night. I have never been so nervous in my life. Being extremely nervous to perform is kind of new to me; I have been performing in front of big audiences since a young age. So why was I so nervous; I DON'T KNOW. My palms were sweaty and my mouth was dry; but once I got through the first question I was good. The pageant was so much fun. It was a beautiful thing to see so many wonderful ladies proudly representing our culture, my Haitian culture.
You know sometimes you are not sure that people are proud of where they come from especially if there are so many negative stereotypes attached to it. But being a part of this pageant has reassured me that your culture and heritage will never leave you. In order to alter the social stigma connected to it you must live it, be it, and continuously represent it with no doubts or hesitations.
It was great to hear so many people shouting and screaming for AYITI, yelling and hollering for the ladies that represented AYITI oh so well. This past Thursday was an enriching experience for me. I would say enriching because I never realized how important it was to be recognized for your country. I was always proud to be a Haitian individual, but it was never more than that. I would love to take it to the next level. I hope that everyone has the chance to represent their culture in some way and some form as I did. It is an experience to remember.
Never hold back the values taught or your drive for creative works. Always stand tall and firm and believe in who you are. One of my favorite quotes is from Terrance Howard and it just happens to fit with what I am talking about: "Presence walks into a room and surrounds and fills anything that’s in that room without trying to demand it, it takes it. It can come from a smile." Be that presence, let it inhabit your body, be the presence that stands strong for its origin. So this post is for everyone; believe in yourself right from the start, believe in your heart, believe in who you are. OMG! I sound like Lena Horne from the movie The Wiz. It is funny but it is also very true. Believe in yourself the whole way through.
Stay Blessed.
We live to create
We live to love
We live to live