"Everyday bring everything all the time"
Maya Angelou
Somewhere within us is the desire to leave a legacy. My 10 year old son is on a constant search for ways to become famous. One idea he contemplated was to jump out of a flying plane without a parachute. His dad explained that with such an act he would be far from famous and not have the chance to listen to what people thought about it. Now he is on a quest to find the one thing that hasn't been invented yet.
The road to greatness is not certain. Some people just know they are great, others stumble upon it, yet others wake up to it when encouraged and others still grow into it through the fortunate or not so fortunate events of life. These events propel them to find the fire in their bellies that shoots them up to the top.
News of
Maya Angelou's death ripped through social media like a wild fire.The Internet was like one big slide show of her photos and quotes, tributes were on every page. Those who had never heard of her quoted her like she was a personal friend. This woman was really great! I wished I had met her in person but the books and poems she wrote tell me almost everything I need to know about her.
I first learned about
Maya while looking for a birthday present for a friend in
Aristoc Booklex on
Kampala road. I came across the book "
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings", intrigued by the title I wanted to know why the caged bird sang. The author a plain African American woman, her simple look endearing. Her story; a black girl who at the age of 7 decided never to speak again after the man who raped her (her mothers boyfriend) was found dead. She blamed herself for his death after she had told her family and found out he had been "taken care of". She knew her words had killed him. In her
mutism she read lots of books and only spoke to her brother. But that is not even half the story, so you know what to do to get the rest. She had me at "
I Know Why ", I was hooked as a young girl myself. Her narration made for enjoyable reading presented in story form even though it was an autobiographic piece. The book I had meant as a birthday gift never left my home.
Many years later I came across audio biographical tapes on her life in the
Dallas Public Library. I listened with diligence to the struggles of a young black single mother trying to forge her way through life. How she struggled with her identity as a black American woman, her relationships with men, with her mother and grandmother. How she moved to Africa and lived in Ghana and Egypt. Her involvement in The Civil rights struggle, The New Africa Movement, The Women's Movement. She was a vocal woman. She was a tough woman. I could only admire her and learn from her courage.
Imagine my excitement when late last year I read of her book signing event at the
Politics and Prose bookstore a few blocks away from my office. I had just read her latest book "
Mom & Me & Mom". An autographed copy would have been a major highlight in my life. Sadly she canceled the trip due to poor health but I clung to the hope that the signed copy I had been promised would be delivered. It didn't happen.
Dr. Maya fascinated me. Her first hand encounters with several historical icons set her apart. She literally lived to tell the tale. She was history in flesh - the
Jajja who was there with Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. Did you know he was shot on her birthday?. When in her deep voice she said "You should know what happened" it was time to drop everything, sit up straight and listen. Her account of events were detailed, engaging and truthful. It's wonderful to know that all this information is available for generations. She orchestrated her conversations to make every word and every moment count. Her intelligence sprayed cool showers of enlightenment on all who listened.
Greatness emerged out of her misfortunes, they shaped her into the phenomenal woman she lived to be.The lists of accolades and awards she received are extensive. The little girl committed to
mutism because she believed her words could kill flipped that around to become one of America's most famous activists, whose words are quoted all around the world. Her voice reached this little girl in Kampala and many other little girls around the world. Now I know why the caged bird sings and hope I too can tweet the message to the next generation.
"The most important virtue is courage, for without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently"
Maya Angelou
"The truth is you must value every year, every era, every condition that you experience. None is more valuable than the other".
Maya Angelou
