We raise children and tell them to look around the world. Everything that the light touches could be theirs. What we willfully neglect to tell them is that they’ll never access these lands by being themselves. Imagine a bedtime story from Mom: “And the princess lived the rest of her life worried whether her hair … Continue reading Code Switching: Social Survival or Cultural Suicide
What happens when you reach the next level? Of whatever you’re working on, whatever calls out to the core of your being? What happens when you’ve made it, after “faking” it for a while? What do you see? It always seems like we’re never quite prepared for it. Yes, we’ve visualized it, we’ve worked at … Continue reading New Beginnings, Old Dreams: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
In Haiti, the only seasons we know about are rain and shine. There’s no need to check the weather. If it’s going to rain, your senses alert you. You can smell the earth around you, the giant, menacing clouds chase all the blue out of the sky, and the leaves vibrate, performing a divine rain … Continue reading Find Flow: Lessons of the Seasons
I turned 25 on Sunday. It's a little surreal,to be honest. Just yesterday, I was urging my 18th birthday to come along. There's this eagerness to grow up when you're young. One simply could not wait. Adulthood, independence, respect, all beacons of the path to becoming our own person, free of the hold of the … Continue reading 25 Lessons Learned in 25 Years
The most uncomfortable moments in my life have always expanded my definition of reality and redefined my understanding of my abilities. Getting shaken to the core by my island, then cramped into a US Air Force plane to escape it, alone, at the mercy of pity and love, forward I moved. Then further North, to … Continue reading “But did you die tho?”: The Blessings of Being Uncomfortable
Ki moun ou ye? Kibò w’ soti? Pale m’ de lakay ou. Tout kote m’ pase nan lakou Lafrans, se kesyon sa tout nèg nwa ap poze m’. Lè m’ di America, yo gade m’, epi yo mande m’ anko. “Kibò OU soti wi m’ mande w’? Byenpetèt de lane anvan, si w’ te mande … Continue reading Ayiti ak Vodou: Kiyès Ki Aprann ou Pè Pwòp Tèt ou?
Not many things cause me as much distress as not knowing what comes next. Which is puzzling as my entire life reveals a pattern of these situations where I'm caught in limbo, unsure of what lays ahead. The most wonderful things happen then. After the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti pushed me to finish high school … Continue reading What’s Next?: Detaching from the Quest for Certainty
I wrote this post back in 2014 for a blog that was part of a class. The recent "revelations" of elaborated schemes allowing rich parents to bribe and cheat their children's way into prestigious universities reminded me of it. What are you supposed to do when they don't even need to be half as good … Continue reading Self-Fulfilling Prophecies in the US Education System
I used to have a big complex about driving. I mean, huge. My parents never owned a car. I didn't own my first one until I turned 22 and started my “big girl” job after graduation. Not having a car dominated every aspect of my life. It was the reason why I skipped class, why … Continue reading Letting Go: Controlling the Illusion of Control
When I was four years old, I had an almost inappropriate obsession with Lauryn Hill. At the time, she was singing with The Fugees alongside Wyclef Jean. They had this popular video filmed in Haiti for the song “Yele”. I still remember butchering the lyrics, desperately trying to stay on the beat. I was mesmerized … Continue reading Maternal Shortcomings: An Essay
R.A.J. 