What have we learned in 20 years?

So, here we are... twenty years older than we were then. Some aging gracefully, or not at all. Rounder or leaner, better, though in some ways worse, than we were at 17, 18, 19. But, however we reason our lives in our own minds, we are unmistakeably different. The person you thought you were then has become a different you, now. You are seasoned, journeying into places and spaces that you never could have imagined 20 years ago.

I implore you to remember that as you gather yourself and your memories. To also remember that the people you loved and hated, those that you hung with or tormented on a daily basis have also had life experiences that have created new people. People worth meeting again. People who might inspire new friendships. Relationships that can be dusted off and made new again.

It wasn't until the years after high school, somewhere inside college, that I realized my years at Tech were some of the most painful of my life. So, in preparation for this coming together again, I write this from my own space of vulnerability, insecurity and wonder... About what memories I hold and what memories other people have of me. Things I will not remember, by chance or choice. I wonder who I might have been then and, in some ways, how I have changed, for the good and the bad. I think about where I should have been less judgemental, more merciful. I wish I had forgiven/been forgiven for for things that no longer hold my attention. I can't control any of that. So, instead, I will reintroduce myself... now... So here goes...

Hi. I'm Shia Shabazz. Today, I'm a 37-year-old, divorced mother of two of the most beautiful, brilliant children you'll ever meet. I'm a professional writer living in Austin, Texas, hoping someday soon to call the Bay home again. I also hustle a freelance graphic design gig every now and again. (Creating art is a high for me.) What I've learned so far is that engaging the world and inspiring change in it (through art) can be a brilliantly daunting task, but it is always an amazing experience. What I've learned from my pain, growing up, makes me a more sensitive parent (I think), a kinder person to myself, a more loving friend and, hopefully, a more purposeful human being.

So tell me... Who are you now? What have you learned?