One Arm. . One Story. . One Life

This past week was a great growth experience for me. I got the opportunity to tell a small portion of a humiliating part of my life --in front of an amazing crowd. It was "storytellers" night so I picked a story that had a lot of humor but told a story of grace and compassion. I received a lot of good feedback. It made me want to sign up for more. It felt comfortable for me to see the smiles on the crowds faces. It's what I absolutely love to do...make people smile! I had a great support system there which made it easier for me.....because I knew they would laugh no matter what....even if I sucked. (Ha)

Kristin texted me the day after and asked "how do you feel about last night since you've had some time to process it"....It feels great, I said. I think I took many people by surprise who didn't know me that night. I walked out on stage modestly dressed, hair and makeup on point (not to toot my own horn...but I did that shit mostly one handed....just sayin'!) and then dropped the bomb about a small portion of my life that seemed so catastrophic at the time but ended up turning into a purposeful calling.

A lady approached me that night after the show and said...."looking at you and how you carried yourself on the stage tonight made me think of how we stereotype people just by physical appearance. I bet you have so many stories to tell about your life, but you carry yourself as an ordinary lady who doesn't have the history you just told --and your language with facial expressions made your story absolutely hilarious.".....I laughed. It is true. If I could wear my history as clothing, it would be a mixture of dingy, worn down, dilapidated, colorful as shit and blinged out from head to mother freakin toe.....with damn good looking pair shoes... just like my life. I've had parts that were difficult some beat me down, but I've gotten back up and shinned that shit. It's not perfect, it never will be but it's exactly where God wants me in my life right now. It reminds me of a quote I was told once:

"If we don't reveal ourselves, others will invent us" ~Dorothy Baldwin Satten

I love who I am. I love who I am becoming day by day. I love the fact that I don't value the opinions of those I don't respect. My mistakes have given me some damn good AND FUNNY stories to tell and I intend on telling them, making people laugh, and help others speak their truth. 

I want to send a special THANKS to these beautiful people for supporting my very first storytelling night at a famous comedy club.. It was a fabulous night!

<3 Chas