Full circle

 Last week, I was the writer in residence at Pasadena City College. To write how amazing it was is something I'm not sure I can do. I was so present that it cannot be captured. I was super busy. Teaching a number of classes a day and doing a public workshop and reading along with a faculty and student lunch as well as writing one on one workshops with students.

It was a dream come true for me to be teaching the community college population that I used to be a part of. You see, these are the students I've written my books for. To give them hope and let them know they can succeed. 

It was the time of my life. One of the best parts was teaching a class of incarcerated impacted students. They were so open and honest and most of all, talented. I cried when some of them spoke. 

My last class really stuck with me. I taught about weaving in the personal and political into one's writing. I read a poem by Cherríe L. Moraga, and thought back to meeting her at Stanford when I had my first story published in a literary journal more than a decade back. She praised me and raised my esteem in a way I will never forget. Never ever.

I knew I'd come full circle in a way. I knew my job was to inspire other young writers and thinkers to do their best to tell their tales. And most of all, now I knew for sure that I could and would.