Jan. 30, 2025 Gratitude: Back where it all began

It’s crazy to think the decline started almost a decade ago. The night I got my DUI… in my own damn driveway. Because my stupid (and drunk) self decided to be a little too honest. Instead of walking inside like any other person under God’s blue sky, I did what only I would do.

That should’ve been my wake-up call. But it wasn’t.

Life kept throwing punches, and I kept taking them. Years later, I found myself facing a felony charge, realizing life had just taken a very hard left—straight into the same tree I would've hit back then if not for the love of angels along the way.

These days, when I see the weight deputies carry from working fatal crashes, I can’t help but be grateful for that DUI. Because I’m not one of them. My son is not one of them.

That deputy? Just one of the many angels who have stepped in to redirect my path.

One would think that would've been rock bottom. But it wasn't.

Today, I find myself grateful for all of it. If none of it had happened, I wouldn’t be sitting here, looking at the same crossroads I was staring down 10 years ago.

Do I stick to societal norms and take the 'safe' route—the road that leads to pouring too much love and energy into something that doesn’t actually make me happy? And why should I? Why should I accept the bare minimum?

The truth is, I’ve allowed it. So who am I really mad at? No one but my damn self. And that’s the point. It took an entity I invested so much love and energy into to turn around and discard me like I was worthless for me to finally put my foot down. Enough. It’s my turn to get the birthday cake.

And today, that reality finally sank in. My jewelry—my art—is sitting on the shelf of the cutest bookstore in downtown Macon, GA: Bear’s Books. But how? How did we even get here?

I asked my son this question a couple of months ago. His response?

"A whole lot of trouble."

He wasn’t wrong. It has been a whole lot of trouble. But love has carried us through it, and we are finally on the other side. And y’all—it is beautiful.

I sit here laughing to myself because I couldn’t make these stories up if I tried. And somehow, all the dots connect because of love.

That’s my purpose. That’s why Boldly Authentic Arts exists. I knew I had to put something out into the world. I just didn’t know what. Or how. But the gratitude I have for the people who loved me when I felt completely alone—I have to give that love back. Not just to those who carried me, but to others who have found themselves taking a hard left in life.

Call it coincidence if you want, but I think the timing is just about perfect. I finally understand what a friend was trying to tell me: Don’t waste energy on the bullshit. Focus on now. The real bullshit? That’ll sort itself out eventually. But the things worth fighting for? That’s where your energy belongs. You don’t dwell. You do the things. And what will be, will be.

So here I am. Still not entirely sure where I’ll end up or what forms Boldly Authentic Arts will take. What I do know? I’m done putting my energy where it’s not valued. It makes no difference in what truly matters to me—my community. My people. That’s who matters. Not some mean-girl, corporate-puppet middle manager. Why waste my time?

Because the fruit is so much sweeter when the passion you pour into your own happiness finally bears fruit. It could’ve only been $1. But it felt like a million bucks.

I kept saying I needed to find a home for my art. But I never said this to the man who sent me to the bookstore. Somehow, he just knew where that home was. And there’s no better place. Just a couple doors down from H&H, right next to The Rabbit Hole.

For me—and my art—it’s the perfect home.

Margaret, thank you so much for the opportunity.

Ricardo, thank you so much for knowing exactly where my art belonged.

And Macon—thank you for just being Macon. When you're rooted here you know it's the love of the city that keeps us strong. It's because of love that this city has persevered.

Boldly Authentic Arts. A Macon Institution built out of Macon love...... has a nice ring to it.

Photo courtesy of Bear's Books in Macon GA