THANK GOD FOR MY MOTHER AND FATHER...

AND THE FAMILY THAT I CHOSE TO BE A PART OF WITHOUT KNOWING WHY AT THE TIME EXCEPT THAT IT WAS VISCERAL...NOW IT'S MUCH MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE OF THE MANY EXPERIENCES WE SHARED TOGETHER CREATING TEARS OF LAUGHTER AND JOYFUL PAIN...FAMILY IS SO VERY IMPORTANT AS YOU KNOW...AND THIS RECENT OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE HAS DEMONSTRATED TO ME, PERSONALLY, THAT TRULY WE ARE ALL FAMILY AND WE ARE ENTERING OUR NEW HOME, TOGETHER. I RESISTED THIS NOTION BECAUSE I AM A VERY PRIVATE PERSON OUT OF FEAR, THE FEAR OF EXPOSURE THAT I MAY NOT BE AS TRUE TO MYSELF AS I SHOULD BE, IN ORDER TO ENHANCE MY GROWTH AS AN ARTIST AND A HUMAN BEING... I SEE HOW LABELS CAN CERTAINLY GET IN THE WAY...MY PARENTS FOR INSTANCE, THOUGH AT TIMES MY MOTHER'S CHARACTER WOULD DISAPPEAR AND WE ARE TWO WOMEN TOGETHER, FRIENDS, SHARING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND OF COURSE, SHE BECOMES MY SISTER...AND FATHER BECOMING MY BROTHER WHEN HE HAD PURCHASED A NEW HAT AND HE GAVE ME THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ITS CRITIC...AND MY BROTHER AS MY ADVOCATE FIGHTING FOR ME TO BE THE ONLY GIRL ALLOWED ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD BASEBALL TEAM... TRY THROWING AWAY THE LABELS WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE AMAZING RESULTS...IT'S SIMILAR TO THE WAY ACTRESSES AND ACTORS ARE PIGEON HOLED LET'S GO WITHOUT BARRIERS FOR AWHILE AND SEE HOW THIS WORKS FOR A CHANGE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. (C)COPYRIGHTED BY GWENDOLYN MITCHELL ON FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 AT 2:26PM AT THE COUNTY WEST HOLLYWOOD LIBRARY, CA 90069