WHAT MEETING MAYA ANGELOU DID FOR ME

A POEM CALLED “You are the apple of God’s eye” WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY PARENTS. THIS POEM IS BY A UNKNOWN AUTHOR.

When I went to Clarion University Of Pennsylvania  almost 24 years ago, something really big and incredible  happened other than graduation. It was a highlight in my college life and lifetime I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Maybe because it was encouraging to meet someone famous that was not only minority but she was black and really had to work at what she got. I was encouraged by this and it made me want to pursue my dreams and not be a quitter. The woman’s name was none other than Maya Angelou.

Meeting Maya Angelou was not only inspiring but exciting too. Before meeting Maya Angelou, I was determined to reach my goals but after meeting Maya Angelou and hearing her story, I was even more determined. Also, it was nice to hear that you weren’t alone and that other people had either the same concerns or similar concerns.

After meeting Maya Angelou, I went through a phase of writing poems. I even had some of them published in a book with other people’s poems from the college.

I would like to tell you a little bit about Maya Angelou and if you read below, you will see a brief synopsis of who Maya Angelou is and what she has done.

Maya Angelou was an “American Poet, memoirist and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.”

Maya Angelou had several poems and quotes. I’ve read some of the quotes and they’re quite good. Some of her quotes are quite encouraging.

In my opinion, when you smile you encourage someone and that will not only help them but also help you. A smile goes a long way in encouraging someone and lifting someone’s spirits. Not to mention, a smile is contagious so it will help you and help the people who are around you. So Smile.

There are many links you can go to on Maya Angelou and I am only going to list a few and they are: Maya Angelou(Wikipedia), Maya Angelou(Official Site), Maya Angelou(Biography) and Maya Angelou(Bing Search). Also, some links for Maya Angelou’s poetry are: Maya Angelou Poetry Links and Maya Angelou Poetry Links-Wikipedia. I think you will find these links interesting and informative.

Meeting Maya Angelou encouraged me to continue to be determined, ambitious, not be a quitter and to pursue my dreams when people tell me I can’t do something.

I encourage everyone to continue to be determined, to be ambitious, not to be a quitter and to pursue your dreams and not quit when things get rough. Remember, it’s just a stepping stone and teaching tool when things get rough and there will be times it will get rough.

When things get rough and you need a friend to talk to, try talking to your cat and if you don’t have a cat talk to your pet. It might sound crazy but it helps and they don’t talk back. Also, if you don’t have a pet to talk to, talking to a stuffed animal helps too. So pick yourself up and continue doing what you’re doing. You’ll eventually finish what  you started. I know I did and I eventually reached some of my goals.

I could say meeting Maya Angelou was a dream come true but the truth is, my only dreams and goals at the time was graduating from college. Meeting Maya Angelou was just a way to make me more determined to reach my goals what ever they may be.

I  think a good way to end this post  is with some Maya Angelou quotes. Below are some quotes by Maya Angelou and they are:

1. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
2. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
3. “If you have only one smile today in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be grumpy at home, then go out in the street and start “Good Morning” at total strangers.”
4. “A SMILE IS THE PRETTIEST THING YOU CAN WEAR”

If you think about the above quotes, they all ring true one way or another. Also if you think you’re having a bad day, there is probably someone out there who is having a worse day than you. So stop having pity parties for yourself and stop moping around because there will always be someone having a worse day than you.

I’m not saying you can’t have a good cry when something doesn’t turn out the way you had planned,  a good rant when you get angry and even vent when you have things bottled up inside you. Actually, sometimes it ‘s good to talk or vent because once you do, you will feel so much better.

I have previously  put some links in this post that you can go to read about Maya Angelou and below are two more Maya Angelou links.  Here are the other two links for Maya Angelou quotes and they are: Maya Angelou Quotes and Maya Angelou Encouraging Quotes.

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