BY: SIMONE JENNIFER SMITH
I have always had very fond memories of my time living in Windsor and Detroit. My 20’s were filled with experimentation, both good and bad. I was exposed to a different type of life, just because I choose to leave my comfort zone and venture off into new territories. When people think of Detroit, there is an undertone of fear because of all that is heard about the city. Windsor, to most, is just another border town, riddled with strip clubs, prostitution and complaisant locals who are able to live day by day without much care.
While everyone was partying in Toronto, I was making my way over the border, getting myself in all types of trouble; from wild parties to bartending in sexy lingerie, Detroit became a haven to me. It was this forbidden place filled with wonder that aided me during some very difficult times. It also cost me a lot; I made bad decisions because I choose to hang out with the wrong type of people. The two cities hold a special place in my heart, and for some reason, I have remained drawn to this quaint town, where it takes ten minutes to go anywhere, and where you have the opportunity to sit on the riverside and stare into another country. You can quite literally see events, parties, and celebrations happening on the other side of the Detroit River.
One of my fondest memories about Windsor and Detroit was having access to their radio programs. I fell in love with The Steve Harvey Radio Show in 2006/2007. For those who don’t know, it still comes on at 6:00 am on 93.7 WBLK, a Buffalo station that we are able to tune into. I remember setting my alarm clock on purpose so that I would be up in time to listen to Steve Harvey’s words of encouragement in the morning. When I first started doing this, I was in my late 20’s, and I was just starting to discover my spirituality and the true meaning of my life. Steve would come on each morning and lay life out in a practical manner, allowing me to really take a look at how I was living my life. When I moved back to Toronto in 2009, I was actually sad because I felt like I had lost a piece of my morning routine. It is a routine that I have managed to restart, and I want to write briefly today about the act of setting great routines.
This morning Steve Harvey brought up the fact that the most important piece of information on your tombstone is not the day you were born or the day you die. The most important piece of information is actually the dash that comes between the two dates.
Simone Jennifer Smith, Born June 26, 1979 –
This dash is what I am currently working on, and it is this dash that is filled with many routines that we could do without.
When you think Legacy, you have to think of this dash. That dash is filled with all of the silly mistakes I have made, the hurt that I have caused, the good that I have done, and am going to do (God spare my life). The dash is also filled with habits that do not serve me; demons that continue to rear their ugly heads. It is filled with laughter, holidays, adventures, vacations, trips, educational experiences, friendships, relationships, and the list goes on. Through all of this, I have to remember that my dash has not closed yet, so there is still a chance of changing the things that I do not care for in my life. I want my readers to focus on the routines that you have created in your life. While you are thinking about them, think about how they will add to that dash on your gravestone. What type of Legacy are you leaving behind for your family, for your community? What will people remember you for?
Insert Name, Insert Date of Birth, ————– Death Date.
Work on creating memories to fill that dash!
