Tell your story, or someone with tell it for you!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Tim Allen (Woody from Toy Story) arrested for dealing cocaine, 1978

He was arrested for possession of nearly a pound-and-a-half of cocaine at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International airport in Michigan in 1978. He spent 28 months in a federal prison, as opposed to a life sentence, for giving up the names of other drug offenders. (Warner & Buddemeyer, 2018)

Kim Kardashian’s sex tape made public, 2007

Back in 2002 during a trip to Cabo, Mexico, Kim Kardashian made a sex tape with her then boyfriend Ray J, and it was released to the public five years later when Kim began getting more media attention for being friends with Paris Hilton. (Warner & Buddemeyer, 2018)

Prime Minister Trudeau in Blackface; Not Once, Twice, but Three Times, 2019

The first photo of Justin Trudeau in blackface makeup was released Wednesday, Sept. 18^th. Within hours, more photos surfaced of Trudeau dressed up with a darkened face.

Global News released a video it obtained of Trudeau, again in blackface. It came from an unidentified event, but the Liberal Party confirmed that it was indeed Trudeau in the 1990s. Global reported it obtained the video from a source in the Conservative Party. (CBC News · Posted: Sep 20, 2019 1:48 PM ET

I bring up these examples not to further the gossip, but to make a point. My parents have said something to me that rings true to this very day, “Whatever is done in darkness, must come to light!” I often feel bad for people who have gone on to do better in their lives, and then “WHAM!’ scandal breaks out about something they have done in their past, or something that they are currently doing. We live in a world of judgment, and I am learning that it doesn’t matter how much good you have done in the world, your bad will always be given more light, especially if other people are sharing it.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am imperfect. They can tell you this, not just because I am a human being, and we are all imperfect, it is because I openly, and authentically share who I am. Why you ask? There are a few reasons, which I am going to share with you in this article. My main purpose of sharing is to reach one of my readers, and help them down their path of self-awareness.

The best way to avoid having to excuse your behaviour later is to be as authentic as you are now. This may seem impossible for many because there are sides of you that you know are not desirable in our society. I get it, but you know what, if you are a person who aims to change the world, you have to ensure that you are open about being human. You are flawed, you are imperfect, and for some reason, people love imperfections. It makes me wonder why so much emphasis is put on being this perfect person, when we all know that we love the tragedy, and trauma of someone’s story.

I put a post on social media this week exposing the fact that I had been imprisoned in Panama. The reaction I got was not a surprise, and I appreciate all the responses and support I received. I also observed those who didn’t respond; I could almost feel their judgment, but to be honest with you, I know the people who do not fancy me, and I really don’t care. It takes courage to be exactly who you are. It takes courage to show you imperfections, and wear your personal infirmities on your sleeve. To all the uppity, suit wearing, nose in the air community leaders; with your plastic smiles and personalities, I hope your closet is clean, and if it is not, you better start looking for ways to come to terms with your dirty closet.

“Whatever is done in darkness, will come to light!” No one is exempt.