I’m not going to lie to you, I’m scared as HECK! We’re going to be exhibiting at BookExpo America 2017, Booth 1863. Inside, my stomach is in knots and everyday I’m asking myself…..”WTH did I get me and the team into?!?” This is not the neighborhood book festival, this is HUGE. This is official. This is, this is a freaking Expo in one of the biggest convention centers on the east coast.
Then my dad reminded me of something the other day. He said my great grandmother, who happens to be the inspiration for this machine, was a FEARLESS woman. She feared nothing, no man and no challenge. She could easily look a formidable opponent in the eye and say, “You Come. If you TINK you’s a man, come” (My Caribbean people will know how to interpret those words) Granny, I will channel you today. BookExpo 2017, New York here we come.
All packed up and ready to go. Please Dear Lord, let each box make it safe and sound to the Javits showroom floor!
If you know me, you know that I do NOT like being in front of the camera! I’m much more interested in what happens behind the curtain than what’s in front of it. For instance, when I’m at an event, I am FASCINATED in what it took to pull it off, the planning, the details and the team that put it all together. Then of course, the apparently flawless execution. So when my cousin Kimbra contacted me and asked if I were interested in being interviewed as part of the USVI Ambassadors program, it took me a few hours to even acknowledge that I got her text. She had already contacted Netfa Romain (who happened to be a schoolmate of mine) and he would be in Atlanta the following week and could interview me then. My response in text was, “Oh wow, that would be awesome”. My inside voice said, “WHAT DA?!?!?!? OH CRAP!” (I would show you screen shots of the text string but that would give you too much insight into how neurotic I can be). Don’t get me wrong, being the marketing professional that I am (inserting shameless plug for AKOJA), this made absolute sense. It’s an opportunity to promote the book, help grow WordLick Media and express my pride in my ancestry, background and culture – but that didn’t stop my stomach from being tied in knots. Netfa was great and put me at ease although I did give him a hard time….where was my trailer, the stylist and the glam squad!?
My brother and I are blessed to have known and were able to spend time with both our maternal & paternal grandparents, especially our great grandmother, Rosita Frett. That’s not something that many people get the opportunity to say. Because of proximity, we spent an enormous amount of time with Rosita and her imprint on our lives is monumental. In reflection, the fact that I am of USVI & BVI heritage only intensifies my appreciation for all the pieces of my ancestry that make me who I am today. I am a VERY proud Virgin Islander.
The list of things that I could say thank you for to each of my grandparents would make this a dissertation and not a blog post so I’ll keep it short and say…Here’s to Rosita Frett, Iona Thomas, Alfred Fahie and Alma & Cardinal Wesselhoft. THANK YOU for your DNA, your love and your memories.
To you I say, give your grandparent a call, pay them a visit, hold their hand, listen to their stories, pick their brain, heed their words, appreciate their lessons, share a meal, commit this time to memory and give them a kiss for me.
ine, was a FEARLESS woman. She feared nothing, no man and no challenge. She could easily look a formidable opponent in the eye and say, “You Come. If you TINK you’s a man, come” (My Caribbean people will know how to interpret those words) Granny, I will channel you today. BookExpo 2017, New York here we come.