But it is the fear, not the writing that defeats me. Everything is not a masterpiece.

Putting words on paper regularly is part of the necessary discipline of writing. A journal is a great way to do that.

I've never been to Paris. I don't like to fly!

Sometimes you meet yourself on the road before you have a chance to learn the appropriate greeting. Faced with your own possibilities, the hard part is knowing a speech is not required. All you have to say is yes.

It is a dangerous time to be a black woman in America. It’s a time when we are not safe in the streets or at home or at school or at work and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. Nobody. Not us. Not our mommas. Not the police. Not the people we elected to look out for our interests. Nobody. We’re just out here. (p.53)

Buying flowers is not just a way to bring home beauty. It's an expression of confidence that better days are coming. It's a defiant finger in the face of those naysayers who would have you believe your fortunes will never improve.

When you're young, there's a whole lot of stuff you say you'll never do. Once you get a little older, the list tends to get shorter.