I’m not one to be sentimental. In fact I often choose that of no emotion - apologies in advance. But when reading the news on my morning commute to work I was saddened to see that Maya Angelou had passed away. I realize this post will get lost in the internet and that’s okay. But she was one of the few people I had admired after reading her poetry in high school and deserves my low impact post.
It wasn’t until college that I started to read her autobiographies and at first I wondered, how could a woman have enough stories to write seven of these? Was she jotting every single experience down? But then I started to read. This woman lived. She lived through love. She lived through heartbreak. Heartbreak caused by family. By friends. By society. But she came out of every single situation – good or bad – with a story. Better yet, an experience. Most importantly though, she came out stronger each and every time. Not always understanding the lesson in the moment, but no one really does. She shared her story in words that everyone could understand but with such smooth language. [I’m no writer or poet so my apologies for the next line] Her words danced from detail to detail in a way that left you wanting more even when she had given all the words there were to share.
When I finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I immediately put each and every remaining autobiography on request from the library. They came in on the same day and the librarian said, “You know if you check all those out now, they’ll all be due in two weeks?” Chick must not have realized who I was checking out. They were thoroughly read and returned with time to spare.
I was fascinated that her autobiographies were not really chronological, rather they followed themes. Themes of her life. Breaking her experiences into these sections further showed readers how she reflected on her past and how she thought each moment connected. Maya Angelou was as honest as anyone in the spotlight ever has been and documenting her journey like this showed how open she was.
I can’t think of anyone who is quite like Maya Angelou. Though I wish I did. She was who she was, with no time for shame. She understood she had faults and sometimes corrected them. But she also understood that our time is limited. We do not get to choose all of our situations but we can take control if given the opportunity. She stood up (often with a smile). She was real. And somehow, even in our judging society, she was eventually accepted by the majority. She was a beautiful, strong, intelligent, outspoken, honest and important woman. I could keep spitting out adjectives all day and probably would still leave a significant one out.
Her life is one that few will live. And maybe that’s okay. But her lessons, those will lived by most. Those should be shared by all. And those should be learned by all.
I am a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal Woman,
That’s me.