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One of my lifelong dreams, along with learning to play the piano and learning to ride a motorcycle, has been to have a career that combined communication and leadership. This is not surprising when you consider that my idols growing up were a venerable Texas congresswoman, Barbara Jordan, and a journalist, Barbara Walters. However, the choices that I made early in my adult life did not put me on the path that supported this lifelong dream. Instead I journeyed on a path which involved marriage and motherhood. That isn’t to say that one cannot be a mother, wife and a career woman all at the same time but that isn’t the way life unfolded for me. Even though my attention was diverted to other things, I never lost my desire to have that career. Many years have elapsed between then and now but the one thing that I’ve learned along the way is that “Dreams don’t have expiration dates.”
 A few years ago I was interviewed for HBO’s Real Sports by Bernard Goldberg, an Emmy-winning journalist. When we finished the interview he asked me, “Why aren’t you doing what I’m doing?” Having appeared on numerous television shows ranging from CBS’s 48 Hours to the Oprah Winfrey Show, I was used to being asked some deeply personal and probing questions. However, none of them have resonated with me as forcefully as this seemingly simple one. As cliché as it may sound, his question struck the core of me. For a journalist as respected and experienced as Bernard Goldberg to believe that I was capable of doing what he was doing was overwhelmingly validating.
My answer to him was twofold. “First of all, I have spent the last decade and a half being a stay at home mom and second, I don’t fit that profile of a prototypical television personality.” I still don’t, never will. And yet, there is no reason why I cannot still attain my dream. But that conversation made me realize that I would never accomplish my lifelong career goal as long as I waited for someone else to make it happen. The likelihood of my success in a traditional way, through the traditional channels is slim and none. That conversation was the beginning of me understanding that I would have to create the vehicle for myself and that I would have to blaze the trail for myself. That is what I have been focusing on for the last three years of my life.
I have written a treatment for a television show that is unlike anything that currently exists on either network or cable television. It is registered with the WGA and I hold a U.S. copyright for it. Every day is an adventure as I explore different venues to get my idea off the page and on the air. I spend days running down leads, taking meetings with various people in the business, and working to find the people who can capture the vision for this show as I see it. It is both an exciting and daunting endeavor but I always keep in mind something that my spiritual leader, Dr. Michael Beckwith, wrote in his book, 40 Day Mind Fast Soul Feast. The Rev, as he is affectionately called by members of his congregation, says, “In my estimation true heroes and heroines are those who refuse to give up on the part they have been created to play on the stage of life. They go for their dream no matter what obstacles appear in their path. I am saying this to you: Don’t give up on your vision! Never giving up on yourself is what it takes to be your own hero.
This is what I remember every time someone says “no” to my idea or that I am too old, too inexperienced, or an “unknown entity.” I just keep telling myself that people told the Wright Brothers that their ideas would never work either. And, being the political junkie that I am, I have drawn great inspiration from watching the presidential candidates as they have both surmounted numerous obstacles in their quest to achieve their dream. What I’ve learned is that the world is full of people who think in terms of the problems first rather than the possibilities and potential of an idea when they are presented with it. Conversely, there really do exist people out there who are “possibility and potential” thinkers. I simply have to persevere until I find them. I truly believe that when you let the Universe know what your needs are, the people and situations necessary to meet them present themselves. That was certainly my experience when it came to getting my book. Powerful Mate Syndrome, published.
So what is the connection between my television show and my book, Powerful Mate Syndrome? Absolutely none except to say that my book, while filled with some valuable timeless information, represents my past and I refuse to let my entire life be defined by a failed marriage. It has been nearly five years since this book was published. Writing it was a cathartic experience that allowed me to share some of the valuable lessons I learned about being married to a powerful person. And while I am proud to be able to add “published author to the list of my achievements, the fact remains that that chapter of my life is complete and everything I have to say regarding it has been said. Now it is time for me to put my energy and efforts into something that will have real benefit and true value for not only me but countless other women who have chosen the path of motherhood. Should you choose to read this book, I hope that you will find it enlightening and empowering. As for me, it’s time to move onto new and more relevant endeavors. I hope you will join me on my next journey.
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