Spotlight on Stigma... Welcomed but Not Accepted

So that I won't bore you with another long story, I'm just going to list as many of the things that I have experienced and learned during the time after "the incident." (not necessarily in chronological order or order of importance... I'm just writing as I remember them.) But before I get going with the list, I have to highlight the most unlikely and incredible event: On the way home from our honeymoon, Travis and I stopped at a rest stop in the northern part of Alabama. As I walked into the building, I saw a dad talking to his son about Fahrenheit vs Celcius while looking at a thermometer on the porch. This wasn't anything amazing, except that the son was a teenager and had Down Syndrome.  I remember thinking - boy, that kid must have some great parents and have had some amazing teachers. (Not that I don't believe those with Down Syndrome can't learn - in fact, I feel totally the opposite - but because of stigmas and fewer opportunities than others, m

I've made a lot of progress through all of the years of counseling, self-help information, addiction support groups, EMDR, and other activities that contribute to healing.  And I've made a lot of progress. Really I have.  However...  There have been two instances in the past few weeks that showed that I still have a loooooonnnnng way to go.  When I woke up for church a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't feeling well. I almost didn't go.  It was one of those times my determination (stubbornness?) was an asset, I guess. I had missed a lot lately due to work and other issues so I got ready and left.  On the way, I started having a panic attack. It's been a while since I've had one and I knew I couldn't handle Sunday School the way I was feeling.  I called my husband who was driving his car (due to somewhere he had to go right after church) and explained my thoughts about a way to cope. My plan was to go to a local Dollar Tree and shop for about the next 45 minutes (

As often happens, it took a while for me to add part 2 to my last post. As I'm incredibly busy right now with work, it would have been even longer to write this, but just as I decided to go to the pool to work out this morning (something else I've been putting off), it started thundering. The pool I go to still has the winter season dome over it so the rain isn't an issue - but if there's lightning in the vicinity they clear the pool. So... I have some extra time to finally finish the "No Longer Afraid" post. (Don't worry - it won't be as long as the other post.) The same day "the incident" happened (which led to what I affectionately called "The Year from Hell"), I interviewed at Sylvan Learning for a part-time job. The director was a former student's parent and she loved me. She called me about the job and as soon as I sat down for the interview, she told me I had the job if I wanted it - the interview was to simply tell me wh

I can't believe I'm about to share this. I've only shared it with a little over a handful of people - and it happened over 7 years ago. When I tell people I lived in Tennessee most of my adult life, taught special ed for 25 years, and came back to Birmingham because my parents are at the age they need someone around, I wasn't lying. However, I was leaving out an important detail. One of the main reasons I moved back here was because I left my job. You might ask why that was a big deal - pretty much everyone has lost a job at some point for one reason or another. Personally, I've been devastated some of those times I was fired/let go/was no longer needed. This was different - waaaay different. Technically, I resigned. Technically, I wasn't fired. Technically, it was my choice. But it wasn't. Back in the fall of 2015, I made a mistake. It was a big mistake and it's one that has changed the course of my life in tremendous ways - both good and bad.  Before I

This new group of women that I got to meet today are all P.O.N.F - Paralyzed, Overwhelmed, Fearful, and Needy. In fact, that's why we were all there, including the leader.  I suggest that we call ourselves the PONF Pathfinder People. (Try to say that 3 times fast!) When I saw the question in our workbook that we addressed as we introduced ourselves, "Do you feel overwhelmed, paralyzed, or needy?" (we added 'fearful' during the session), my answer was, "Yes!" There was no "or" about it. My life defines PONF... and during introductions was one of those times it showed its ugly head. The leader of the group, a friend of mine, knew how much I was struggling. When it was my turn to introduce myself, she offered to do so for me. However, I knew she would tell the highlight reel of where I am and I wanted to share where I really am. I tried. Really, I did.  But I had been shaking more and more from nerves as my turn got closer and closer... when I st

I was asked to write this for a sidebar about an article featuring the book "Triumph from Tragedy." Little did I know that they would publish it in the "Your Voice" section of the paper... Originally published in The Alabama Baptist newspaper's "Your Voice" on Feb 17, 2022:  https://thealabamabaptist.org/your-voice-148/ "TAB Photographer, Writer Shares How God Opened Doors of Opportunity" By Tracy Riggs Freelance photographer and writer Growing up, I had two far-fetched dreams: to be a professional photographer and a published author. However, I wasn’t a risk-taker and pursued a teaching career instead. While in college, I shot some weddings. I was paid, so technically I was a “professional,” but I felt like a fraud. I had no formal training and didn’t have “professional” equipment. Later, as a single parent with a full-time job, I gave up photography work. I took photos of my family and penned long-winded journal entries, but I had no faith