ABOUT MARY
AS I WAS SITTING THERE GETTING FIRED FOR THE LAST TIME IN MY LIFE, I COULDN’T HELP BUT GIGGLE. I LET OUT A SIGH OF RELIEF. I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN LIBERATED. I THANKED HIM FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON, I VOWED TO NEVER WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE AGAIN. BORN AND RAISED IN TENNESSEE, IVE BEEN AN INTENSELY DEDICATED SNOWBOARDER FOR 20 YEARS AND BUILT TERRAIN PARKS PROFESSIONALLY FOR TEN YEARS. FOR DECADES I ONLY LIVED FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AT A TIME. A SERIOUS NECK INJURY IN 2021 FORCED ME TO STOP AND LOOK AROUND. I WAS AT A STALEMATE, SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE. I RELUCTANTLY TOOK A WINTER SEASON OFF. THE 1ST ONE IN 20 YEARS. STRANGELY, LIKE I KNEW IT WAS COMING, SNOWBOARDING JUST SLIPPED OFF OF ME LIKE I WAS SHEDDING MY SKIN.
I STEPPED OUT OF MY PAST AND INTO THE PRESENT MOMENT OF CREATING MY FUTURE. 500 DAYS OFF THE SNOW WENT BY. IT WAS PROBABLY THE HARDEST PART OF MY JOURNEY. DURING THAT TIME I WAS LEARNING, WRITING, CREATING AND EVOLVING MY IDEAS INTO MASTERPIECES. FINALLY, SOMETHING WORTHY; THERE I WAS. I HAD NEVER FELT MORE BEAUTIFUL, ALIVE AND DETERMINED. I WAS SO TIRED OF SAYING FUCK YOU TO ALL THE WRONG PEOPLE. I HAD ALWAYS GOTTEN THE SHORT END OF THE STICK MY WHOLE LIFE. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT IT, ALL THE ANSWERS WERE RIGHT THERE. I WAS ALWAYS SELLING MYSELF SHORT SO SOMEONE ELSE COULD BENEFIT. WHEN YOU SELL YOURSELF SHORT, THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS THE BENEFIT IS SOMEONE ELSE. THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS THE LOSS IS YOU.
WHEN YOU START LOVING ALL OF YOURSELF AS A WOMAN, YOU’LL NOTICE YOUR EGO STEPPING DOWN AND THE VOICE OF YOUR SOUL SPEAKING UP. NOW YOUR SPIRIT CAN BE THE DRIVER OF YOUR INTENTIONS. THIS ALL- ENCOMPASSING WAY OF THINKING CREATED HARMONY IN MY LIFE; DRAWING POSITIVE EXPERIENCES TO ME INSTEAD OF CHASING THEM DOWN. FINALLY, BALANCE HAD COME INTO MY LIFE AND I WAS UNDERSTANDING BEAUTY LIKE NEVER BEFORE. ON MY TERMS, NOT ON THE OPINIONS AND JUDGMENTS OF OTHERS.
AFTER 20 YEARS OF LIVING TO RIDE MY SNOWBOARD, I STEPPED BACK AND I HAD NO IDEA WHO I WAS ANYMORE. COLLEGE GRADUATE, TWICE, STILL I FELT LIKE THERE WAS MORE TO MY STORY. BEING A WOMAN IN A MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRY FUELED MY FIRE FOR YEARS. NOT ANYMORE. I COULDN’T THRIVE ON THAT FEELING ANYMORE. NOW I HAD TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. IT WAS TIME AND I WAS READY. WHEN LEADERS RISE TO THE OCCASION OF WALKING THE PATH LAID OUT BEFORE THEM, THAT BECOMES THEIR SOULS PURPOSE. WEEDISH AND THE EJC PROJECT IS MY FEMININITY UNDER THE MASK. FINDING MY PERSONAL BEAUTY HAS COME FROM TAKING OFF MY GEAR AND OWNING ALL OF WHATS LEFT. WHO I AM. READY TO MEET MY DESTINY.
LOVE, M. E.