"You're A Writer at Heart"

I’ve thought long and hard about how I would start my blog, knowing the trick is just to start writing.. so here goes writing...

I remember years ago when I lived in Florida, I was about 20 years old working at a Public Storage on Biscayne in Miami, a young black man with a shiny bald head and clean appearance came into my job to get into his storage unit. He had stopped me as I walked by and said, "You're going to be leaving soon." He also said, "You're a writer at heart." I thought, “Wow. This guy must be a prophet or something.” I never met him before, so how could he have known I was planning a move back to my hometown in Massachusetts? I also never told him about my little knack for English Language Arts. Thinking back, maybe he noticed the pain in my face as I walked by in my uniform. Let's be honest, renting out storage units was killing me at the time... Our conversation later continued at my work desk, where he told me that his name was LeVar Samuel, he was a prophet, and owned a church. I asked if he could see the color of my aura, and he told me it was orange. I just had to ask, and of course, I believed him! The coincidences were just all too surreal.

Meeting that one person opened my mind up to a truth I had tried to avoid. I thought to myself, “A writer at heart? How boring!” Clearly, being forced to write about uninteresting topics as a student left a bad taste in my mouth. But how could I think that? I used to bury myself inside of fantasy books as a kid. Reading gave me an escape from the mundane. My mind was the most interesting place to be. There’s nothing like the experience of reading words that turn the movie reel on in your head, letting your imagination play it all out for your mind’s eye to watch. One of my lifelong dreams has always been to write a book. Growing up, I would say, “Watch! I'm going to write a book. I don’t know how, but I will.” The experience of hearing about my writing talent from this prophet guy burned in my brain as a truth I could no longer avoid. God works in the most mysterious ways, and He works through people and signs in the universe. It's the truth. I am a writer, and it's been a gift I had to learn to embrace.

Throughout the years, I’ve collected journals to subconsciously nudge my pen towards the paper. I figured once I lived enough, the book would write itself. In today's day and age, Instagram captions have never felt like the right place for me to express myself. I had guessed my words would go public in my fifties, but here I am! About 25 years earlier than I expected, starting a blog, leaving my words on the page for the world to read through and pick apart.

Taking a deeper step into myself, I think about all the times writing poetry has saved me from despair. Being at my lowest points in life would inspire me to churn out poems, keeping me from jumping into the deep end. Experiencing poetry as my ultimate outlet for expression is what truly has allowed me to believe and accept this gift in my heart. I am a writer, and I am on this earth to share my words with the world.

In my blog, you can look forward to all things Ohlakay! I will be alternating between topics like modeling, travel, plant based diet tips, fitness, health, and my personal experiences. I may even share some poems :) If you have stuck with me this long, thank you so much for reading! I hope to create a truly safe place for my art to live, and I hope to grow with you all in my writing and spirit.