June 19, 2023 • 29 mins
Good News with Twanda Black welcomes author, motivational speaker, actress and the visionary for “Absolutely Amazing You”... LAVEETA BRANCHE
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(00:03):
Thank you for joining me today onGood News with Twine to Black, where
we are discovering some of the mostinspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments.
Call up a friend and let themknow it's time for some good news.
(00:29):
Hello, and welcome to good News. I'm Twine to Black, your
host. I'm so excited. There'sso much good news going on in this
world in spite of what we seein the news. And you know,
when your brothers and sisters are doingwell, you're doing well ultimately, So
sit back, relax and enjoy manxguests. Joining us today is Miss Levita
(00:50):
Branch. She is author of MetamorphosisInterrupted, a journey of loving yourself from
beauty to battered beloved, and justhad her book signing here in Atlanta and
we saw the beloved part. Itwas beautiful. It was beautiful. How
are you today? I am doingwell and I hope you are absolutely and
(01:15):
y'all see the smile on fare.She is a sweet spirit. I always
call her sweet spirit because every timeI see her she is the same,
you know, just always encouraging.Such a sweet, sweet spirit. This
book is taking you a few yearsto write and understandably so, because when
(01:36):
you're writing about your life and therewas tragedy in your life, usually you
know it's hard to live through thatagain. So so talk about well,
let me let me go back.You grew up in Virginia. Virginia in
the house today. Oh my gosh, I had another author from Virginia that
brows story in Virginia. But um, you grew up in Virginia, and
(02:00):
I feel like from reading about howyou grew up but it was so idealistic.
I mean, it was just wonderful. It's a beautiful state to to
grow up in as far as landscapewise. The mountains are beautiful, the
lakes, the rivers. I grewup in a small town and and where
(02:23):
everyone was his family. And sometimespeople try to, you know, make
you feel bad about being a countrygirl. But I wouldn't change being a
country girl for anything in the world. We grew up with great morals and
values and having that village to watchover you, where if you do something
(02:44):
wrong, it's okay for the neighboror someone in the church to to discipline
you. In love, and weI think we need more of that.
We need more country girls. Bro. We're never going back to that time,
honey. But I understood it becauseI grew up the same way,
and I just felt like you hadthis beautiful childhood where you guys got to
(03:08):
go, like you said, innature and you enjoyed fishing and going out
in the just all this wonderful stuff. Yes, it was. It was
wonderful. So so in growing upthat way, Um, do you think
that? And it's because I knowwhat the book is. I know what
(03:30):
the story is. What do youthink in retrospect that you were sheltered a
little bit? Oh, without doubt. We lived in a little plastic bubble.
You remember the story about the littleboy in the plastic bubble. That's
us, very green and naive.You know, we only saw the good
(03:52):
in people. Yeah, I'm gratefulfor that, you know in some ways
when in some ways it hurt meto be so nice, Eves. But
yes, we were very sheltered fromthe way this world really was. Moving
to Atlanta was a culture shock forme, I'm sure you know. I
(04:14):
had to laugh when I read yourstory and I was telling somebody else about
it, and I said, Irealized that I had the best of both
worlds. I lived in the countryin the summer months, and I was
in the city, you know,for school. But I grew up in
the country or in the summer months, so I had the best of both
worlds. And I think it's agood learning, you know, you get
(04:35):
to learn a little bit more aboutthe world rather than just being in one
place. You know. Yeah,yeah, you talk about and you just
said it. How you know almosteverybody was your family on your street,
around the corner, somebody was yourfamily member, absolutely, yes, either
(04:58):
on your your mama or your daddy'sside, and sometimes on both. Yeah,
So how did join your brother?How did your parents raise you within
that that country life? Well,mom was, my parents divorced when I
was ten, but we still livedvery close and my mother and father still,
(05:21):
you know, we still sang onthe same choir and they still had
a great relationship for a good relationshipeven after they divorced. But my mom,
being a single mother, we wereblessed because my grandmother lived next door.
My mom's sister lived across the street, and so my grandmother made sure
(05:42):
we always ate and we were alwaystaking care of We used her car.
And my dad, you know,like I said, he was right up
the street. From us and hismom and so everyone's still. One thing
that I love about my parents isthey always felt like we have to keep
the peace, and they are firmbelievers. They don't like fussing and fighting,
(06:09):
and they'd like to see the goodand others. I shared a story
in my book that several people havesaid that they loved. It was about
how my mother at Christmas used tofill up my brother's little wagon with gifts,
and my brother and I had totake the gifts around to people and
(06:31):
expecting nothing back from them. Shejust wanted to share love and enjoy.
That was what Christmas was about toher, and she did those things throughout
the year, and I would liketo believe that that's what I gained from
her. You know, just justgive and share love and show love.
(06:54):
And it has to it has tobring joy to somebody's life. It has
too. I've seen people, manypeople that you know, they just look
like they're so mean, and youdon't know what someone is going through.
You don't know how a smile.Hello. Um, sometimes you know my
(07:15):
grandmaby it'll be she'll say, Nanna, do you know them. It's like
I don't have to know the rightright, yeah, so way, I
love it. You didn't take thatfrom your mom. Oh. So you
know, as you grew up,you were just long leg, tall girl,
(07:38):
and you don't see the pictures inthe book Amazing you were. So
I was like a little long legbut just a tall girl. And then
the beauty part, you are ina beauty pageant. I'm just like,
Okay, where'd that come from?So talk about talk about that part of
(08:00):
your life of being in beauty pageant. Well, actually, I've never considered
myself to be pretty or you know, anything for a beauty pageant. But
I sang in church, I sangat funerals, I sang at reunions,
I sang in school. So itwas more so, um, the singing
(08:22):
aspect that got me into the pageants. So it was yeah, that that
was the connection to the pageant.Not not the beauty, not at all.
But being in the Miss Virginia pageantwas just a phenomenal experience. Just
(08:46):
singing with a full orchestra in frontof hundreds of people. I did learn
about myself. What did this countrygirl learn about being in a beauty paget
That I'm sure, even back thenwas a little contentious although maybe people didn't
show it, but you know,there was a little stress going on because
(09:09):
everybody's in competition. Yeah, Iwas a duck out of water. You
know. Some of those girls,they meant it. They were there to
win. I was there to findsome friends and have fun, just for
the experience. I had no ideawhat I was doing that week, and
even I mentioned that in my bookthat throughout the week, I was always
(09:35):
completely off. If I had onthe sun dress, they had on the
long dress, that was money.I had on the jumpsuit, they had
on shorts. That happened all week. It's just always felt really want somebody
tell me what we're gonna wear.They wasn't gonna tell you. The only
(09:58):
black on female, right, youwere the only la, Yeah I was.
I was. I was the onlyblack in the mis Virginia pageant that
year. Literally afro Yeah, likeI have my Africa, but they all
have my flowing blonde here like therest of them. That was amazing.
(10:24):
I was laughing so hard. Youwere talking about how you were off that
week, because, like, LordJesus, I could only imagine help me,
Lord. But I love that becauseI could see you with your genuine
self being in a pageant. Youknow, you're just having fun and everybody's
(10:45):
in there, like I'm in atthe winning I don't know what you're doing
over here, so you know,yeah, yes, So so that's the
beauty part, and um, Iknow that there were a lot of duties
that came along with that, allbeing in a beauty pageant and um,
but then you get to an agewhere it's dating time and husband time and
(11:11):
all of that. So, sotalk about that time of your life.
Now, did he know you werein beauty pageant? Yes, he was
right there. He was there.And actually, right after the last night
of the pageant, I was verysad that I did not place. It
(11:31):
wasn't that I thought I was gonnawin, but I thought I was at
least place, and I didn't placeat all. I wasn't in the top
ten and I think it was ten, but I wasn't in the top Yeah
okay, yes, yes, andso but I was more so disappointed because
I didn't want to disappoint my family, and so I just, um,
(11:58):
I was crying. I was reallysad when I saw my family when we
got back to the hotel, andso you know, my aunt was like,
well, you know, why areyou crying? You know, we're
so proud of you. And Iwas like where, you know, I
just I feel like I let youall down. And she said, no,
we're we're proud of you. Soabout that time he took my hand,
(12:22):
that was my future husband, tookmy hand and led me out to
the patio and put a ring onmy finger and asked me to marry him.
And that was what imagine, whocares? Who cares? Missus Travers
(12:46):
County. Hey, I just wantwhat right? This is the prize getting
to be a wife, you know, and that because that's what you do
as a country girl, you know, you you go to school and then
you get married. So I wasexcited about getting married. Then you have
(13:09):
a baby. Yeah, and soI was. I was really looking forward
to to that chapter of my life. And so I gave up. Actually
I gave up my crown. I'mprobably the only person in history that has
given up their their crown is missusrock Bridge County. But I so that
was, you know, not sogood. But I wanted to get married.
(13:33):
I wanted to do now, todo it now. So and he
was so smart and handsome and umhe was funny and we had the same
birthday. Wow, what was thatlike married? Was that like marrying you?
(13:56):
Hey? Yes, yes, wehad the same birthdayy. Yes,
funny, we love the same music. It was a match made in heaven.
How long did you got date beforeyou got married? Let's see March,
March, April, May, June, July, August. So it
(14:18):
was probably a total of seven months, because I know it was less than
a year. Yes, it wasvery much to less than a year.
Now did your family know his family? Yes, yes we did because he
had an aunt that lived in thattown and she was married to my granny
(14:41):
sister. So I met so theyYes, So his aunt actually used to
call me over. Now she didn'ttalk to a lot of people, but
she used to call me over toher house. And I have a bracelet
that before I ever met him,years before I ever met him. Then
(15:01):
his aunt gave to me. Andhow history would just play itself out,
she passed away and left her hometo him. So just that's how close
they were, never knowing that hernephew was my future husband. Wow.
(15:22):
Wow, that's amazing. That's amazing. So talk about what happened. You
got married and I believe you hadto move away. We moved away.
We were in We moved away toNorthern Virginia because he had a job in
Northern Virginia and we know it wasit was just outside of DC, and
(15:50):
so his job took him there,and so we were in Northern Virginia and
I worked at the bank, whichended up working at the bank for eighteen
years, and he worked at afinance company. So we were both in
the money thing. And y'all hada decent life. You had wed,
(16:11):
we did, we did. Wehad had a nice stob nine hundred blah
blah, Yes, yes, yes, had a stub. And then we
had a baby. So all ofthat kind of happened at the same time.
So when the things start just goingawry, and when did you really
(16:33):
notice that there was an issue?We're now getting into the batter part of
your strength. Um. I foundthat out when when I was working at
the bank, I would get greathead letters sent by customers on you know,
(16:59):
my customers service and flowers and justreally you know, a lot of
compliments. And with that, Ithink I think he just didn't want to
share me. And so when hewas sharing having to share with share me
(17:22):
with others. That's when it startedchanging. But you never saw anything before
that. In retrospects, it reallyjust kind of came. It seemed like
(17:44):
it came suddenly to me. Wow. Yeah, um, actually, you
know, let me take that back. When his father passed, Yeah,
that's the part in the story thatyou tell. Yes, when his father
passed, that's when I started seeinga different side. Yeah, because his
(18:06):
father was a gentleman and he neverwould have allowed that to happen. So,
but he was very, very closeto his father, and so I
think he was just dealing with withthat grief and I happened to be you
(18:27):
know how we tend to hurt thosethat are closest to us. Yes,
Yeah, I think he felt likehe you know, he was that was
his safe place that I would alwayslove him and you know, be there
for him because how a matter what? Yeah, yeah, I hadn't.
So how did growing up in anon confrontational home kind of make you go?
(18:53):
Okay, I'm not telling nobody,I'm not saying nothing. I'm going
through this abuse and I'm all bymyself. Yeah, and I wanted everybody
to love him they like he I'mtelling you, it was so funny,
and I just and I was embarrassed. Yeah, because you know, I
(19:15):
had hate quiz school, I hadgiven up my title as Missus rock Ridge
County. I cannot let anyone knowthat I gave up everything and this is
what I got. Yeah, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, in
no way. Thank god. Youknow, I said her saving grace when
(19:38):
I was reading it, I said, your saving grace was that you you
did not live in the same townwith them, because everybody knew everybody.
That's what I was just getting readyto say, I can keep it a
secret because we were we were awayfrom everybody, and people didn't you know,
when I was able to make upa lot of stories as far as
(19:59):
we're you know, I was ableto. But did they really believe you?
Heck now, no, no theydidn't. But but I thought I
was convincing. Yeah. Yeah.It's funny how you think, you think
when people see you and you don'tknow they see you and you're telling a
lot, and they're going, okay, you know, but I see you,
(20:25):
right yeah, yeah, yeah,And I'm grateful that that they did.
Although I was embarrassed and continue totell stories because even when they called
me into the office and offered,you know, the employee assistance program.
I need to stay somewhere. Um, but that experience, I am a
true believer that our life was notabout us, and so that afforded me
(20:51):
an opportunity so that I can tellothers about what what hell was out there,
Let others know that there are employyour systems programs at their job,
that there are homes out there thatwill um take in not just people that
are surviving from domestic violence, butalso for their children. Are places out
(21:17):
there that will love one you,places that will keep you safe. And
so that entire experience, I feelfor sure it wasn't about me. Yeah,
yeah, thank thank God for themand their understanding. Um, this
didn't end well. It ended ina tragedy. I don't know if you
(21:41):
want to talk about it or not. What's up to you. They have
to read the book. Yeah,yeah, you have to read the book.
You have to read the book.But it didn't end well. I
was like, what but anyway,UM, but what I want to know
(22:02):
is how you you said, Okay, all this is transpired, I'm out
of here. How did you firstof all navigate the grief? I don't
know if you felt guilty or not. I don't know what your feelings were,
but I know that all those feelingscome along with tragedy and and then
(22:22):
moving, picking up your child andsaying I'm out of here? How do
you navigate all of that? Idon't know that the guilty feeling ever leaves
you. I find myself telling myselfthat it's you know, it wasn't my
(22:45):
fault. I did what I could, But the guilt it stays, you
know, because I really I lovedhim, Yeah, I loved him,
but it would yes, and Ibelieve that, you know, people can
change, and and I'm sure thatI would have gone back mmmmmmm yeah and
(23:12):
the story might have been different hadyou yes, yeah, oh yeah,
yeah, yeah. It's it's verydifficult to make that decision to say I'm
out and to stay it is soit is, yeah, yeah, And
(23:33):
you know people talk, people say, oh, you know, I wouldn't
put up with this or um,you know, they don't know until you
know they haven't been there, andthey don't have but no clue exactly,
no, exactly exactly. And youstay for different reasons. You stay because
you wanted to work. Um,Sometimes you stay because you're afraid to leave.
(23:53):
Yes, you're spraying to be onyour own. Yes, and many
women will stay in a marriage becauseof that, yes, yes, yeah,
financially you know, they just theyjust feel like they they can't do
it bout them. That's right.Yeah, that's right. Yes, that's
right. That's right. So pickingup and coming to Atlanta? Why Atlanta?
(24:18):
And and you know what what madeyou pick up and come say I'm
I'm moving to Atlanta of all places? You know, it's I had a
cousin that had cancer. She werevery very close, and she had cancer,
and I came down to see herand there was something about Atlanta that
I just and I didn't even godownstairs, I mean downtown and see all
(24:41):
of the lights and everything. Itwas just something inside. Then I was
like, oh, I could livehere. And so I worked at the
bank and so I started putting thingsinto motion and started interviewing down here.
And at the time, I Iwas married, and I didn't think I
(25:03):
was going to stay in that,in that marriage because I just saw me
coming and my daughter. So um, yeah, I can't really tell you
other than you know how you justget a feeling inside that this is where
you're supposed to be. Yeah.Yeah, small town country girl. Here,
I am the big city bull,full of joy, always smiling.
(25:30):
Um. Y'all got to get thebook. Tell folks where they can find
the book. You can find thebook on my website. I have an
business, an organization called absolutely AmazingYou, and you can find the book
at to www dot Absolutely amazing youdot com. Nope, that's yeah,
that's it. Yes, so youcan absolutely amazingly amazing you dot com.
(25:57):
Yes, absolutely amazing you dot com. And that's an organization for you as
well, where you really encourage women. Now, is it for women who
have been battered or is it forall women? It for all women?
For all women. I just Ijust like to love on women. I
(26:18):
love to love on people, butI must say that women have a special
place of my heart. And soI have been blessed to host four annual
retreats, a book club, goon trip on outings, and it has
afforded me an opportunity to love onwomen and to meet them, try to
(26:40):
meet them where they are and makethem feel more embolden and empowered and enrich
their lives. So it's been ablessing. Go to the website and enjoying
the group because I was at theAmazing League, absolutely Amazing you conference this
year Women's conference, and it's somuch fun. It was, it was
(27:02):
all online. There were about howmany how many ladies sixty seventy yeah,
I think it was seventy five.Yeah, so much fun. I am
an absolutely blast. And then youdo you do um worst moments of encouragement.
You have other things that you do, and you also have a birthday
(27:22):
celebration coming up. I do,Yes, I do. I have that
is coming up on July the Saturday, July to fifteenth. We're having a
Founder's Brunch and Decatur kind of Blackon your Stone Mountain, Decatur area.
We're having that on Saturday, Julythe fifteenth, and it's information on the
(27:45):
website about that. And it affordsme an opportunity to bless some of the
women to come to the retreat,and I'm able to pay for them.
So that's what I liked it.That's what I use the funds to give
out scholarships. And I was ableto bless some ladies this past year,
(28:06):
the past few years and now it'sbeen a great experience for them. All
Right, you seeing everything scrolling downat the bottom the address for the brunch
on Saturday, July fifteenth, andthen where you can find her books,
who website, all that good stuff. Thank you for joining us for sharing
about this this wonderful book. AsI said, the book signing was amazing
(28:33):
and it was well thought out andit was just a beautiful time. So
thank you for letting me be apart of your life. I love you,
Oh, thank you, thank youfor this opportunity, and I am
so grateful that God allowed our pathsto cross. You are a blessing,
such a joy, and I'm sograteful. I love you so much,
(28:56):
thank you, thank you, thisoptunity gosh. I love her absolutely.
She is an amazing woman. Youwant to be a guest on the show,
you can email me at Twinda Blackat LPG network dot org or good
News at LPG network dot org.You can watch the show VIAPGNTV on all
your digital streaming apps. Visit usat pgntv dot org. Look, we'll
(29:21):
see you next time for some goodnews. God bless you.
Thank you for joining me today onGood News with Twine to Black, where
we are discovering some of the mostinspiring trials to triumph stories and empowerment moments.
Call up a friend and let themknow it's time for some good news.
(00:29):
Hello, and welcome to good News. I'm Twine to Black, your
host. I'm so excited. There'sso much good news going on in this
world in spite of what we seein the news. And you know,
when your brothers and sisters are doingwell, you're doing well ultimately, So
sit back, relax and enjoy manxguests. Joining us today is Miss Levita
(00:50):
Branch. She is author of MetamorphosisInterrupted, a journey of loving yourself from
beauty to battered beloved, and justhad her book signing here in Atlanta and
we saw the beloved part. Itwas beautiful. It was beautiful. How
are you today? I am doingwell and I hope you are absolutely and
(01:15):
y'all see the smile on fare.She is a sweet spirit. I always
call her sweet spirit because every timeI see her she is the same,
you know, just always encouraging.Such a sweet, sweet spirit. This
book is taking you a few yearsto write and understandably so, because when
(01:36):
you're writing about your life and therewas tragedy in your life, usually you
know it's hard to live through thatagain. So so talk about well,
let me let me go back.You grew up in Virginia. Virginia in
the house today. Oh my gosh, I had another author from Virginia that
brows story in Virginia. But um, you grew up in Virginia, and
(02:00):
I feel like from reading about howyou grew up but it was so idealistic.
I mean, it was just wonderful. It's a beautiful state to to
grow up in as far as landscapewise. The mountains are beautiful, the
lakes, the rivers. I grewup in a small town and and where
(02:23):
everyone was his family. And sometimespeople try to, you know, make
you feel bad about being a countrygirl. But I wouldn't change being a
country girl for anything in the world. We grew up with great morals and
values and having that village to watchover you, where if you do something
(02:44):
wrong, it's okay for the neighboror someone in the church to to discipline
you. In love, and weI think we need more of that.
We need more country girls. Bro. We're never going back to that time,
honey. But I understood it becauseI grew up the same way,
and I just felt like you hadthis beautiful childhood where you guys got to
(03:08):
go, like you said, innature and you enjoyed fishing and going out
in the just all this wonderful stuff. Yes, it was. It was
wonderful. So so in growing upthat way, Um, do you think
that? And it's because I knowwhat the book is. I know what
(03:30):
the story is. What do youthink in retrospect that you were sheltered a
little bit? Oh, without doubt. We lived in a little plastic bubble.
You remember the story about the littleboy in the plastic bubble. That's
us, very green and naive.You know, we only saw the good
(03:52):
in people. Yeah, I'm gratefulfor that, you know in some ways
when in some ways it hurt meto be so nice, Eves. But
yes, we were very sheltered fromthe way this world really was. Moving
to Atlanta was a culture shock forme, I'm sure you know. I
(04:14):
had to laugh when I read yourstory and I was telling somebody else about
it, and I said, Irealized that I had the best of both
worlds. I lived in the countryin the summer months, and I was
in the city, you know,for school. But I grew up in
the country or in the summer months, so I had the best of both
worlds. And I think it's agood learning, you know, you get
(04:35):
to learn a little bit more aboutthe world rather than just being in one
place. You know. Yeah,yeah, you talk about and you just
said it. How you know almosteverybody was your family on your street,
around the corner, somebody was yourfamily member, absolutely, yes, either
(04:58):
on your your mama or your daddy'sside, and sometimes on both. Yeah,
So how did join your brother?How did your parents raise you within
that that country life? Well,mom was, my parents divorced when I
was ten, but we still livedvery close and my mother and father still,
(05:21):
you know, we still sang onthe same choir and they still had
a great relationship for a good relationshipeven after they divorced. But my mom,
being a single mother, we wereblessed because my grandmother lived next door.
My mom's sister lived across the street, and so my grandmother made sure
(05:42):
we always ate and we were alwaystaking care of We used her car.
And my dad, you know,like I said, he was right up
the street. From us and hismom and so everyone's still. One thing
that I love about my parents isthey always felt like we have to keep
the peace, and they are firmbelievers. They don't like fussing and fighting,
(06:09):
and they'd like to see the goodand others. I shared a story
in my book that several people havesaid that they loved. It was about
how my mother at Christmas used tofill up my brother's little wagon with gifts,
and my brother and I had totake the gifts around to people and
(06:31):
expecting nothing back from them. Shejust wanted to share love and enjoy.
That was what Christmas was about toher, and she did those things throughout
the year, and I would liketo believe that that's what I gained from
her. You know, just justgive and share love and show love.
(06:54):
And it has to it has tobring joy to somebody's life. It has
too. I've seen people, manypeople that you know, they just look
like they're so mean, and youdon't know what someone is going through.
You don't know how a smile.Hello. Um, sometimes you know my
(07:15):
grandmaby it'll be she'll say, Nanna, do you know them. It's like
I don't have to know the rightright, yeah, so way, I
love it. You didn't take thatfrom your mom. Oh. So you
know, as you grew up,you were just long leg, tall girl,
(07:38):
and you don't see the pictures inthe book Amazing you were. So
I was like a little long legbut just a tall girl. And then
the beauty part, you are ina beauty pageant. I'm just like,
Okay, where'd that come from?So talk about talk about that part of
(08:00):
your life of being in beauty pageant. Well, actually, I've never considered
myself to be pretty or you know, anything for a beauty pageant. But
I sang in church, I sangat funerals, I sang at reunions,
I sang in school. So itwas more so, um, the singing
(08:22):
aspect that got me into the pageants. So it was yeah, that that
was the connection to the pageant.Not not the beauty, not at all.
But being in the Miss Virginia pageantwas just a phenomenal experience. Just
(08:46):
singing with a full orchestra in frontof hundreds of people. I did learn
about myself. What did this countrygirl learn about being in a beauty paget
That I'm sure, even back thenwas a little contentious although maybe people didn't
show it, but you know,there was a little stress going on because
(09:09):
everybody's in competition. Yeah, Iwas a duck out of water. You
know. Some of those girls,they meant it. They were there to
win. I was there to findsome friends and have fun, just for
the experience. I had no ideawhat I was doing that week, and
even I mentioned that in my bookthat throughout the week, I was always
(09:35):
completely off. If I had onthe sun dress, they had on the
long dress, that was money.I had on the jumpsuit, they had
on shorts. That happened all week. It's just always felt really want somebody
tell me what we're gonna wear.They wasn't gonna tell you. The only
(09:58):
black on female, right, youwere the only la, Yeah I was.
I was. I was the onlyblack in the mis Virginia pageant that
year. Literally afro Yeah, likeI have my Africa, but they all
have my flowing blonde here like therest of them. That was amazing.
(10:24):
I was laughing so hard. Youwere talking about how you were off that
week, because, like, LordJesus, I could only imagine help me,
Lord. But I love that becauseI could see you with your genuine
self being in a pageant. Youknow, you're just having fun and everybody's
(10:45):
in there, like I'm in atthe winning I don't know what you're doing
over here, so you know,yeah, yes, So so that's the
beauty part, and um, Iknow that there were a lot of duties
that came along with that, allbeing in a beauty pageant and um,
but then you get to an agewhere it's dating time and husband time and
(11:11):
all of that. So, sotalk about that time of your life.
Now, did he know you werein beauty pageant? Yes, he was
right there. He was there.And actually, right after the last night
of the pageant, I was verysad that I did not place. It
(11:31):
wasn't that I thought I was gonnawin, but I thought I was at
least place, and I didn't placeat all. I wasn't in the top
ten and I think it was ten, but I wasn't in the top Yeah
okay, yes, yes, andso but I was more so disappointed because
I didn't want to disappoint my family, and so I just, um,
(11:58):
I was crying. I was reallysad when I saw my family when we
got back to the hotel, andso you know, my aunt was like,
well, you know, why areyou crying? You know, we're
so proud of you. And Iwas like where, you know, I
just I feel like I let youall down. And she said, no,
we're we're proud of you. Soabout that time he took my hand,
(12:22):
that was my future husband, tookmy hand and led me out to
the patio and put a ring onmy finger and asked me to marry him.
And that was what imagine, whocares? Who cares? Missus Travers
(12:46):
County. Hey, I just wantwhat right? This is the prize getting
to be a wife, you know, and that because that's what you do
as a country girl, you know, you you go to school and then
you get married. So I wasexcited about getting married. Then you have
(13:09):
a baby. Yeah, and soI was. I was really looking forward
to to that chapter of my life. And so I gave up. Actually
I gave up my crown. I'mprobably the only person in history that has
given up their their crown is missusrock Bridge County. But I so that
was, you know, not sogood. But I wanted to get married.
(13:33):
I wanted to do now, todo it now. So and he
was so smart and handsome and umhe was funny and we had the same
birthday. Wow, what was thatlike married? Was that like marrying you?
(13:56):
Hey? Yes, yes, wehad the same birthdayy. Yes,
funny, we love the same music. It was a match made in heaven.
How long did you got date beforeyou got married? Let's see March,
March, April, May, June, July, August. So it
(14:18):
was probably a total of seven months, because I know it was less than
a year. Yes, it wasvery much to less than a year.
Now did your family know his family? Yes, yes we did because he
had an aunt that lived in thattown and she was married to my granny
(14:41):
sister. So I met so theyYes, So his aunt actually used to
call me over. Now she didn'ttalk to a lot of people, but
she used to call me over toher house. And I have a bracelet
that before I ever met him,years before I ever met him. Then
(15:01):
his aunt gave to me. Andhow history would just play itself out,
she passed away and left her hometo him. So just that's how close
they were, never knowing that hernephew was my future husband. Wow.
(15:22):
Wow, that's amazing. That's amazing. So talk about what happened. You
got married and I believe you hadto move away. We moved away.
We were in We moved away toNorthern Virginia because he had a job in
Northern Virginia and we know it wasit was just outside of DC, and
(15:50):
so his job took him there,and so we were in Northern Virginia and
I worked at the bank, whichended up working at the bank for eighteen
years, and he worked at afinance company. So we were both in
the money thing. And y'all hada decent life. You had wed,
(16:11):
we did, we did. Wehad had a nice stob nine hundred blah
blah, Yes, yes, yes, had a stub. And then we
had a baby. So all ofthat kind of happened at the same time.
So when the things start just goingawry, and when did you really
(16:33):
notice that there was an issue?We're now getting into the batter part of
your strength. Um. I foundthat out when when I was working at
the bank, I would get greathead letters sent by customers on you know,
(16:59):
my customers service and flowers and justreally you know, a lot of
compliments. And with that, Ithink I think he just didn't want to
share me. And so when hewas sharing having to share with share me
(17:22):
with others. That's when it startedchanging. But you never saw anything before
that. In retrospects, it reallyjust kind of came. It seemed like
(17:44):
it came suddenly to me. Wow. Yeah, um, actually, you
know, let me take that back. When his father passed, Yeah,
that's the part in the story thatyou tell. Yes, when his father
passed, that's when I started seeinga different side. Yeah, because his
(18:06):
father was a gentleman and he neverwould have allowed that to happen. So,
but he was very, very closeto his father, and so I
think he was just dealing with withthat grief and I happened to be you
(18:27):
know how we tend to hurt thosethat are closest to us. Yes,
Yeah, I think he felt likehe you know, he was that was
his safe place that I would alwayslove him and you know, be there
for him because how a matter what? Yeah, yeah, I hadn't.
So how did growing up in anon confrontational home kind of make you go?
(18:53):
Okay, I'm not telling nobody,I'm not saying nothing. I'm going
through this abuse and I'm all bymyself. Yeah, and I wanted everybody
to love him they like he I'mtelling you, it was so funny,
and I just and I was embarrassed. Yeah, because you know, I
(19:15):
had hate quiz school, I hadgiven up my title as Missus rock Ridge
County. I cannot let anyone knowthat I gave up everything and this is
what I got. Yeah, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, in
no way. Thank god. Youknow, I said her saving grace when
(19:38):
I was reading it, I said, your saving grace was that you you
did not live in the same townwith them, because everybody knew everybody.
That's what I was just getting readyto say, I can keep it a
secret because we were we were awayfrom everybody, and people didn't you know,
when I was able to make upa lot of stories as far as
(19:59):
we're you know, I was ableto. But did they really believe you?
Heck now, no, no theydidn't. But but I thought I
was convincing. Yeah. Yeah.It's funny how you think, you think
when people see you and you don'tknow they see you and you're telling a
lot, and they're going, okay, you know, but I see you,
(20:25):
right yeah, yeah, yeah,And I'm grateful that that they did.
Although I was embarrassed and continue totell stories because even when they called
me into the office and offered,you know, the employee assistance program.
I need to stay somewhere. Um, but that experience, I am a
true believer that our life was notabout us, and so that afforded me
(20:51):
an opportunity so that I can tellothers about what what hell was out there,
Let others know that there are employyour systems programs at their job,
that there are homes out there thatwill um take in not just people that
are surviving from domestic violence, butalso for their children. Are places out
(21:17):
there that will love one you,places that will keep you safe. And
so that entire experience, I feelfor sure it wasn't about me. Yeah,
yeah, thank thank God for themand their understanding. Um, this
didn't end well. It ended ina tragedy. I don't know if you
(21:41):
want to talk about it or not. What's up to you. They have
to read the book. Yeah,yeah, you have to read the book.
You have to read the book.But it didn't end well. I
was like, what but anyway,UM, but what I want to know
(22:02):
is how you you said, Okay, all this is transpired, I'm out
of here. How did you firstof all navigate the grief? I don't
know if you felt guilty or not. I don't know what your feelings were,
but I know that all those feelingscome along with tragedy and and then
(22:22):
moving, picking up your child andsaying I'm out of here? How do
you navigate all of that? Idon't know that the guilty feeling ever leaves
you. I find myself telling myselfthat it's you know, it wasn't my
(22:45):
fault. I did what I could, But the guilt it stays, you
know, because I really I lovedhim, Yeah, I loved him,
but it would yes, and Ibelieve that, you know, people can
change, and and I'm sure thatI would have gone back mmmmmmm yeah and
(23:12):
the story might have been different hadyou yes, yeah, oh yeah,
yeah, yeah. It's it's verydifficult to make that decision to say I'm
out and to stay it is soit is, yeah, yeah, And
(23:33):
you know people talk, people say, oh, you know, I wouldn't
put up with this or um,you know, they don't know until you
know they haven't been there, andthey don't have but no clue exactly,
no, exactly exactly. And youstay for different reasons. You stay because
you wanted to work. Um,Sometimes you stay because you're afraid to leave.
(23:53):
Yes, you're spraying to be onyour own. Yes, and many
women will stay in a marriage becauseof that, yes, yes, yeah,
financially you know, they just theyjust feel like they they can't do
it bout them. That's right.Yeah, that's right. Yes, that's
right. That's right. So pickingup and coming to Atlanta? Why Atlanta?
(24:18):
And and you know what what madeyou pick up and come say I'm
I'm moving to Atlanta of all places? You know, it's I had a
cousin that had cancer. She werevery very close, and she had cancer,
and I came down to see herand there was something about Atlanta that
I just and I didn't even godownstairs, I mean downtown and see all
(24:41):
of the lights and everything. Itwas just something inside. Then I was
like, oh, I could livehere. And so I worked at the
bank and so I started putting thingsinto motion and started interviewing down here.
And at the time, I Iwas married, and I didn't think I
(25:03):
was going to stay in that,in that marriage because I just saw me
coming and my daughter. So um, yeah, I can't really tell you
other than you know how you justget a feeling inside that this is where
you're supposed to be. Yeah.Yeah, small town country girl. Here,
I am the big city bull,full of joy, always smiling.
(25:30):
Um. Y'all got to get thebook. Tell folks where they can find
the book. You can find thebook on my website. I have an
business, an organization called absolutely AmazingYou, and you can find the book
at to www dot Absolutely amazing youdot com. Nope, that's yeah,
that's it. Yes, so youcan absolutely amazingly amazing you dot com.
(25:57):
Yes, absolutely amazing you dot com. And that's an organization for you as
well, where you really encourage women. Now, is it for women who
have been battered or is it forall women? It for all women?
For all women. I just Ijust like to love on women. I
(26:18):
love to love on people, butI must say that women have a special
place of my heart. And soI have been blessed to host four annual
retreats, a book club, goon trip on outings, and it has
afforded me an opportunity to love onwomen and to meet them, try to
(26:40):
meet them where they are and makethem feel more embolden and empowered and enrich
their lives. So it's been ablessing. Go to the website and enjoying
the group because I was at theAmazing League, absolutely Amazing you conference this
year Women's conference, and it's somuch fun. It was, it was
(27:02):
all online. There were about howmany how many ladies sixty seventy yeah,
I think it was seventy five.Yeah, so much fun. I am
an absolutely blast. And then youdo you do um worst moments of encouragement.
You have other things that you do, and you also have a birthday
(27:22):
celebration coming up. I do,Yes, I do. I have that
is coming up on July the Saturday, July to fifteenth. We're having a
Founder's Brunch and Decatur kind of Blackon your Stone Mountain, Decatur area.
We're having that on Saturday, Julythe fifteenth, and it's information on the
(27:45):
website about that. And it affordsme an opportunity to bless some of the
women to come to the retreat,and I'm able to pay for them.
So that's what I liked it.That's what I use the funds to give
out scholarships. And I was ableto bless some ladies this past year,
(28:06):
the past few years and now it'sbeen a great experience for them. All
Right, you seeing everything scrolling downat the bottom the address for the brunch
on Saturday, July fifteenth, andthen where you can find her books,
who website, all that good stuff. Thank you for joining us for sharing
about this this wonderful book. AsI said, the book signing was amazing
(28:33):
and it was well thought out andit was just a beautiful time. So
thank you for letting me be apart of your life. I love you,
Oh, thank you, thank youfor this opportunity, and I am
so grateful that God allowed our pathsto cross. You are a blessing,
such a joy, and I'm sograteful. I love you so much,
(28:56):
thank you, thank you, thisoptunity gosh. I love her absolutely.
She is an amazing woman. Youwant to be a guest on the show,
you can email me at Twinda Blackat LPG network dot org or good
News at LPG network dot org.You can watch the show VIAPGNTV on all
your digital streaming apps. Visit usat pgntv dot org. Look, we'll
(29:21):
see you next time for some goodnews. God bless you.
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