I don’t write about politics, but today is an exception.

I’ve spent most of the day watching the inauguration coverage of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I am hopeful for the first time in four years.

America has a President we can respect again. We have our first female Vice President, a woman of color. I am proud of my country today.

I never fully understood the term “white privilege”. I knew that racial injustice and inequality existed, but somehow that term made me feel guilty.

I guess that’s because I tend to feel guilty for, well—everything. …

I started writing on Medium in September of 2020.

Like many others, I was desperate for income due to the pandemic. I watched all the right videos from all the right people. Zulie Rane, Tim Denning, and Ayodeji Awosika. All the greats—right?

I had been writing my own blog for a year and a half and discovered that I loved to write. Many people told me that I was a gifted writer. What did I have to lose? So I signed up for Medium.

Statistics

I knew I had a lot to learn, and that it would take time to build momentum. But I did believe it was possible to build a readership and make decent money in time. Now I know that is not true. …

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward” — Martin Luther King Jr.

2020 was a year most of us crawled.

But we still moved forward—violently and with great effort—but we did move forward.

Society survived a pandemic, economic collapse, and political corruption.

We were knocked down, but not out for the count.

Change yourself

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” — Leo Tolstoy

If we can master change, we have learned the secret of winning in life. …

Night photography can be scary, especially if you are new to the Digital SLR camera.

Here are some quick tips to get you comfortable shooting after dark. Once you master these, you can add more advanced techniques.

1. Turn off autofocus

This is a must, especially if you are trying to take pictures of the moon. The camera will not correctly “see” in the dark and this can result in many problems.

2. ISO settings

Set your ISO for 100. I know this seems counterintuitive. Low light=higher ISO, right? Not for night photography. Trust me on this. It works.

3. White balance

Set your white balance on the tungsten setting. This is important to avoid a yellow cast to your shots. Yes, you can fix it in editing, but why not get it right from the start? …

Half of my recommended reading list consists of articles about Medium.

• How to write for Medium.
• How to make money on Medium.
• How to be distributed on Medium.

Can I be honest? It’s boring.

Most people start writing because

• They like to write.
• They have something to say.

So—why don’t you say it? You have the potential to reach thousands of people, and instead, you regurgitate articles that have already been written.

Stop.

I know why you do it. Because those stories don’t get many views/reads, do they? You want to be an overnight success writing.

But that rarely happens. True success takes time and effort. …

This story is not for the faint of heart.

It is a story about losing someone you love—by inches.

It could be any of us someday. We never know. We roll the dice and pray to die peacefully in our home. That’s what my mother wanted.

But not everyone is granted that luxury.

Instead, my mother waits.

She waits for a neurologist appointment. She should have been seen by one in the hospital, but now she has seven more weeks to wait.

She waits for a diagnosis, and she waits for long-term placement in memory care. …

I’ve lived in the southern U.S. all my life, and I still can’t believe how folks here react to a little snow.

The above picture is from a rare 12-inch snowfall. It shut down the entire city for over a week.

We simply don’t have the resources for snow removal and people definitely don’t know how to drive on snow and ice. Unfortunately, they still try and create a lot of traffic hazards.

We had our first winter storm warning of the season. Mind you, it was only for 1–3 inches. What does that mean in the south?

Panic. Sheer panic. …