César, ouvre-toi!
Do not let the French scare you away. Keep on reading!
“Do not let the roles you play in life make you forget who you are.”
― Roy T. Bennett
Staring at an empty sheet, I know not where to begin.
“This should be easy,” I keep telling myself as I try to find the right words to describe my persona.
“Persona or a woman in the making?” my mind tells me.
Anyways, I have no choice but to start somewhere, right?
I was born on April 11 in the capital of a small country in West Africa called the Republic of Benin. I do not remember much of my childhood, just glimpses of it. Some say it is due to traumatic events. And, I say that you don’t have to remember everything.
For most of my childhood, I was labelled as a trouble maker. Unable to keep my tongue in my mouth, I was pretty vocal about what I approved and disapproved of. This led me to start putting my thoughts on every piece of paper I found. My mind never ran out of ink, and my pen never ceased to write. It became an escape, a passion, a lifestyle, a reminder that even if my flesh deteriorates, my words will forever remain. Just like Van Gogh quoted: “I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say “he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.”
With great passion comes isolation.
Have you ever been labelled as weird because of the way you flow?
For a long time, I’ve defined myself based on society’s definition of me. “Weird, crazy, extrovert, hopeless romantic, etc.”
Professionally, I cautiously craft my words when the interviewer asks me the make or break question: “Tell us about yourself.”
So who am I?
I find beauty and calm in the cadence of blues music
I seldom dance to the soothing voice of Frank Sinatra and sing to the melodies of Edith Piaf
I cry as I read Maya Angelou’s poems, and I find answers in my scribbles
I capture my surroundings and make a story out of them
I talk to the woman I am becoming and read letters to the partner I have yet to meet and the children I have yet to bear.
I am…
I am a spirit living a fleshy experience with the divine purpose of exploring the potentials granted to me by the only One my identity has been defined by.
(Jeremiah 1:5)
Elledit — meaning Elle says in English. So call me Elodie. Just like Melodie but without the M.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments or comment a hello with your name to get Medium acquainted.
