My Five Agreements and Other Reasons For Writing

Somewhere in the mangroves of the Casamance, Senegal, circa 2019.

I tend to tell stories in a non-linear fashion. A bit of the end attached to the beginning, twisted up with some unrelated random thought, then, Boom! A finished story that makes sense as long as the reader is willing to ride my thought train to its destination.

That’s me…the one who, being in love with a photo from three years ago, thinks it fitting for this piece that I am writing today, for the platform launch I announced would occur yesterday. Life happens. Non-robotic Rachelle was blindsided earlier this week by a piece of news that left me telling the messenger by the weekend, “Thanks for emotionally supporting me as you go through your breakup.”

In between laughing our bellies full with the irony of my statement, she wondered out loud about how I would use the line in a story. Never thought that it would end up here, but it did. I guess this is a line with a preference for real-world use and not fiction.

As much as this space will be about me, it’s really about us because as much as I love an audience, I relish community more.

While I have diligently constructed an editorial calendar dotted with things of interest that I intend to publish — stories about places and lives I find intriguing — contributions like this one however are not pre-written. It’s my process. Just like this is my space and I’ve promised not to get bent out of shape while doing something I love for people I care for. That you exist, I care. For me, it’s that simple.

Earlier today as I wrung the excess rinse water from the last of my delicates it occurred to me that my first unique piece (the first story was a rerun) should lay the groundwork for what is to follow in clear, succinct grouping of thoughts that I can stand by.

Here is my accountability listicle:

1. I will honor my twice-monthly contribution and submit a piece on the 15th and 30th of the month. Every month.
2. As much as having an audience is important, there’s already a full stadium of readers in my head. You are welcome to join them in enjoying my bi-weekly musings. All are appreciated. If there’s something that you’d like to share that is constructive — comment. Not constructive, choke on it and keep moving. I’m not putting in this work to be chomped at by the human termites of this world. Nope. This is not the space for that type of appetite. Elsewhere belongs to you.
3. I’ve never walked in a straight line, nor was ever required to. Not going to start here. Some days the stories will be new, other times remixed or reheated. The guarantee, is that they will be here, they will be good, and they will come to you from the best of places within my being.
4. Speaking of places. I’m at a place in my life where all of my thoughts cannot fit into my novels (the second one is on the way), short stories, journal entries, social media posts, commissioned assignments, and hours-long conversations with my folks. Hence this space — Trodd — where a hybrid of the aforementioned manifests for the enjoyment of all. In brief, things written here are my opinion.
5. Finally, I am an authority on myself. Everything else is observation. The sooner we are in agreement on that the easier forgiveness for any shortcomings on my part can be meted out. In the spirit of balance, I will humbly accept praise for things that resonate with the reader and remain open to the wisdom and guidance folks might feel inclined to offer up.

I once turned a vacation into a life choice, but in truth I had turned a life choice into a vacation. Now I work doing different things in new spaces, and new things in different spaces.

So what are we doing here? We are on a trod. If you’ve read my first entry you know that 2018 marked the start of this adventure. The people I’ve met and things that I have done have awakened in me a desire to share some professional and personal insights gained along the way.

I’m a lover of long walks and subscribe to the sentiment that life is a journey. Culture continues to be the substance that inspires me. Telling a good story is my gift to you from the Creator. I’m not too bad with a camera either. In a former iteration of my life, I was a photographer, a creative director, and founded a multimedia agency.

Everyone is on a trod. In Rastafari, we are keen to talk about trod and trod-itions. Here, it is culture explored one word at a time. It’s life. It’s livity. It is me sharing my finds as I explore Jah’s creation.

Engage, clap, and partake as you see fit. Give thanks, you made it through the topography of Trodd’s origin story.

Forward ever…on your Trodd.

Rachelle J. Gray is a Barbadian-American writer, creative consultant, and communications specialist. A graduate of SUNY-Buffalo State College, she was a photojournalist before establishing GrayWorks Media, a Caribbean-based multimedia agency. She has written for Island Origins Magazine and is the former editor-in-chief of BimROCK Magazine. A mother of one and an auntie to many, Kingstown Burning is her debut novel.