#bethepea

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Haikuing my mood: badass. Honoring my fiercely independent Inner Child today.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Haikuing my mood... and maybe waiting for someone who sees me this way.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

When I'm short on words and heavy on heart, I sometimes haiku my mood. They're deeply personal, often raw and real, I've decided to share some of them with you.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Haikuing my mood. Hindsight.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Haikuing my mood and wearing red chucks with my skinny pants suit to a networking event.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Hard to believe, but that's me at 22 with Ned McWherter, then-governor of Tennessee. I was a college student, wrapping up year four of my five-year plan when this photo was taken at the Governor's Mansion. And for some reason, I had the chutzpah to let down my polished, perfect persona and share a very human, very endearing moment with the Democratic governor of my home state. A few months later, I had the chutzpah to share a print investigative piece with the investigative reporter at my hometown station WMC-TV. He then shared my story with the assistant news director, and I was invited in to talk about my story. I went to the station that day, intent on persuading them to repeat my investigation and let me tag along to learn. Instead, I went home with a career. The following week, I was a working journalist: assoc producer for special projects and investigations. Two months later I landed an exclusive interview with James Earl Ray. It was one heck of a beginning to one heck of a career. Getting in was quick. Getting back has been a long journey. You can read about it here. http://BeTheP.com

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Some moments are so enormous they dwarf you. Memphis. 11/13/1993. President Clinton was in town for a day of events. I'd received Secret Service clearance to drive in the presidential motorcade but was, instead, assigned by the Party to handle the White House Press Corps. As the long day came to a close, a Secret Service agent approached and asked me to follow him onto the tarmac, where Air Force One sat waiting a few yards away. President Clinton exited the motorcade, and just for a moment, I stood in the shadow of a sitting American President. Dwarfed. Humbled. Documented.

[me-and-pea-and-pea-and-me]

Haikuing my mood and writing the soundtrack of my own damn life.