Stories need to be told, even the ones we are not proud of

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

For those who are just joining this series, I want to let you know you have checked in at a great time. For about six months, I have been sharing one of the most traumatic experiences of my life; my short, painful incarceration in the country of Panama, the five years of house arrest and the many losses I suffered because of decisions I made when I was a much younger woman.

It has been an interesting experience; my parents (especially my mom) have not handled this well. Every edition, she lets me know how painful it is to relive that experience. I have thought of that. It was painful, not just for me, but also for the people who were in my life at that time.

One of the reasons that I have decided to open up about this painful experience is because I really want young people to overstand that the decisions they make have consequences. For some, like myself, these consequences you can bounce back from. It takes a little time, but you can come back. I am an example of that. There are those experiences that you can’t bounce back from, and these are the tragedies that I want young people to avoid.

You don’t hear many people being honest about their failures, daily challenges or addictions. I choose to share these things because I know that my story is not for me; my story is for someone who reads it, can relate to it, and can learn from it.

Let’s be real. Reality is skewed these days. Instagram and Facebook have become a place of posting about your children’s amazing accomplishments, your latest cooking creation, your travels to exotic places, and overall how great our lives are. Those things are great, but there is another side to life that is not smiles, drinks, and great times. These are the stories that remain hidden in your carefully guarded mental treasure chest, not to be seen by the outside world.

I share my story with people who are interested in knowing more about me, and what I have gone through. I REFUSE to have anyone attempt to dig up a story on me to try and make me look bad, especially when I am out there changing the world.

I happened to share my story with a talented creative named Selina McCallum. From the moment I saw this young lady, I knew she was going to be a star. I took her under my wing instantly, and we have had a mentor, mentee relationship for the last three years.

In September, October of 2020, Selina asked me if she could share my story for a project she was working on. She was going to enter my story in for approval, and then she would sit down with me to document it. The project that she was working on was Being Black in Canada, which was created to make up for the blatant lack of diversity and the lack of black people in front and behind the camera in Canada. It gives a voice and a platform to creators who would not otherwise be seen or heard. The Foundation actively promotes equal opportunities for black filmmakers while fostering diversity on our screens that unfortunately showcase content that is too white for a truly diverse society.

I will never forget the day that she sent me the message telling me that my story had been chosen to be filmed and then entered at the Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax Black Film Festivals, as well as elsewhere. The 2019 BBIC films were also broadcast on CBC (Toronto and Halifax), Tele-Quebec (Montreal), TFO (Toronto).

The eight-minute film is a quick synopsis of my experience, and I won’t lie, at first I was like, are you sure this is a good enough story.

Selina assured me that what I was doing was not only brave, but honest and transparent. She reminded me that the reason I was telling my story was for others, and I should not be ashamed by it.

I am thankful to Selina for giving me the strength to share what I have been through. It reminds every day that stories need to be told, even the ones that we are not proud of.