I wasn’t proud of my roots.
Some of you may not know this, but I was born and raised in Liverpool. Until I left in 2000. I was 19, and felt just like any other person my age felt in their hometown- stifled.
In 2004, under unimaginable circumstances, I went back to my home city to comfort the family of an ex-boyfriend of mine who was horrifically murdered…and understandably, it left a very bitter taste in my mouth and I never wanted to go back.
I didn’t want to talk about it.
I felt extremely angry and confused about what had happened…
It felt like Liverpool has let me down.
I spent the best part of 16 years in judgement of Liverpool.
Until a meditation a few weeks ago brought me back to where I came from. The practitioner guiding me started talking about Liverpool—how loyal and proud everyone is there. He urged me to see things differently.
I realized, yes what happened was horrific, and yes there’s a high crime rate, and a lot of gang related crime in the area, but Liverpool is also rich in enormous creativity, culture, sports and music. The city beats with humility and unwavering loyalty… and if anything, it has given me courage.
Liverpool taught me to be bold and fierce, and to not take sh*t from anyone. It taught me how to stick up for myself. How to defend myself. How to be streetwise.
And when I travelled the world to some of the most dangerous places 10 years ago, I wasn’t scared. Because Liverpool had my back.
What happened could have happened anywhere.
So I let go of the anger. I let go of the pain. I finally let go of the judgement…
I saw Liverpool for what it was, for what it IS.
So honour where you come from. Honour what you’ve been through. Even if, like me, you judge it, there’s a reason why you were born there. Each experiences your roots have brought you were to sharpen you, mold you, and help you be who you want to be.
