Child
Dominated. 
Externally muted. Trying to hold on. Internally weeping. 
Sade “Soldier of Love.”

Adolescence
Lost control. 
Externally angry. Fighting the entire world. Internally confused. 
Breakfast Club Allison Reynolds.

Young Adult
Stepped aside.
Externally wild. Trying to establish a foothold in this life. Internally in turmoil. Lindsey Lohan – I Live Without Regrets.

Now
Respects.
Externally balanced. Embolden to take on this world. Internally at peace. Founder, creator, visionary and cohost of 
Adoptee Kwento Kwento (AKK).

A voice is inherently given at the time of birth. In childhood, we learn language to sound out the concepts of our thoughts. As a teen we begin to associate emotion with this voice and in adulthood we evolvingly learn how to meld voice, concept, and mission together. 

Prior to AKK, my voice was loud, argumentative, opinionated and full of raw wrath. 

Makes great for a lawyer. Not as a productive advocate that needs to clearly state coherent objectives. Not as an interviewer needing to have compassion for the spoken words adoptees have to hear. 

A voice with sound is confirmation of life.
A voice with sound and opinions is freedom of speech.
A voice with sound, opinions, and mission is a columnist.
A voice with sound, opinions, mission and compassion is genuine leadership & advocacy.  

I started with wanting to be allowed have a voice. 
To see if I had an inner voice somewhere deep inside. 
What would she sound like? 

Then it became – I have a voice, let’s voice what was contained. Stuffed in a box. 
To let’s correct that voice. Make it more polished. 

Now I long to hear other voices. Voices suffocated, stuffed away, held back voices. 
My voice encouraging others to become Voiceful. 
Cheering on, lifting up, providing platform for VOICES. 

My voice. Your voice. Our Voice. Voices. Together.