The Air I've Breathed: A Personal Memoir

By Shontae L. Brown

The Air I've Breathed is a memoir of the time the author spent at the homeless shelter in Nashville, TN. It is like a love letter to the poor and castdown. What can we learn from this story? Shontae L. Brown explains the most intimate details of her life so that she can be a testimony that although hardships arise, we can all make it through them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664133327

Shontae L. Brown

Shontae L. Brown is a mother two boys and is currently finishing her bachelor’s in health administration at a local college. She attributes all great things that are happening in her life to God and his everlasting mercy on her life. If this book has been an inspiration to you or you want to turn this book into a screenplay or movie, or have her speak at your next engagement, please email at [e-mail].

Book preview

THE Air

I’VE BREATHED

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A Personal Memoir

SHONTAE L. BROWN

Copyright © 2020 by Shontae L. Brown.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/28/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

819970

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Beauty in Our Lives

Chapter 2 Let’s Go Home

Chapter 3 My Unqualified Self

Chapter 4 Budget Aficionado

Chapter 5 The Covenant House

Chapter 6 You Have Permission to Dream Outrageously

Chapter 7 Crossroads

Chapter 8 So What If You’re Broke, It Costs Nothing to Smile

Chapter 9 The Documents

Chapter 10 Because We Are Poor, It Does Not Mean We Cannot Sacrifice with Purpose

Chapter 11 Richer Than The Day Before

Chapter 12 Pour the Wine

Chapter 13 In Silent Prayer

Chapter 14 Never Forget Those Who Have Poured into You Directly or Indirectly

Chapter 15 You Can Find Peace in the Turbulence

Chapter 16 Confined

Chapter 17 The Simulation

Chapter 18 Fear as My Friend

Chapter 19 So You Want to Be Successful?

Chapter 20 Never Sleep on Your Dreams

Chapter 21 Second Chances

Chapter 22 Our Beautiful Struggle

Chapter 23 Give Us This Day

Chapter 24 Our Beautiful Life

I thank you for your grace and I dedicate the first fruit to God.

To my boys Daniel and Orlando, Mommy

loves you always and forever.

To my father Gary Sills, I love you and thank

you for the man you have become.

To Pastor and Evangelist Harris, words

cannot describe the love I have for you.

Jasmine, my right hand, for all those times you

Western Union me cash when I was broke. Over the

years you have always had my back. I love you.

To my sisters Leila and Ivory, thank you for

your relentless efforts to make me free.

To Daniel, Frederick and Joe, thank you for being

my best friends. You get me. I love you.

To Clarence Stallworth, I would search for you a thousand

lifetimes if it was up to me again and again.

To Karen and Drew, thank you for taking me in when

I was so lost. I will never forget your kindness.

To my ancestors, thank you for your sacrifices. I love you.

You all radiate greatness!

INTRODUCTION

Dear Reader,

I am a person who’s been called to add value to mankind and tell of the creator’s mercy over my life while being homeless in Nashville, Tennessee. I have many reasons why I am not qualified, but my life experiences have given me many reasons why I am. As I open up the most intimate details of my life, I pray that God speaks to you. I pray that you see your worth. I pray that you manifest your destiny and fulfill your purpose while living on this earth for all of mankind. I pray that every good thing that’s out there for you falls in your lap, and for those who said you’d never be anything special, that these words will give you hope, inspire you, uplift you, overtake you with love, come alive in you, and clean all of the dark areas you never speak about. Those areas that you hide and suppress. I pray that these life experiences will revive you, give you the blueprint you need, and lead you to a place of peace back to the beginning where you can start anew so that you will leave an everlasting footprint on this earth.

-Shontae L. Brown

CHAPTER 1

The Beauty in Our Lives

I woke up.

I put on one of the two pairs of shoes that I own, made up my mattress that was two inches off the floor, listened to my favorite music while commencing to take a walk in the neighborhood. The sun shined so brightly, and it warmed my skin. I passed a tree that beckoned me. I touched it. Its love went up my right arm and filled my heart. I marveled at the brilliant blue sky and how, when I looked up, we were one. I waved hi to every passerby with high hopes that my smile would light their day. I can never get tired of the opportunity I am afforded to walk and admire the beauty in my life while being homeless.

CHAPTER 2

Let’s Go Home

Location: At Nashville Homeless Shelter, Let’s Go Home!

T here was that feeling again like I left my body and came back because there was something that I must do. I woke up with an urge and saw the TV is still on. Last I remembered I was watching a documentary, and I must have dozed off. Now there is a lady on TV, Ms. Lisa Nichols talking about resetting your life, about how it was her negative badges of being domestically abused and on welfare that made her a CEO, multi-millionaire, and motivational speaker. Mr. Lou Holtz soon followed and started talking about choices—how a person could amount to anything in this country. I sat up on my mat confused. The tears started to swell in my eyes, and I said to myself in silence, So we have graduated from 4:00 a.m. to midnight to see this? I put my head in my hands because I’d been listening, reading and writing, and using everything that God gives me. I was frustrated because I felt like I was being disciplined, like I was not working harder than I already was. You wake me up at midnight and I just got good into my sleep , these were the thoughts going through my head when I calmed down the voices came. Dr. Myles Monroe in his How to Become a Leader motivational track said, An army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep because leadership can turn cowards into violent warriors. Dr. Eben Alexander quoted from his book Living in a Mindful Universe states that progress in life is measured by the choices I make. Mr. Earl Nightingale’s story of Dr. Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds in My Own Garden . Mr. Langston Hughes in Mother to Son, I’ve been reciting this since elementary school to keep climbing. Mr. Michael Mirdad’s The Seven Initiations of the Spiritual Path helped me to understand that this is my initiation. Mr. Daymond John’s The Power of Broke: How