Game Changer: Saturday August 17th, 2013

My life was thrown into a very quick and strange whirlwind on the night of Saturday Aug 17 2013. I had been back home in Denver for about 6 weeks from a year abroad in Ghana where I was working post graduation. I had my hands full in many areas but I loved every moment of it. I was working on promoting our film Sincerely Ethiopia, hosting premieres, organizing for our fall schedule, finishing up interviews and starting my new job, finishing up my contract with my old job and just trying to be present at home with my friends and family. Honestly it was life at 1000 miles an hour I am not exaggerating. Many times to the dismay of my friends and family who couldn’t seem to understand why I was always so busy. For me, I just knew I had a very special a purpose and vision and I could never forget that so I pushed at it, every single day. I was all set to go back to my home Africa. Addis first, Lagos, Abuja and then back to Accra where I was going to call home again for the next year.

I honestly was so excited, I felt like I had the perfect summer. I travelled Europe a bit where I got to see Paris and Madrid with my one of my best friends, left my old job on such a wonderful note and hit the ground running when I got home.  I couldn’t thank God more. Each day I just saw that he put special people, events and things in my life to help push what I really believed in. Opening doors and opportunities where I could not see any and more than that giving me the energy and ability to get through it all. 

Saturday was an awesome day, I deemed that day my day off. I was not going to have more meetings or do work rather use it to enjoy the company of people I rarely get to spend time with. From the morning all the way out. I couldn't help but slide in a breakfast meeting. But in my defense it was with one of the producers of GirlRising, a powerful documentary that I just can not say enough good things about. Just go check it out! We spent a couple of hours in the morning just sharing ideas, experiences and visions we had. Those are my favorite kind of people, who just inspire and challenge you to think of why you aren’t aiming for more. Rediate was just that, we met at Starbucks and she talked to me very candidly about challenges coming into your life as you start to pickup and gain traction. She told me incredibly tough times would come, she told me to prepare for it and to realize that it was all a part of a process that would build me to be stronger and take on more. She encouraged me to be accepting of those moments because it was everything I needed to keep moving forward and grow. (She couldn’t have been more accurate that day, thanks Rediate!)

In the afternoon there was a an event called Cultivate put on by Chipotle (one of my favorite eateries in the US) It was free music at City Park and food all day. I couldn’t resist but to invite all my friends, gather my nieces and go hang out. It was such a chill day, I even had a beer (which I usually hate) and just hung out for hours. Caught up with some old classmates from DU and just enjoyed the day. My friends were so keen on going out that night to celebrate, one last time everyone said before you leave. I really didn’t want to go out, at all. I am not good at drinking, I had become somewhat of a workahlic and really valued my sleep and rest. No one cared, I was told to be ready and we would celebrate. So I went home, finished up some work talked to my director/best friend Nate that night for a while and just shared how excited I was about my morning meeting. All the things I had learned and couldn’t wait to share with my team, they are my rock! His ridiculous energy and positivity sometimes make me sick (literally) but I know I couldn't do what we do with Sincerely Ethiopia without him so I got off the phone on a good note. Promised some notes from my meeting and lots of takeaway tasks.

That night I went over my friends’ house. Everyone was there hanging out getting ready to go out, it was the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary no strange feelings or vibes everyone was in a good mood. I didn’t want to go out even being there I moped around and asked that I be excused from this party for me. We left the house in 2 cars, about 9 of us. We had sober designated drivers because we were drinking a bit and knew better than to drink and drive. We took caution and set off. Even in the car I remember we were having an excellent conversation about what makes successful people we argued passion over hard work, luck, good company etc. Many things trying to figure out how we could each push it to that level. Before I knew it we were hit, really hard from the back.

I don’t want to share more about the actual accident its traumatic. 

But the days coming….my goodness I could not have expected. It’s about midnight now now and my Vicodin is kicking in hard so I’ll take a pause here for tonight. 

-HK