Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 3-20-20

Feature
Tampa Native Tells ‘Her Story’ Through Squadron Newsletter
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Eboni R. Bailey, who is now TSgt. Eboni R. Bailey, with the United States Air Force (USAF), was asked by her Squadron Commander to write an article for the Squadeon’s Newsletter. The article was to be on “Re- siliency,” and what it means to her.
“It’s a section that’s in the Newsletter each month,” she said via telephone. “Being the only African American female in my Squadron, I am hon- ored. I found it necessary to shed light on my story.
“After reading it aloud for the first time, it brought tears tomyeyesandIknewit needed to be published on a bigger platform,” she ex- plained.
That caused her to reach out to her hometown newspa- per - The Florida Sentinel. The article telling her story was published in the March 2020 Squadron Newsletter.
Having studied Journal- ism in high school at Howard W. Blake at the suggestion of her middle school instructor, TSgt. Bailey says this is her first attempt at writing an ar- ticle since leaving school.
“My middle school teacher suggested I study
Journalism since I did so well in Creative Writing. But, there is a difference in Cre- ative Writing and Journal- ism.” She wrote for the school newspaper.
Having been in Hawaii for 3 years, she and her 5-year- old son are now adjusting to life in Colorado. This month marks 10 years that she has been in the Air Force.
Among family members who reside in Tampa are: mother, Adrian Bailey; fa- ther, Kevin Jackson; sev- eral siblings; and other family members. She and her son were in Tampa to visit last month.
Below is the article printed in the Squadron Newsletter.
‘Resiliency’
“Growing up in the Sun- shine State with action- packed theme parks and clear blue beaches, one might think being a child in Florida would be amazing. Unfortunately, that’s not always the reality, specifically where I was raised: poverty loomed over us all as drugs and violence ran rampant in the streets.
As a young girl raised in a single parent household, I al- ways longed for more; more than what I saw and what my
TSGT. EBONI BAILEY
moving forward even when things are challenging.
“It’s not how you start, but how you finish,” this quote deeply resonates with me. Whenever faced with ad- versity, I remind myself of this very notion. I have dedi- cated my life to inspiring oth- ers specifically those that were raised in an imprisoning environment like mine. My greatest dream is to make it out and show others they can, too. There’s no greater joy, than hearing from others, “Your story inspired me,” or “Because of you, I didn’t give up.”
So what does this “re- siliency” word mean to me, you ask? It means that my life and desires are non-nego- tiable. It means that even if I stagger, I will not stop. I be- lieve God created me for a time such as this, so no mat- ter what, I will be deliberate in my pursuit of freedom, purpose, and happiness. A thought provoking book I read, Start with Why, by Simon Sinek challenged me to be intentional about both my life and legacy. I want to be remembered as the little girl who always knew she could!
Ironically, today marks ten years I’ve been in the Air Force, and although I’m not a pilot, I’ve been able to fly
after all.” EBONI BAILEY TSgt., USAF NCOIC, Commander’s Support Staff 17th Squadron 2 Mar 2020
environment had to offer. As a child, I remember wanting to fly, not planes or helicop- ters, but I wanted to soar far above my reality and get a glimpse of a view from the top. And so you have it, I made a decision a long time ago to do just that. Even at this very moment, I am still on my journey of elevation.
Transcending is such a beautiful feeling, but to be one hundred percent honest, I don’t experience a smooth flight everyday — sometimes I falter, run out of fuel, and occasionally crash. As I strive to conquer my day-to-day quests being a single mother, business owner, mentor, NCOIC, and occasional ther- apist to my crazy friends; I often wonder, “Where do I find enough hours in the
day?”
I proudly carry the re-
sponsibility of helping, in- spiring, and fueling those who need it most. To my loved ones, I’m considered as the “strong” one. What they don’t know is there are days that I cry, get overwhelmed, and downright discouraged. Who knew being an adult came with so many complex- ities, responsibilities, and de- cisions? I sure didn’t, but I am so grateful because things could be far worse.
Although I managed to es- cape my childhood environ- ment, many of my closest friends and family did not. So when I’m feeling down, I think of them and just how far I’ve come. Knowing that I don’t ever want to go back, gives me the fuel to keep
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