Welcome to episode 7 of Blondy’s people. How are we at episode 7 already!
Social inequality has always been a part of my life in different ways. When I was growing there were times we lived in poverty. I have gone to bed hungry and cold. We were often without electric. Heating. Sometimes we didn’t live like that. Sometimes life was OK. But poverty was very much part of my life but trust me, you never forget the hungry days.
Childhood poverty is a significant predictor of poor outcomes across all parts of development. It had an impact on who I went onto be.
I experienced social inequality as I become a bit older, started getting excluded from school which also meant I started to get excluded from society in parts. My actions meant I was excluded for all manner of things around me including positive relationships.
My pregnancy as a child led to more social inequality. I was frowned upon. Choices were taken from me. I was made to feel worthless.
It took many years to shake that stigma, but it has never left me as a person.
I remember feeling like no adult had any idea what life was like for me. That feeling of being a subhuman.
There was other stuff too.
I know that Blondy wanted to speak out about the stuff she was seeing and feeling. But who could Blondy speak to? Who would understand what she was talking about when walking into yet another crack house and being surrounded by things that you didn’t want to be? How can you explain to someone now, as an adult, that you still wake up in hot sweats thinking about how many people you turned into a drug addict? How many people you hurt by selling them drugs?
Blondy was the kid that you didn’t let your child play with.
And as an adult I still struggle to find people that can relate to that world but also to the world I live in now.
Let me tell you about today’s guest, Sunny Dhadley, a man who gets it. Really gets it.
Where do I start…. Sunny knows what it’s like to have nothing but he also knows how to make sure others don’t have to feel like that. Sunny recently gave a TED talk on Lived experiences and social change (You can view this below) that blew my mind. Sunny talks with such conviction that he makes me want to join forces with him and take on the world. He understands why people get in the situation they do, and he also knows that they may not take your advice the first time, or second or even third. He knows that people may have so much going on they may not even know what the issue is themselves. And that’s why he is there…to guide and lead. A leader.
Sunny is a leader with lived experience. And that for sure must be the best kind of leader
If Blondy had worked with a mentor like Sunny life would have been different. She would have an adult that understood where she was coming from but could have also shown her a bright path of where she could go. Without judgment, Without expectation.
As an adult, Sunny makes me feel like we are making a change, us our here using our lived experiences to help and inform others.
And that’s why Sunny is absolutely one of Blondy’s people
Follow Sunny on Twitter HERE