Editor's Note: Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Our internet was out here all day.
We all have a story. My Sunday School teacher is having us relate our story to the rest of our class as just a way to introduce everyone to the new students. I didn't have much of anything to talk about today so...
Let me introduce you to me.
My name is Toni Walker. I am the oldest daughter of two great parents. I have a younger sister, Andi, and a younger brother, Aaron. My mom used to work for a bank when I was little, but since my brother was born she became a stay at home mom. My dad is a sheet metal worker. He's really good at his job (although, retired now). I mean, great! Dad is old school. He knows how to make any fitting he needs, does blueprints and what not. He is very excellent at what he does. And that is probably where I get my drive to be the best me I can be.
My dad got me interested in singing. He used to sing with us on this old tape recorder with a small microphone. He would sing his do-wap music into it and my sister and I would copy him. We have many cassettes of us just singing together. I think people are surprised when I know complete songs by the Platters. That's dad's favorite group. (Don't call it a band, he hates that.)
My mom bought me a small juke box when I was a kid. I wore out the button for the song "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." It was, according to my mom, my favorite song back then. I also loved "Delta Dawn".
My grandfather (really, my step-grandfather, but who's counting) had at one time been the Postmaster of the Centralia post office. But his passion was singing in gospel quartets. He was a bass singer. Funny thing about grandpa. He couldn't comprehend anything he read. Just wouldn't stick. But he could read the bible. He did prison ministry when he was living in Texas. And spoke about the bible. Somehow he could comprehend the bible. Neat, huh?
Grandpa was an ordained minister and could play the piano by ear. And we sang with him all the time. He even had us sing at the churches he went to. Although my sister and brother weren't too keen on the experience, I liked it. He always told me I had a voice for God.
I lived with him and grandma when I went to college. And it was there I discovered contemporary christian music (CCM). Grandpa hated CCM music. He was a southern gospel lover. He loved hymns. CCM music was just too out there for him. But not for me. I didn't let him dissuade me from listening to it.
When I worked in St. Louis, I would take the bus and listen to CCM music and imagine myself singing these songs. I didn't exactly know where I would sing them, but I still liked to do it.
In 1993 I decided to try church again. The thought had been mulling around in my mind. And I hadn't been a church goer since I was a kid in Sunday School.
I tried to go back to the church where I went when I was a child. I asked if I might be able to sing solos. They told me no. Only the pastor and his wife provided music. I took that as a sign I shouldn't go there. And when I related this story to my sister she told me to go to her boyfriend (now husband's) church. And that is where I went. It's where I still go.
Later, I sang a solo at my sister's wedding. And the pastor of my old church wanted to know if I'd be interested in being the worship director. Of course, after my experience with them, I told them no.
I started singing in the choir of my new church the second Sunday I attended. And I did eventually sing solos. I have to admit, I'm not too bad at it. And I like to do it. I don't get to sing solos as much as I'd like, but I'll take what I can get these days.
When I was in sixth grade, I was diagnosed with asthma and allergies. In fact, I was allergic to so many things they couldn't list them all. Surprisingly, I'm not allergic to food. I had the opportunity to sing in a choir when I was in sixth grade. I thought I was good. Grandpa told me I was. But the choir director had other ideas. He told me no. My voice wasn't strong enough to sing. But I didn't want to take no for an answer. It was one of the first times I stood up for something I deemed important in my life.
The choir director let me take voice lessons at his house for six months. After that time, I was then allowed to sing in the choir. And I don't think there has been a time when I wasn't in one.
Music is important to me. It's been important to me all my life. That's because of Dad and Grandpa.
Funny how I don't think of my life as my job. Many people do. As a job, I am a graphic artist at a newspaper. For thirteen years I worked for the Riverfront Times in St. Louis as a Layout Editor slash Graphic Designer. There I spent half my time laying out editorial and half my time working on designing ads.
I now work at my hometown newspaper. I'm still a Graphic Artist. But that label doesn't define me.
In my personal life, I write web serials. I like to write fiction. It's fun. I get a kick out of it. But writing can be scary, especially if you're not very good at it. So, I started out writing fiction about Days of Our Lives. This was back when the internet was a new phenomena and was mostly posted on bulletin boards.
I started writing what they call "fan fiction". There wasn't a name for it at the time. Writing that got me to believe in myself and my writing and it got me interested in writing my own original series.
I spun off the four original characters I had created in Volume 2 of my fan fiction. And from them I created a new series. I called the series, The Legacy. It's all about spies and the spy agency, The Legacy.
I've written on many other series over the years, all of my own creation. I love creating. I love ideas. (I love pens and paper.) I just love coming up with scenes. I know I can do it better. And I know I need more bad guys, suspense or whatever. But I just enjoy the process.
And in fact, working on TV Guide like posters for my web series, actually made me a better designer. Playing around in photoshop on my graphics sure helped me a lot.
So, sorry to ramble on so long, but what about you? What is your story? Mine could go on forever. My prayer for you today is to remember who you are. Remember your story. Don't dismiss yourself. Stand up for you today. Show everyone why it's so great to be you.
Blessings to all today.
P.S. If you want to check out my web series. Click on my Blogger profile. I've made most of them into blogs now.
