I am ready for it. A month or so ago I watched my old elementary school (Peace River come down).

When I was in elementary school at Tillman, Black History Month was important because I went to a majority black school. Since I moved into middle school (Haile) and high school, Black History Month has not been recognized as much.

I lost a lot that day -- eight years and three schools. It was like a form of Chinese water torture. It was a huge loss, but Tuesday will bring a bit of closure.

The Sunday after (the hurricane) I took Ann Curry (of NBC's 'Today' show) for a tour of the town, and we passed by Charlotte High School. I was fine, but it wasn't until Monday afternoon that I took a few minutes by myself (at the school). It was tough, and that's when it hit me.

It's another piece of the puzzle. We're finally seeing some things happen.

I was an elementary school teacher.