A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR JACOB GROVEY

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Grovey moved to Austin over ten years ago. He has been here long enough that he considers himself an Austinite. He started writing in elementary school. It started because of an assignment from his teacher. One of the greatest teachers was his third grade teacher, Mrs. Armstrong. “What always sticks out to me and what I always tell people is when she wanted us to do a writing assignment about poetry, she said,” if you like rap, you like poetry. So if you don't want to write a poem, write a rap verse. That is the moment that will always be my turning point.”

Grovey chose to make the transfer into publishing books when his niece was born. The Adventures of Austin is inspired by her. He did not want her to grow up how most of the people in the black community do, which is to not see themselves ever represented in the books they read. I said,”let me write this book for my niece so she will see herself in the book. She sees it. She loves it. She takes it to school. So now she says that’s her book.” Grovey releases books, not just for his niece, but for other kids who want to see themselves also.

Grovey does write adult books as well. The first book he actually released before the children's books was a collection of poetry called My World, My Words, Confessions of a Cluttered Mind. He did this because he deals with a lot of stuff just like we all do. But many times “we don't like to express our pain, especially in the black community. You want to act like you're always strong, everything is always good. You're never dealing with any issues.” He went on to say what he dealt with was his heart break when he had to deal with losing people around him and he had his own suicidal thoughts. “I had to put it out there because if I'm dealing with it, somebody else is dealing with it.However,they might not be willing to express themselves or they may feel that they are alone.” Grovey has made himself an open book and let other people know they are not alone. He always hoped that would be the starting point to get people to open up so they can feel better and seek the help that they need.

When asked what is the book club? Grovey explained it is basically anybody who supports any of my projects. Whether they purchase one or all of my books, they are members of the book club. He likes to show love to those who show love to him. So on his website, there is a dedicated section for the book club and you will see all

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SHE SPEAKS WELLNESS: ONE BREATH, ONE MOMENT, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Our emotional wellness is tested every day. As you look around, there are times when life can be difficult. We must quickly recognize how these experiences can impact us positively or negatively.

It is time that we look at our wellness holistically. The SAMSHA defines wellness in eight dimensions: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social. I have encountered women who have had challenges with more than half of these areas. For example, we may have lost our job (occupational); which may cause depression (emotional); which may contribute to medical challenges (physical), which then creates isolation (social). Which could create a distance between you and God, affecting our spiritual health. Before you know it, you are wondering, how did I get here? Do you see how this works? Do you know how the vicissitudes of life can spiral down so quickly?

Instead of ignoring them, take the time to slow down, breathe, and reevaluate your wellness. It is okay to not feel well every now and then - eat your favorite ice cream sprinkled with chocolate. However, do not stay there. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That means we can still have gratitude for our weaknesses. When you are at peace, you have more joy. With joy, you have good health. With good health, you are now ready to face any challenges. These are opportunities for growth, gratitude, healing, and restoration.

Therefore, we must recognize all aspects of life’s wellness instead of bypassing others. It will take one breath, one moment, one day at a time.

Reference: SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – Eight Dimensions of Wellness: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/s ma16-4957.pdf