Since my assignment from the committee was to write the presentation speeches, I chose as a theme Uncommon Child — The World Will Speak Your Name. I searched to find inspirational words from  prominent African Americans who had achieved in their respective fields of endeavor, and attempted to weave those words into the achievements, both past and future,  of the graduates. The point was to convey to the graduate that they, too, could be one of the people they have read about or watched on television. I wanted them to believe that not only can they change the world, but that the world is expectantly waiting.

I hope they believed. However, I am sure that, as those graduates listened to the words that I had written just for them, they could not imagine that they would do anything that would set the world on fire. But who can see their greatness when they are young, right?  You take that first step, work at it relentlessly, and the rest  falls into place.

So this week seemed to be a good week to trot out my very first quilt. I do not consider myself a gifted quilter by any means. I quilt because I love to quilt.  But I can say this. I took that first step and made my first quilt. I work at it relentlessly. Now we will just see what happens.

O.V.'s Sampler, by O.V. Brantley, 1999.