She's Still Running!
Speaking on the theme The Comeback at Speaker Slam® in Toronto on Aug 16, 2022, Mary Pomeroy-Brown took the stage with a five minute story.
Transcript
most people who know me don't know that I am a runner you won't see me out doing laps and you won't see me with a headband on my head but make no mistake about it I am a runner maybe it came naturally to me you see I was born the daughter of a runner my biological mother Ran So Fast and Furious from her demons that she landed right in the arms of an abusive man in an abusive marriage and one night when things got really toxic she ended up in the arms of a one-night stand and voila here I am a mistake an accident a
glitch in an already toxic man I learned to run before I learned to walk I ran from these abusive hands and his violent temper I ran from my feelings and from my emotions and when I was only four years old he decided to take my mom my brothers and my sisters away from me leaving me behind I Ran So Fast from my feelings and I ran all the way to my Nana's house just a few doors away where the smell of homemade bread right out of the oven was as comforting as her smile and her warm embrace Nana sent me to a private school and
I ran all the way through Elementary School because no matter how many times that bus went around and around the neighborhood kids were waiting launching at me with rocks and sticks and stones and I ran I ran all the way through High School fast forward to my 20s my 30s my 40s heck I ran more marathons than most five miscarriages losing a business our livelihood my house my cars my furniture my piano the music's gone heck I ran so fast and then the ultimate lost my seven month old son there was no loss like that my mind was swirling I was running so fast what
the heck is happening what's wrong with me what's going on who the heck is this Mary anyway I tried to love her but she ran so fast and saw her that I couldn't catch her I had abandoned myself and then just a few short months before her Nana her mom the only mom she ever knew passed away I had my moment her words flowed like butter that day infiltrating my soul as she held my hand and caressed my cheek she said Mary you were never abandoned you were chosen we chose you and we loved you from the moment you were born you are not a
mistake you are a blessing we sent you to a private school to offer you the best you deserve that Mary so Mary stop running a funny thing happened I ran but this time instead of running away from myself I was running toward myself and when I finally caught up to myself it was exhilarating and we had so much catching up to do I signed up for University I became a teacher an interior decorator a Toastmaster hey public speaker and something magical started to happen I became a happy person a more confident person a better friend a better mom and one awesome Nana Where My Embrace
is as comforting as homemade bread right out of that oven I had come back to me so I ask you are you running away from yourself or towards yourself and if you are running away perhaps it's time you came back
Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.