She Survived It... Then She Built the Life She Dreamed Of
Updated: 17 minutes ago
Written by Tamia Coleman
Recognized by The Washington Post as “unforgiving and darkly hilarious,” and praised by The New York Times as “brutally honest and outrageous,” Patricia Williams—widely known as Ms. Pat—has built a career out of telling the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
I recently had the opportunity to attend Ms. Pat’s book talk with 44th and 3rd Bookseller, and honestly, I left feeling inspired. Hearing Ms. Pat speak about her journey was a powerful reminder that your past does not have to determine your future. Her story is anything but traditional. Before the television deals, Netflix special, sold-out comedy shows, and The Ms. Pat Show, there was a young woman in Atlanta simply trying to survive.
In her first memoir, Rabbit, Ms. Pat opened up about becoming a mother at a young age, selling drugs, and navigating poverty and trauma. Eventually, with encouragement from her husband and a caseworker, she stepped onto a comedy stage and discovered something she never knew she was looking for.
Now, in Ms. American Dream, she picks up where Rabbit left off, sharing how she went from food stamps and Section 8 housing to Hollywood writers’ rooms, television deals, and a life she once could only dream about.
What stood out to me most during the book talk was not just everything Ms. Pat has accomplished, but the fact that she was willing to share the parts of her story that could have easily been hidden.
She did not allow her past to become her identity.
She used it as part of her story.
Listening to her speak was a reminder that sometimes we can look at where we are in life and feel like our circumstances have already decided our future. Ms. Pat’s journey proves otherwise.
You can change. You can start over. You can discover a new purpose. And you can build a life that looks completely different from the one you once thought you were destined to live.
Walking away from that book signing, I was reminded that the dream does not have to make sense to everyone else. Sometimes you just have to believe that it is possible for you.
Ms. Pat’s story is proof that no matter where you start, you can still become the person you dreamed of being.
Comments