An Introvert Tells All

I Reluctantly Wrote My Bio

It is not easy to tell the world who I am.

For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse. So, collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth.

— Zoe Skylar .

I took this advice to heart long before I ever heard someone speak these words out loud!

The complex dichotomy of being incredibly blessed, yet still suffering tragic losses is hard for me to comprehend. I have experienced incredible highs, and devastating lows during my 54 years of life!

I am Daisy Woods and I am also known as Cocoa Griot.

A Seed is Planted

I was born in a small town in East Texas, Tyler, and it is a great place to be from. My mother was a registered nurse and my father was an engineer. My four siblings and I all attended college because education was a high priority in my family.

I was a band geek in high school, and I was on the debate team as well. Writing cases for debate tournaments is where I first discovered my ability to write well. Vocabulary was important because tournament judges always seemed to give you a ‘W’ if you defended your case with sesquipedalian terms.

Battle Ground College

I found myself at a college with 500 Black students on a campus of 25,000. The occasions to write were numerous. I gave speeches in the student union courtyard called brown bag seminars. Students would bring their lunches and listen to me rant about inequity and equality.

I was called “Little Malcolm” by many of the students. I read books voraciously to enhance my vocabulary.

Lovestruck

I met my late husband during an evening out with friends. We knew each other for eight months before we married. We were married for eight years before he passed away. He was the most loving man I have ever met. I loved writing songs and poems dedicated to him. I often asked God why he allowed me to taste Heaven only to serve me a slice of Hell later. Our beautiful son is 32 years old and he is a constant reminder of the love I shared with his father.

The brightest stars are those who shine for the benefit of others.

— Unknown.

Paying Rent on the Dark Side

7 years after my husband’s death I decided to take a chance on love again. I had a king, but when I reached back into the deck, I pulled out a joker.

I cannot articulate fully the abuse I experienced at the hands of this man. Our child is 16 and he still remembers things I suffered at the hands of his father when he was 3 years old.

I did not write at all during this period of my life because I was in survival mode. This man solidified my belief in religion, I know that Hell is real!

The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps but are often not as obvious. In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is what is causing them the greatest harm. ― Lundy Bancroft, Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

The Phoenix Years

I refer to my life now as “The Phoenix Years” because I have risen from the ashes of abuse. I crumbled, but I was not destroyed. I was reborn with a new body, mind, and spirit.

I write because there is simply no room in my head left! I must release my thoughts because they are jampacked inside my brain.

I love everything about my life today. On this platform I strive to encourage others because I see beauty in their work. If people read my work and it moves them, I am grateful.

I am an introvert by nature, but I open my life up to people on this platform because I want to help others. If I hide my story, I am not able to help people that are seeking answers to change their lives.

Please check out my podcast at https://anchor.fm/daisy-woods

You can also purchase my book by clicking this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read my reluctantly written bio.