The Wisdom of Maya Angelou

I was raised in a small town full of white farmers, where the biggest club in high school was Future Farmers of America (FFA).  Therefore, there are a lot of writers and historically famous people that I have never heard of, but most students spent a lot of time learning about.  Maya Angelou is one of those.  After hearing students gush over her and get excited about her arrival on campus, I was convinced that this woman must be amazing to cause all this commotion.  And she was.  Dr. Angelou made you feel like you were sitting in her living room, listening to her tell stories from her life, sing songs of hope, talk brightly of the future, and encourage you about the life path you had chosen.  She was purely inspirational, and gave everyone in the room not only a sense of awe and encouragement, but also a profound self worth.  Despite her many struggles in life, she has developed into a virtuous woman full of grace and beauty who takes joy in helping those around her.  By the end of her talk, I felt that I knew her, that perhaps she was even my grandmother and confidante.  I was extremely impressed by her, and hope that I get the opportunity to hear her speak again some day.