#FineFellasFriday: Mr. Optimism & Jeff Byrd, Men Who Are Motivators
Sorry I've been M.I.A lately. My life is literally a Lifetime movie so it's been difficult to update the blog. When my first book Good Girl Chronicles drops you are going to be beyond shocked at the things that have happened in my life lately. LIKE BEYOND SHOCKED.
For example an old man that let me stay with him in Suffolk, a man I call 'The Hustler', pretty much stole my MacBook charger, threatened to assault me, and admitted to housing prostitutes. Yes this is a true story. More on that another time.
This week Good Girl Chronicles honors two amazing men who have motivated me to keep moving forward, keep chasing God's love, and keep dreaming big. Thank you Mr. Optimism and Jeff Byrd. I am a better person because of your friendship.
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| Me during my reporting days |
Mr. Optimism: I am not using this #FineFellas real name because he never likes to take credit. Whenever I try to give him kudos he says, "The glory be to God." That's just his way. So instead I call this #FineFellas Mr. Optimism because I have literally never seen this man curse or lash out in anger. He is the definition of #ironsharpensiron in Proverbs, the scripture that taught me about friendship. "Iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another."
I met Mr. Optimism at my last television job in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He is hands down one of the best photographers I've ever worked with. His work ethic, skill with the camera, and sharp eye makes him a reporter's dream. Whenever I was assigned to work with Mr. Optimism I always knew our video was going to be framed well, lit to the Gods, and like me he'd strive hard to tell a compelling story. I am totally a better story-teller, because of him.
In television, the best reporters and photographers work together to craft a story. Mr. Optimism was one of the best. He always told me the shots he was getting for a story, asked if I needed anything else, and even listened to me read my scripts to check for errors. If you're a television reporter then you know a hard working photographer can make your story.
Before, reporting in Hampton Roads, I was a reporter for an ABC affiliate in Lynchburg, Virginia. The news was very different there. Some days I'd be reporting on the school system, a cute dog, or a car accident, but seldom was it horrific crime. Lynchburg is one of those southern cities where everyone knows everyone and for the most part it's safe to walk downtown alone at night. Hampton Roads on the other hand is a booming, metropolitan, mixing pot of military families, sailors, veterans, white, black, poor, rich. It's a melting pot. Reporting in Hampton Roads requires a lot of reporters. You have to be quick on your feet for breaking news, strong hearted to face the ugliness of crime, and unafraid to ask the tough questions. There are long weeks, 10 hours days, no lunch breaks, and challenging stories.
Like a lot of new reporters, I started out on nights and weekends when I came to Hampton Roads. I saw my fair share of blood, tears, tragedy, violence, and crime. It wore on me spiritually and mentally. Somehow Mr. Optimism was able to handle the toughness of working nights as a new photographer with ease. I now know it's because he knows who his Heavenly Father is.
Whenever I worked with Mr. Optimism I always knew we were going to tell a compelling story, have a laugh, and somehow endure the tragedies we often had to report on. I could write a novel about all of the tough stories we worked on together and how with his calm demeanor always put me at ease. I could talk for hours about the funny moments we had in the live truck waiting for interviews, cutting video, or eating dinner. Reporters live in live trucks trust me. Mr. Optimism made work fun, and he challenged me to be better. He taught me about the beauty of photography and NPPA, something I knew nothing about before coming to Hampton Roads.
But, more than that Mr. Optimism showed me what it meant to be a real friend. Towards the end of my television career, the ugliness of news was getting the better of me. I was battling insomnia, skipping meals, and beating myself up for every mistake I made. One day, Mr. Optimism turned to me and said, "Lauren, when are you going to learn? You don't work for man. Work to glorify God."
We were sitting in the Panera parking lot waiting for our interview subject to call us back. "You don't understand. I'm trying so hard to be a good reporter, but it's never enough," I replied.
"Man will always fail you, Lauren. Always. That is why you work for God. He is always proud when we work hard," said Mr. Optimism. Such sage wisdom. I wish I would have listened, but I didn't. My depression slowly started to consume my brain with negative thoughts, and I continued to burn myself out trying to impress my news bosses. I later left the television station, after my first suicide attempt in 2014. But, I never forgot Mr. Optimism.
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| Live Truck Life |
FAST FOWARD to JANUARY 2016 Recovering from a depressive episode is hard. It takes a lot of support, love, therapy, and time to beat mental illness. In January of 2016, I started to piece my life back together after the worse depressive episode of my life. I was on a new anti-depressant, watching Joel Osteen, reconnecting with friends, making amends, and looking for work.
Something in my spirit told me to call Mr. Optimism. I'm glad I did. It was just like old times. We talked about the news business. He shared with me that he decided to leave the news to tell stories for an organization called 'Moving Works' (check them out their work is amazing www.movingworks.org). Then I shared with him the depression that almost killed me, the widening rifts in my family, and my desire to know God again. He encouraged me to read Colossians, but I couldn't connect with it. Then he said, read the Book of John. If you're a fan of this blog you know the Book of John changed my life. I found the story of the Samaritan woman a.k.a. the woman at the well. I learned that Jesus came to earth to save God's children and teach them that God's love is like an everlasting water. I learned that I praise a God that is graceful, forgiving, and redeeming. It lit a new fire into my life.
Mr. Optimism is super busy sharing God's gospel in his own way with Moving Works, but we still talk. I love that no matter how much time has passed we can pick up where we left off. We laugh, sometimes I cry, and we always pray. It's the kind of friendship I didn't know I needed. We talked yesterday in fact. To hear his voice was so comforting. I know in Mr. Optimism I have a friend who wants to listens, doesn't judge, and loves me as I am. I was overjoyed to tell him that God is doing a major work in me. I finished the Book of John, and everyday I'm growing close to Christ.
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| I always took selfies before my newsroom live shots #vanity |
Like always he offered the best advice, scripture that was right on time, and reminded me that it's ok to stumble.
Thank you Mr. Optimism for taking the time to sharpen me in ways I never knew possible. I never thought the cool photog from my TV station would be my best friend in Christ. I adore you. #ironsharpensiron #keepslaying boo I'm rooting for you.
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