I listen to people, especially strangers, and tell their stories to give them a voice. Stories are the human connections that help us find common ground. They break down the invisible walls that keep us from knowing each other and help us see life from a different point of view. I grew up in Yazoo City, Mississippi and am in love with Mobile, Alabama. The Delta and the Birthplace of Mardi Gras are my favorite places for pictures and stories, but I do this everywhere I go for my blog Our Southern Souls (that also became a book). The dream of writing began with The Southern Rambler and now I write investigative stories for Lagniappe and report for Alabama Public Radio. My series about domestic violence, “From Hell to Hope” won first place in feature writing in 2019 from the Alabama Press Association and my series about sex trafficking, “Sexual Slavery in South Alabama” won the 2020 William H. Johnson Print Journalism Award given by the Medical Association for the State of Alabama and the second place in feature writing for the Green Eyeshade Awards that recognizes excellence in journalism in the southeast. I started the Facebook groups “Faces of Mobile” and “A Day in the Life of Mobile” to show the beauty in the daily life and small moments of a city that is finally reaching it’s potential. People and their stories are where I find inspiration and hope that makes sense in a crazy world.