32. (S1E32) Life Will Bring You to Your Knees. Get Up. With Angela Loughridge

Lori Saitz: 00:02

Hello, and welcome to Fine is a 4-Letter Word. My guest today is Angela Loughridge.

Angela Loughridge: 00:09

Hi, how you doing? Lori? Thanks so much for having me.

Lori Saitz: 00:14

It's my pleasure. Let's, let's start off with the the first and always first question, which is, what were the values and beliefs that you have? That, that affected you as you move into adulthood?

Angela Loughridge: 00:29

Yes, they affected so much to I didn't realize that until this stage of life, but I was primarily raised by a single mom. And her philosophy, which she taught me in which I have embraced has been really be stronger than life. Because life is gonna come at you with so many obstacles, so many challenges, that you really just need to be stronger in any way. Anything that you can do to be stronger than life, do it. You know, so I don't know if that's a positive thing or a negative thing. You know, but that was her advice. And

Lori Saitz: 01:14

did she teach you specific things to do to make you strong?

Angela Loughridge: 01:19

Oh, it was kind of like a DIY, because for her to make just to be transparent with her lifestyle. And since that time, she has been delivered from this, but it was a she was a functioning alcoholic, you know, so it was alcohol that made her fortified stronger than what life was throwing at her. And so she didn't say with words, but she did say it with example of how to cope, so to speak. But, you know, I chose a different path on how to be stronger. And I don't know, again, I don't know if it was healthy. But, you know, until I got around more positive influences, you know, it changed for the better.

Lori Saitz: 02:04

Did you seek out those positive influences

Angela Loughridge: 02:06

on the show, I had to seek them out, you know, uh, you know, some people, they get to a point like myself, I got to a point where I was just like, I'm just tired, I'm just tired of being angry all the time, you know, because you know, this, you know, if you get hard, and you stay hard, and then that also hardens your heart. You know, and when you become hard on the inside, you automatically come hard on the outside type of thing. You know, if you don't have positive interventions, so I was just tired of being angry all the time, and always having to be the tough person. And until I was introduced to some positive people, you know, and I was just like, wow, they're different, you know, they still have life happening to them, but they have a positivity with their resiliency. And so I just sought out, you know, them with more questions. And it wasn't overnight, you know, we know nothing, nothing happens overnight. So I it was over a course of I daresay, over 15 years where I, you know, this is after college. This is, after any educational institutions where I purposely sought to surround myself with people who had a more positive outlook in life than I do, but also overcame obstacles. So

Lori Saitz: 03:36

yeah. Yeah, I mean, well, we all have obstacles, different ones, and they look different, you know, from the outside somebody else's look like they were easier than ours. Right. But, you know, going back to your point of spending it, having it take 15 years, I mean, I really think it's a lifelong journey. Personal Development is something that we're always

Angela Loughridge: 04:03

right. Absolutely. I would say the 15 years is when I finally could let go of the anger. You know, and have the still have the tough skin but have a soft heart. You know? Yeah, so that's, that was learned. And that was set as an example for me through various people, various positive associations all over all those years. And you're right, I'm still developing I'm still not where I want to be. You know, and I guess we shouldn't you know, cuz I guess we'd be super boring if we were but there's always something to work on.

Lori Saitz: 04:43

Exactly. There's always something there's there's a difference though, between being content and being complacent.

Angela Loughridge: 04:51

I agree. Absolutely. Yes.

Lori Saitz: 04:56

Yeah. So being content and, and accepting where we are and still being on this journey?

Angela Loughridge: 05:02

Yes, absolutely.

Lori Saitz: 05:05

How did things change for you? When once?

Angela Loughridge: 05:08

Yes, so I started seeking ways to be a positive influence and other people's lives. And that's actually what led me. And in my husband actually to found a to found, I guess, we were founders of a girl empowerment program called Response.Ability. And we still are a service, the board president and CEO, and loving every day of it. And the thing is, is that I realize that if I needed that help, how many other girls, you know, growing up, need that as well, you know, prior to becoming adulthood into their adult stage, you know, so, and being recipient of positive influence and environments, I was like, Well, you know, what, now that I have the place and the resources to do so, let me create that environment and positive influence for the generation behind me.

Lori Saitz: 06:14

I love it. I'm glad you brought that up. I was gonna bring up that organization. How long has that been?

Angela Loughridge: 06:19

Yeah, responsibility. It has been in existence in my mind for ever seems like, but it manifested with the 501C3 in July of 2019.

Lori Saitz: 06:34

Okay, so it's, it's not correct. hodlers?

Angela Loughridge: 06:38

Correct. But this is crazy. We have grown by 300%. Since 2019, as far as our outreach, donations, visibility, and we actually had a statistician, a stats person actually analyze our growth. And she's like, Oh, my gosh, you guys have grown 300% Since you've launched, I was like, wow, I'd been working the whole time. I didn't notice but, and this is in this is with a pandemic under our belt. I mean, I guess it's technically pandemic season. Right now, we're not, you know, fully replicated from but with that global challenge, we still grew. And so we have, I guess, you can put our organization with dog years, you know, or cat years, you know, one year equals seven or eight.

Lori Saitz: 07:35

Right, right. Yeah, well, and it's a testament to the need for it. Obviously, I want to explore a little bit more about you said it was in your mind for many years. What was it that, like, take us on the journey of how you came up with this idea? And what it what you had to do to make it?

Angela Loughridge: 07:56

Yes, so Response.Ability is launched out of, of course, the need, you know, I saw that I wasn't the only woman who was dealing with the expectations of being tough all the time. You know, but with a lack of resources, you know, and lack of healthy resources, let's just say that. And I also saw so much inequality going on and between genders. And again, that's just my personal journey. You know, some women can grow up and be like, Oh, see, there's any, any, inequalities? Well, from my standpoint, you know, in my experience, I did see that firsthand. You know, I saw Confident, Assertive, not aggressive, assertive women be called the B word, you know, but then I also saw confident assertive men be called, oh, he's such a leader. You know, it's like, okay, that and that's, of course, an elementary definition of what I saw, but I was like, okay, and then every day seeing something like that, and I was just like, Okay, we need to change the image of First of all, we need more confident women who are comfortable and who they are, so that they do not have to feel like they need to emulate someone they don't need to. They don't have a tendency to be catty, or backbiting, or jealous or envious because those bring out other nasty qualities in us. You know, so if you have healthy women who are confident who they are, if they're a girly girl, they're a tomboy if they are, you know, creative person, or they're scientists like my backgrounds in computer science, you know, then go ahead and just be comfortable in who you are, and then also add on that emotional stability, you know, and so it Just years and years and books and books and conferences and conferences of just sitting in and, and seeing all that just mentioned. And I was like, You know what? I can start right where I live, you know. And so the nonprofit was born out of just experiencing so much and being frustrated that no service like that was available, where I lived. And when definitely, when I was growing up, I got a taste of it. I guess it was a heist? No, hold on. Yeah, it was a I'm sorry, middle school program. And as a male and no longer exists, but it was called becoming a woman program. And it changed my life. It was just a group of women in the community that came to my middle school, it was like, one day after school once a month, but they talk about things with us that I don't know if my mother was too embarrassed to talk to me about or didn't know herself. But it just enlightened me, I was just so grateful for it. And, again, I don't see that in existence anymore, and definitely not in the schools. So I was like, you know, what, let me bring back what was an inspiration and upliftment for me at such a formidable years. In those formidable years, as you say? And let me bring that with, up to date realistic, you know, circumstances.

Lori Saitz: 11:34

Right? Oh, yes, we were kids. So, you know, you're right, because kids now are facing so many more influences, not just from parents and in school. But, you know, we can't have this question without mentioning social media and how that is played such a big part in influencing girls, images of themselves and images and how they see the world.

Angela Loughridge: 11:59

Yes, in fact, Response.Ability did an engagement in September that focused on positive body image, you know, because oftentimes, social media will teach one image of the perfect woman. And we know, that's not true, you know, and

Lori Saitz: 12:26

they can't get any more sighs

Angela Loughridge: 12:29

You know, anyway.

Lori Saitz: 12:31

But yeah. When you talked about seeing the disparities, in your personal experience, is that do you feel like that's because you worked in the industry that you were in? You said you had a degree in computer science? And then I know you also, yeah, banking industry? Do you think that was? That was a lot of a lot of? Oh, yes. And why you saw that?

Angela Loughridge: 12:56

Yes. Because first first row seats, you know, because it was where I graduated, my undergrad degrees in computer science and graduate is international business, you know, so ever since I've graduated college, I have been in male dominated industries, hands down. And I knew that going in. But remember, I had the tough, hard exterior, I could do anything, I can overcome it, which is true, you know, but when you keep seeing that over and over and over again, it doesn't start to affect you, you know,

Lori Saitz: 13:33

yeah, it wears you down. There's, you can be tough, you can have the right mindset, and when you keep going up against that every single day.

Angela Loughridge: 13:43

Absolutely. Yeah, you definitely understand. So that was it, you know, and it was where will, I know, you'll eventually get to this, but I thought I was doing fine, actually. Because through the cycles of the hard, and the cycles of overcoming obstacles, quote, unquote, on my own, you know, I thought I had arrived when I finally got a position in finance, that took me out of the face to face contact with my clients, which was on the investment side and actually put me on the back end. So I was more directing where the money went, you know, when trades occurred, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, you know, but that actually that quote unquote, dream you know, on the on the corporate side, basically became a nightmare, you know?

Lori Saitz: 14:42

Yeah. So what you thought was, what, what what you thought you were getting into was out to not be? Exactly

Angela Loughridge: 14:54

yeah, so, of course, I've had Response.Ability, we still of course exists I was Belize, you know, you know, large and in Georgia and my mind, of course, and, and becoming more more recognized in our communities, and we're so grateful for that. So I, of course had that on my off times, you know, and that was successful still is, you know, and I was like, well, I could just transfer the success to what I'm doing in the corporate side, too, and, you know, have the same positive, you know, associations, you know, when I got this promotion, but unfortunately, no.

Lori Saitz: 15:38

So, tell us more about that, because you had a lot going on in one year. And, and I don't I want to go through that briefly. But I also want to focus on it's not what was happening to you, it was kind of more looking at it from what was happening for you, and how, what we wanted from that, that one year, yeah.

Angela Loughridge: 16:04

Yeah, so when I, when I reached my plateau of fine, was when it was the fall of actually 2020, you know, so we were, that was still within the first six, or I guess, six or eight months of the pandemic, you know, but as far as me personally, you know, things were fine. You know, they were actually I was getting, I got the promotion that I wanted for years, you know, in finance, so I was able to take my analytical mind, and, you know, be able to use it on the back end of investments in retirement, and, you know, make sure that all of our clients, you know, money went to the right spot, and, and moving from the face to face contact with my clients to the backend, where I could just dress any way I wanted to work from home, you know, like, Oh, this is so great. But my 40 hour, 45 Hour Work Week turned quickly into like, 68 to 70 hour work weeks, and that great, you know, because Money Never Sleeps. And so my territory, quote, unquote, went from just a local Virginia area to the entire United States, you know, so I had to be available for every time zone that we service. So that was from Maine to Hawaii. And it, I did not realize that I was thinking when I took the job, you know, probably still would have went that way, but wouldn't end up happening from October to December of 2020. I did not realize how fast things were affecting me negatively, you know, so first, I had the stress of long hours, you know, and we can see, you know, that wasn't just Monday through Friday, it was actually weekends too. And then, with that I wasn't eating properly, and I wasn't resting properly. So I was always thinking about work and eating while working. And, you know, it was just ridiculous, really, I just, I couldn't even now I look back on I was like, I couldn't believe I let myself get so out of balance. And I know, that means something different to everyone.

Lori Saitz: 18:30

But it's pretty common, especially for women, because we have so much that we're trying to accomplish, that things get weak and the last on the list, who to take care of. And so that's very easy to fall into that trap of not sleeping, not eating well, taking care of yourself down. It's a quick downward.

Angela Loughridge: 18:53

Yeah. And at the same time, I'm trying to prove myself as in this new role, you know, again, male dominated, you know, industry because, quote, unquote, only men have analytical minds where they can, you know, press numbers like that. And, you know, those, those are the lies I was told, but anyway, but I had gotten to that point where I was just trying to actually, unfortunately, people please you know, and occupational please, at the same time running the nonprofit and dealing with the pandemic and you know, dealing with in laws, you know, everything just becomes a big pile, you know, after a while, and then in December, things started to get really unfine for me, it was where

Lori Saitz: 19:44

Unfine.

Angela Loughridge: 19:46

It was where, I mean I tell the youth that I teach now, I tell them you cannot avoid this because life at one point will bring you to your knees You know, when you think that you have it by the mane, by the tail, it really has you, you know, if you are not aware, if you don't slow down, reflect, if you don't breathe every now and then. So what happened was that all sudden I'm working is one of my super long days, you know, you start at six or 7am. I didn't get finished until like, seven or 8pm. You know, but it was in the middle of one of those days, my right eye just started hurting, you know, I was like, oh, god eyelash went the wrong way, you know, and it was just, it was just a constant annoyance, and then it got to a constant pain. And then it got to a point where the whole side of my right of my head was throbbing. And then the eyes started turning really red. And then it got to a point where I was sensitive to light in the right eye. That could even open it well. And so I'm looking at, I had three computer screens, I had to work with two for the job. And I had to put on sunglasses. In fact, I remember my husband walking up behind me, because he worked from home at that time, too. And he was like, What are you doing wearing sunglasses in the house? I was like oh, well, that's funny, because just like my, my vision, it was dimming at that point, you know, which is unfortunate, but I was wearing sunglasses in the house. And it this happened over a course of five days, this progression of this AI piercing I mean, I can't even say like irritation, it was literally hurting. And I would have take NyQuil to go to sleep. And on the fifth day, my husband was like, Look, if you do not go to a doctor today, then you're not gonna have a place to sleep tonight. Okay, because I can't watch you be in pain and work like that. And, you know, put yourself through this torture. So I had to let my remote boss know, look, I need to go to the doctor. Mind. Same thing I just explained to you. I was telling her. And she was like, oh, sorry to hear that. Well, how's your other eye doing? And I was like, oh, you know, it's really okay. The other I was doing our rain, but the pain is so great. You know, I'm just gonna have to go. She was like, okay, are when you come back? Crazy, you know, this was, I've had an experience of myself, I wouldn't believe it. But as I look, I'll have to come back when I get to that, you know, get from the eye doctor. You know, we'll see how this goes. We anyway end up being that I had an eye injury that was so rare that less than 200,000 people united states of america actually got it. And so I got referred immediately to a surgeon for this. And it was just back to back visits, I had to go at least once a week, they had to do special drops. And oh, it was awful, painful, awful. And this is through the Christmas season. This was through all the New Year's gatherings. And slowly but surely, I mean, it was just basically and that basically it was quite pronounced, but it was I inflammation that I had to get under control before they could find out the cause. And so in the process of that through medication in the holidays, and all that. In January, I got the phone call that my father had just passed away suddenly. Yeah. And it was were pre COVID We had put him in a nursing home because he had developed dementia and also hopper. And it was where as a family, we could not take care of him, you know, we're like in our home and, you know, work and all that. So pre COVID We put him in this facility, but unfortunately, that's where he ended up passing away. And it was so fast and sudden that you know, it was clearly a shock, you know, and the crazy thing about it too, he passed away on his birthday, which was January the 11th. So, I got that phone call while working with one eye, dealing with the pain, letting that subside or trying to get it under control. And then crazy things were going on with our country, you know, as you know, that was not too long after the insurrection and worried you know, it'll go down the street and so our neighborhood is very divided on views like that. And so a husband now we're very concerned about our comings and goings, which is unfortunate that even our personal space felt violated. And then a few weeks after that, I mean, will a whole process I had to bury my father remotely, you know, because of COBIT COVID. It was a height of COVID. Nine, he was in a different state. And that was another awful thing. And then in addition to that, at the end of January, beginning of February, I believe my manager, just let me know, hey, you know, all the work you're doing is great. And, you know, in a year, we know, was tough because we were trying to get assets moved for our clients, tax obligations, all that they wanted to count for 2020. So thanks for working, you know, those 14 hour shifts really appreciate it. This is the thing though, all the work that you did, we were using as training to train this new facility that we have opening up in the Philippines. So thank you so much for your all your hard work, because now we have this training module for this new staff in the Philippines. And I was like, Okay, we're doing something good. And they and then she said, Yeah, because by the time March rolls around, your job position will be eliminated.

Lori Saitz: 26:26

Wow, thanks for Boston. Correct. All these time. Right. Bye. Bye.

Angela Loughridge: 26:32

And thanks for the training material, by the way. So Right. Again, I'm dealing with the one I just buried my father remotely. I didn't even see him. Just technically got laid off over the internet.

Lori Saitz: 26:50

Yeah, remote thing.

Angela Loughridge: 26:52

And okay. And march in, like one month time, I will have an income that I couldn't count on, you know? Because I didn't know how the severance package would go. It was just too early to get those details. Right. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, everything got unfine.

Lori Saitz: 27:14

Did you backing up for a second? Did you find out what caused? Yes.

Angela Loughridge: 27:18

It wasn't until the summer of 2021, though, that found out that this is just a side note on 90% of African Americans have a vitamin D deficiency. And it shows up differently. And like different ways, you know, for different African Americans if they don't have enough vitamin D.

Lori Saitz: 27:47

Okay, you know, this public service announcement? Because I I don't, I didn't know that it was that high for African Americans. But I know that for Americans in general, is very high as well. Because we don't spend, correct, correct. Correct. That's how it showed up for you.

Angela Loughridge: 28:07

Yeah. Because for the universal I wasn't eating properly during this, those stressful times, you know, and so it wasn't, it didn't, I was probably deficient in other vitamins. But that was the one specifically that caused the inflammation in the eye. And it obviously it took months and months of research to even find that. And, and thank goodness, you know, summer came around, and I was able to spend some time outside and actually get that vitamin D but also had to supplement as well. And so the real test will be this winter, when the sun and the outside availability won't be there. And we'll we'll you know, we'll continue to stay positive of course, but at least I don't have all those other things going on.

Lori Saitz: 28:54

Do you need like, like those lights that give you know, they'd have for people who have seasonal, seasonal something called sad seasonal something disorder. It's not coming to me, but there's a special way that gives

Angela Loughridge: 29:08

them now you're teaching me something? I don't know. There's like I said, this is all new to me. So it's hard to look into.

Lori Saitz: 29:14

Okay. All right. Well, and I know I like I personally take a vitamin D supplement, because I had very low years ago and so I've just always for the past seven years.

Angela Loughridge: 29:26

Yeah, well, I have to quadruple up my vitamin D, because it's the melanin in African American skin that blocks most vitamin D that's absorbed by the sun. So you know, that's a blessing and a curse, I guess. But it's where it's where it really showed up bad for me with that deficiency. So, yeah, that was a winter of 2021 for me Yeah, so 2020 to 21. Yeah,

Lori Saitz: 30:05

yeah. Yeah, right. Right. Right. So yeah, less than a year ago. Wow. Okay, so lots of good. Lots of good, good value in this episode, things to pay attention to, let's touch on. I want to go back to the organization's Response.Ability for just a minute, oh, you know what, we're gonna cut this part out where I want to go, okay, is not there, I want to go to where you ended up. Net. So you were let your job ended. And you were looking for new opportunities, because I'm really excited to share with, with my listeners, how sometimes, doors are closing, words are always closing, and other doors are opening. So you didn't know when that first door closed, where you were going to end up, but you are doing such wonderful work. Now, different completely different direction.

Angela Loughridge: 31:08

So I appreciate that. Lori, yeah, so the victory is where, when everything was stripped away from me seemed like my health, you know, when you have a parent pass away, of course, that changed your perspective on everything. See, and then my financial security was gone, you know, and I even told my husband, I was like, Look, I understand, we could probably make it on one income. But let's be honest, we don't want to do. So it was where I was in a difference, but I never been before, you know, so it made me vulnerable. You know, so that hardened shell where everything depended on me that was that was broken away, it was no longer I could depend on myself. So I started reaching out. And of course, responsibility was doing well. And and that's great to have a wonderful board. You know, my board, Vice President and Board Secretary have been phenomenal, and they still are phenomenal, with keeping that part going. But professionally, on the profit side, I guess you would say, because I didn't want to continue to rely on donations and grants and all that for my income that will be later Later later. But for right now, I wanted to still use my technical analytical skills in another way. It was a girlfriend of mine, that we actually had a prior business together. It was a for profit business. And since then, she had left, which was fine, we left on great terms. And she was like, you know, and I want to go into education, you know, our backgrounds in accounting. So we're both finance numbers, people. And she was like, you know, education isn't calling me, you know. So I reconnected with her. And I said, You know what? You were telling me a few years ago how much you loved education. And you said it was a great career switch? Can you tell me more about that? She was absolutely let me walk you through the process. Let me tell you this, let me tell you that they need career switchers in schools because they want your real life experience. She just talked to me for like a whole afternoon, it seemed like and so I went through the process of doing the application doing the testing, finding a school system that actually took career switchers, and did several interviews. And by May, the end of April, beginning of May of 2021, I was extending an offer by a local high school to teach get this computer science and economics and personal finance. So I have six classes that I teach at the high school level. Four of them are computer science base, and two of them are economics and personal finance, because they said that you are a perfect fit. Never heard that word for a job. But anyway, they say you are a perfect fit for what our students need with real life experience, we can get your teacher's license. Later, we'll put you on a provisional license. And you can go ahead and apply for your permanent license if you want to continue teaching because we'd love to have you at least for the 2021 2022 school year.

Lori Saitz: 34:29

Wow, that is so interesting, and so heartwarming that you were able to take all of your rational experience and now poured into education system. He loved it.

Angela Loughridge: 34:43

I'm scared to use that word yet because I thought I am going to challenge that. I enjoy definitely and the kids they are and for the most part, like 80% of them. Are these sponges. They're just like oh tell them what stories about work, you know, and a cool thing to Lori, I never thought about this, but they said, you know, thanks for telling us your background because I had them get to know me at the beginning of the school year. And they're like, We know that the work you give us make sense. It's not just busy work, we know the work you're giving us and the things you have to think through are related to the real world. And not saying anything negative about teachers who've been teachers ever since they graduated college. But the real life experience is really what the students are hungry for.

Lori Saitz: 35:39

Sure, yeah, that makes sense. Right, it's more relatable, so it makes them interested in learning.

Angela Loughridge: 35:49

Yeah, so that has made it the love part. Yes, I will dare say love, you know. And, and, yeah, it's, it's really been a turn of my life I never thought I would enjoy and my eye healed in June of this year, just before summer school started, which was wonderful. And, you know, I know now that I've endured so much, and I know that now, it's where my vulnerability has brought me to a place of at least peace, you know, knowing that if something else super hard, comes along, that not only do I have the resources, but also have the experience to, to endure, and look for the next positive chapter.

Lori Saitz: 36:43

That word evolve. 100 vulnerability has come up a lot for me in recent conversations. And it's just it's, it's, a lot of people have a difficult time wrapping their head around allowing him to be vulnerable. And yet, as you're talking right now, that's the only place where people can really come in, and help you is when you allow that vulnerable. Allow yourself that vulnerability. Yeah. And they can comment.

Angela Loughridge: 37:12

Yeah, and it's interesting. And I don't want to go over your time, but it was where what I found was that to be vulnerable, you don't tell everybody your life story, you know, like this, such as you know, but it does need to be a place where when you approach someone, you never know how they can impact your life, you know, that you come with a positive humility, you know, you come with, you come to circumstances, knowing that you know what, the circumstance I'm in right now is not permanent, you know, good or bad. You know? Yeah, but yeah, you know, and I don't know if it's okay to mention her on your podcast, but Brene, brown, actually helped me realize that it was all my times of commuting back pre COVID, you know, listened to I think it was one of her books dared lead, I listened to that audiobook. She talked about vulnerability, and I was like, that's a weak lady. You know, being a woman, we can't show our vulnerability at all. We can't cry at work. We can't, you know, do all those stuff and be taken seriously. But she wasn't talking about that she was talking about letting you know, asking questions, being humble enough to say, Gosh, I don't know the answer to that. I have some growing to do, Hey, would you be able to help me? You know, I don't have all the answers, but I'm growing. Is that all right. Thank you. You know, please, thank you. And just remembering your manners as you continue to grow and personally develop.

Lori Saitz: 38:50

That thanks for bringing up Brene Brown because she is synonymous with vulnerability. Yeah. Before we wrap up, tell us what the song is that you listen to when you were going through all those tough times. But what was it that energized you? Or even maybe you still listen to it? Now? We all need, we all go through points where like, I need to charge it up in hyped up?

Angela Loughridge: 39:15

Absolutely. I would say it was it is Storms in Africa, by Enya. And it just reminds me of a place where I was when I went to West Africa. And I'm not West African, you know, but my DNA has actually been traced back to us Africa, which I thought was super cool. Technically, my DNA has been the United States since 1824. That's the records we were able to find. You know, and we took advantage of the the DNA research and found out that West Africa was in which makes total sense with the whole you know, middle passage slave trade thing. And it's where when I went there myself, it was a peace. As soon as I stepped on the ground, it was a sweetness to the air. It was a peace about the land. I was in Ghana, West Africa. And if you look at the whole continent of Africa, you know, there's always something going on. But at that time, Ghana was peaceful, prosperous, you know, super, super inviting and open. And the people were beautiful and genuine. I just felt like, wow, this is this is amazing, and the music are heard the food that I ate, felt comfortable. And oddly enough, you know, if you were to see me, you know, if, like, you never sees me in the street, they would think, Oh, wow, yeah, I can see how you would you bro would look like somebody from Ghana, you know. And the people there in Ghana didn't know I was from the United States of America. So whenever they be like, Oh, where are you from? You know, and I would say, Oh, I'm from Virginia, and the United States of America. You know, every person it was at least 15 to 20 people that I've met for the first time they're outside the group I went with, they would just pause after I say where I'm from, and they would say, Welcome home. And so that song reminded me of that amazing time I had and you know, when you have that sense of identity, you also gain that strength and confidence knowing that, you know, I have come from as beautiful, strong, amazing people that produce these beautiful sweet atmospheres and foods and in cultures and smell. It was just amazing. Anyway, that's 1000 There's a long answer to your question.

Lori Saitz: 41:58

That is such a beautiful story. I love that we're gonna do an episode at some point about finding your energetic home. And that sounds like that is where absolutely beautiful, beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your story today on Fine is a 4-Letter Word, Angela

Angela Loughridge: 42:19

all right. Thank you, Lori.