Have you ever been interrupted…but this time, something in you didn't step back?

In the first story, Before I Finished Speaking, we sat in a familiar moment—a meeting, a pause, a voice that wasn't heard.

And then… the moment moved on.

In today's story, we return to that same kind of room.

Same setup.
Same kind of interruption.

But something is different.

This is not a story about getting it "right."

It's not a story about being more confident, more assertive, or more anything.

It's a story about staying.

About what becomes possible when you don't leave the moment so quickly.

☕ This is part of the YAIT Town journey:

Naming → Restoring → Imagining

In the last episode, we named what happened.

In this one, we begin to feel what it might mean to move through it differently.

Then, we'll meet at the Umoja café again for an Espresso Talk, where we'll begin to go deeper—to explore what we're carrying, what we've learned, and how we begin to restore.

If this story resonates with you, take a moment to like, share, or comment.

Because there is someone else, right now, living a moment just like this.

Come as you are.
Take what you need.

You ain't imagining this!

"I've been thinking about the questions we ask ourselves every day… and how they shape what we allow ourselves to do. Sit with this for a moment."

1. What is something you've been curious about…but haven't let yourself explore?
Maybe it's something small—a class, a hobby, a conversation, a different way of spending your time…or even a thought you keep returning to.

2. What's been holding you back from trying it?

Is it fear, timing, expectations… or something else?

3. What would a small first step look like?

Not a big leap—just one gentle move in that direction
If it feels right, write it down. Or just sit with it for a moment longer.

No pressure.

No performance.

Just connection.

Have you ever started to say something…and someone talked over you—and the moment just moved on without you?

Last week, we stepped into a familiar moment in the story Before I Finished Speaking (link below).

A meeting.
A pause.
A sentence that didn't finish.

And then… everything moved on.

Without you.

In this Espresso Talk, we slow that moment down.

Not to overanalyze it.
Not to judge it.

But to name what actually happened—both in the room, and inside of us.

We explore:

• Why those small, almost invisible moments matter
• How we learn to adjust, soften, or step back—often without realizing it
• The difference between what we are taught… and what we begin to carry automatically
• Why these responses are not failures—but strategies shaped by experience

This is not about blame.

This is not about "fixing" ourselves.

This is about naming.

Because naming is where awareness begins.

☕ This episode is part of the YAIT Town liberation journey:

Naming → Restoring → Imagining

And today, we stay with the first step.

🎧 Start with the story:
Before I Finished Speaking (the story that begins this conversation)

👉 Listen here

If this episode resonates with you, take a moment to like, share, or comment.

Because there is someone else, right now, living a moment just like this.

Come as you are.
Take what you need.

Recommendation: For deeper insight into navigating moments like this, I highly recommend Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools by Howard C. Stevenson—there is wisdom on every page.