Angelia Robinson - Who R U?: Tales of a Survivor

Advance Praise for WHO R U?

Sit down, grab the tissues, and get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The battles Angelia Robinson has fought are traumatizing in so many ways. Her story shifts from anger to joy and sadness to triumph, reminding us throughout that our past need not define our future. Be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor quite a few times. I know I did!

- Leann Rhodes , Author, Rise Up Shine On and Just Prevail: In The Middle Of The Storm

Reading this book was so liberating. It made me feel that I was not alone on this journey called life, and all the good, bad, and ugly that comes with it. It is such a relatable story that it had me crying, laughing, and celebrating right along with Angelia. She is full of light, grace, and compassion. Her book is a must read.

- Cynthia Cosby , Owner, Clover Creations, LLC

This book gave me chills. I laughed, I cried, and I was able to relate to everything Angelia suffered. The tales in here are all very relatable, opening up wounds in me that I thought had healed.

- Ameisha Gathers , Entrepreneur

Who R U? is a fascinating window into a chaotic world I knew nothing about. Angelia Robinson has led an unbelievable life. I couldnt put her book down.

- Jill Holden , Actress and Educator

Who R U? is not just the autobiography of Angelia Robinson but a look into the soul of women who suffer in silence. It is a book that any woman can relate to. I had the same uncle whose lap I could not sit in because of his perverted ways. I too know women who punish their children for the sins of the father. The authors transparency will help so many women who have been through hell understand that their story is not over. In fact, its only just begun.

- ReShan Adams , Intimacy Coach

By the end of Chapter 1, I was already breathing hard, like I was running alongside Angelia. Her book left me on the edge of my seat. Its an amazing read.

- Donna F. Durante Miller , Authoress and Distiller

WHO R U?

Tales of a Survivor

Angelia Robinson

Copyright 2021 by Angelia Robinson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the permission of author Angelia Robinson.

Angelia can be contacted at whorubio@gmail.com

Publishing Company: Who R U Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-7364591-0-2 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1-7364591-1-9 (ebook)

Interior Page Design: Mary Neighbour

Cover Design (front/back): Hakim Taylor and Gregory Taylor

Cover Photo Credit (front/back): Darnell Porter

AUTHORS NOTE

This book materialized from the moments Ive lived, which molded me into the evolved woman I am today. I have miraculously not only been able to survive into almost middle age but, by the grace of God, Ive successfully protected my inner light, that gift that has made my journey all the more meaningful. Fear and rejection have given way to courage and strength. Darkness and pain have transformed into love.

Please note that every effort was taken in the following pages to produce truthfulness and accuracy in the retelling. Some of the names have been changed, and individuals in my life were assigned pseudonyms to protect their privacy. However, this should in no way be construed as an alteration or watering down of the facts, which are consistent to my own recollection.

As you read my story, may you reflect on your own tales and, hopefully, relate in some way to the bumpy ride that finally dropped me in a place of peace and emotional freedom.

To all the women who have survived abuse and trauma, this book is for you. My name may be on it, but its also your story.

TOGETHER we can survive anything! Empowerment is the name of the game!

Contents

PREFACE

E veryone has a story to tell . Thats one thing Ive learned in my 48 years on this planet. But I may be unusual in that I seem to have far more stories than your average human, making the need for me to get them all down in a book less a labor of love than of necessity.

As I was telling my girlfriend the other day, Man, Ive lived so many different lives. Ive been everyone from the in-the-hood chick to the suburban girl to the drug kingpins wife to everything in-between. I realize that probably makes me more relatable, having gone through so many things others have experienced as well.

Thats one of the primary reasons I wanted to write this book. I thought it could prove entertaining and enlightening to a wide variety of people. I also feel like my experiences may be informative for people and help them to avoid some of the mistakes Ive made. I would love to hear somebody say, Ooh, when I read that in your book, it changed my life. Thank you.

Helping people fuels me. Its my energy source. One way I feel like I can help them right off the top is to assure them that no matter where they are in their lives, its never too late to be who or what you might have been . Thats basically a mantra for me. I hope people who are reading this can take those words to heart and really believe them.

I want to assure you right here and right nowbefore you go any furtherthat Ive never thought of myself as this pillar of wisdom. Far from it, in fact. Im the girl who made endless mistakes, who always found herself looking for love in all the wrong places. There are so many women who share my story about that basic need to be loved and validated. In that process, many of us are mishandled, misused and abused. Thats especially true if you have mommy and daddy issues. (Yeah, me too.)

People are often poisoned early in their lives, whether its the environment theyre in, the things they see, or the things that were done to them (and perhaps are doomed to repeat). On paper, it seems they dont have a chance. Yet that doesnt mean theyll never have an opportunity to come out of it and emerge a good person or, at the least, a productive member of society. Isnt that whats expected of us, anyway?

Where are the stories for the girls like me? Women my age are still sometimes little girls inside, because they never healed from what they suffered at an early age. That desperate search for answers and healing continues throughout their lifetime. Its the reason that women too often settle for the guy who treats them like crap and reject the nice guy. Theyre used to the physical or emotional abuse. Thats their comfort zone. Its really like any other addiction.

Not everybody has that special person who can speak to their spirit or their soul and help them to get out of the cycle of accepting being treated like garbage. By sharing our stories, we can heal. Knowledge PUT TO USE is power, and so is telling people who we are and where weve been. People need other people they can relate to, so they dont feel like theyre the only ones who are fucked up. Trust me, were all fucked up in one way or another. But thats okay. Its how we turn that fuck-up into a come-up that matters.

Too many of us live in this fantasy where we like to portray to the world what I like to call our representative. They just love to give this impression of, Oh, my life is so great!and it makes it look like everything is beautiful when theyre really dying on the inside. A false sense of reality is what fuels social media too. Social media is killing whats left of humanity.

The book youre about to read is the opposite of that. Im not pretending to be anything close to perfect, trust me. In fact, Im writing this book scared . I just want to show people that you can face a huge amount of adversity and come out on the other side bigger and stronger. Ive long been very musical and have reached a lot of people that way, but not as many as I could have or should haveor hopefully that I can.