Dr. Elijah Nicholas

 Sunset Reflections... I was in Frankfurt, Germany working the night shift. Talking with a coworker of mine about President Bush, I believe, it was 2003/4.  We talked about 1. The possibility of a Black president in our lifetime, and 2. The possibility of a female president in our lifetime. Little did we know, President Obama would be inaugurated just 4 years later... I remember the evening clearly...I sat in my living room in front of the television waiting for the announcement of our newly elected President. I remember the class, grace, and dignity that embraced the stage as the newly elected President, First Lady, and their two beautiful children walked to the front of the stage in Chicago, IL (only about 90 minutes from my hometown in Milwaukee, WI). I was stationed in Montgomery, Alabama at the time. I remember passing confederate flags, conversing about the meaning of the flags, and the roots of its origin in the south. I was one of two black officers in my leadership class. I wa

 Sunset Reflections... I remember the first time I was getting ready to board an international flight. I believe it was November of 2003. I was headed to Frankfurt, Germany. I spoke with my Papa Freddie because I was a little scared as I had never traveled outside the country before. His voice calmed me. ❤️ I also remember my Mama telling me to, “Always be Kind and Always say Thank You” just before I boarded the plane. I can still hear her voice telling me now as if it were yesterday. ❤️ As I navigated military life in Europe for the next several months that then turned into years, I was able to hear Mama’s voice saying, “Always be kind and always say thank you.” So much so that it was noticed that I ALWAYS said thank you, like a lot! Lol And kindness became, and has become, my way of life. ❤️🌟 As a man of trans experience, I spent time early in my transition navigating the thought of how I’d show up in the world. I wondered if I needed to change and be less expressive as it relates t