Those Sandals: A Memoir of Portia Shipman

By Portia Shipman and Odell A. Bizzell II

Those Sandals is a deeply personal story about a woman and the loving, yet discouraging relationship shared between her mother, Gladys Shipman. Portia courageously explores the mother-daughter wound and her yearning for love and guidance from the woman she looked up to the most. Additionally, the memoir recounts Portia's personal disappointments and achievements and how she finally found her voice and strength to live life on her own terms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098379926

Book preview

cover.jpg

Those Sandals

Memoirs of Portia Shipman

© 2021, Portia Shipman.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-09837-9-919

eBook ISBN: 978-1-09837-9-926

Contents

Acknowledgments

Every Story Starts with a Call

Chapter 1

I Shouldn’t Have Worn Those Sandals

Chapter 2

You’re Beautiful (No, I’m Not)

Chapter 3

Smile Anyway

Chapter 4

Up, Up, and Away

Chapter 5

Detroit

Chapter 6

Fighting Back

Chapter 7

So Many Changes

Chapter 8

Becoming a Woman is Hard

Chapter 9

I Just Want to Be Liked

Chapter 10

We All Grow Up Too Soon

Chapter 11

Don’t Marry Anybody You Don’t Want to Marry

Chapter 12

Free Your Mind and the Rest Will Follow

Chapter 13

Mama Gotta Have a Life, Too

Chapter 14

Find Your Own Path

Chapter 15

Build Your Legacy

Chapter 16

What’s Your Movement?

About the Author

Acknowledgments

This book has been a long process, and it would not have been possible without my amazing family and friends. First, I would like to say I am blessed and grateful for God’s grace and mercy over my life. He is the true author of my life. He may be called by many different names to different people, but his presence is all around us, we just have to listen to him more. If we would believe he heals us, then we’d be healed. I am humbled because I know his power is within me. I am living my life with NO REGRETS!

I want to take this time to thank the following individuals for their contribution to my life and ultimately this book.

To my husband James, you know me, love me, and trust me with no expectations of me being anything other than myself. It’s because of that I love you and commit my life to you as your wife.

To my godmother Frankie Smith, thank you for listening and cheering me on no matter what and being a beacon of hope and kindness in my life. For always knowing my heart, understanding my pain, and loving me anyway, I thank you.

To my four amazing children: Reggie, Johncie (Alejaibra), Terri, and Torri. You have put up with me as your mother who was often living her life through your eyes. Thank you for being a big part of who I am today. I feel your love even when I don’t say it. Thank you for those eight beautiful and magical grandchildren, Jamyah, Lil Reggie, Madison, Lyric, AJ, Pheabe, Messiah, and Morry Lee. My legacy will always live on through them.

To my father Elbert Lee Shipman who I will always cherish for his unwavering love and courage. Although you are not here to speak with me, the spirit of your being surrounds me every day. You are an ancestor who we all can be proud of. Until we meet again, keep doing what you are doing.

A special thanks goes to my proud and crazy brother Kalub Shipman, my beautiful granddaughter Jamyah, my ex-husband Elwood Reid, Jr., and my big sister and friend Starr Phipps for your input in this book. Each statement was so meaningful and sincere to my heart.

To my family and friends who never doubted me and who would follow me to the moon and back, I thank you. May this book bring families together, healing to our community, and peace to our souls. Without listing your names, I hope you know I am talking about you.

And finally, to my mother Gladys Faulks Shipman. If you only knew what words could do, what love could bring, and how much hurt could turn you away from those you love or loved, things would’ve been very different for all of us growing up. I know being a mother isn’t easy and I also know it’s worth the effort and I thank you for your effort. I love you and I am proud to call you my mother.

Every Story

Starts with a Call

How did this book get into your hands? Who is Portia Shipman and why should that matter to you?

It all started with a call.

Somebody called me and I didn’t recognize the number.

I hardly ever answered the phone if it was a number I didn’t recognize, but as the phone buzzed over and over on my desk, something told me to answer it that day.

Hello. This is Odell, I said.

Hey, Odell! This is Terri. I went to Smith. Do you remember me? I have a twin sister named Torri. You help people write books, don’t you?

I sure do remember you! And yes, that’s what I do; what did you have in mind? I asked.

Well, I want to write a story about my mother. Her life is amazing, and I know it will help a lot of people.

Over the years, I’ve received calls and messages just like that, but rarely did people follow through with their inquiries. Terri and I went to school together, and she was always kind to me, so with no expectation, I listened to her tell me why her mother’s story would be a phenomenal book.

Then, Terri said something that struck me: You’ve probably heard of the name Shipman, right? That’s my mother’s last name.

The name Shipman was familiar to me. One of my former classmates had the last name Shipman. There was also a well-known local business with that same name. At this point, my intrigue about Terri’s mom increased significantly.

After going on and on about her mama, Terri’s voice perked up with a sudden realization. You know what? I’m just going to have my mother call you. She needs to get her story out there. Can I give her your number?

I agreed that Terri could pass my number to her mom, and I didn’t think much of the conversation thereafter.

Two weeks later, I visited South Carolina to attend my wife’s doctoral graduation. I had an hour before I needed to get dressed when my phone rang. It was Terri again. But this time she had her mom, Portia Shipman, on the line.

Our phone conversation lasted about twenty minutes, but what I distinctly remembered was Mrs. Portia asking me, Do you think I have something? Do you think people would read my book?

After I connected my conversations with both Terri and Mrs. Portia, I knew with every part of me that Portia Shipman’s book would not only sell, but it was needed, and you will understand why as you read.

That’s how I got here.

Before Portia arrives and wows you with her words, her life, and her spirit, I want to ask you a question: who is your favorite superhero? And don’t worry this is a tangent that will make sense in a few seconds.

Is it Wonder Woman? Superman? Cat Woman? The Black Widow? Super Girl?

No matter who you picked, I bet the reason that particular superhero is your favorite doesn’t just have to do with their power. My guess is they’re your favorite because of what you know about them. There’s power in vulnerability. We don’t all connect to our favorite heroes’ and sheroes’ powers and strengths. We do, however, connect with their vulnerabilities.

Portia Shipman is a shero. You will quickly understand why very soon. Though sheroes inspire us to save lives, they also inspire us to be the best version of ourselves.

What you have in front of you is not just a book, it is a shero’s diary. You have the very words of a beautiful Black woman, who overcame much abuse, anguish, uncertainty, and pain to raise four wonderful children and start two home care businesses that earned her over a million dollars. This is also a woman who became the founder of an amazing nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic violence and many more things you have yet to discover.

Her message to you is simple: you’re beautiful and you don’t deserve to be abused.

Some of the names, dates, and places have been changed and rearranged to protect the privacy of those involved, but this is going to be the raw, uncut story of the one and only Portia Shipman!

Chapter 1

I Shouldn’t Have Worn Those Sandals

I shouldn’t have worn those sandals… Yeah, we’ve got to start with those sandals, I told him as he sat in my office.

I had no idea how to write a book or if anything I had to share would be helpful, but our spirit knows better than our fears. And my spirit had been telling me for years that I needed to write a book, so here it is.

Well, kinda. I am much better at talking than writing, so I collaborated with Mr. Odell Bizzell II, a well-known writer and nationally recognized speaker. Odell presented me with a unique idea.

Mrs. Portia, give me all of your words and I’ll organize them for you, how’s that?

I’m not a great writer, so I wouldn’t know what to write down to give you to organize, I responded in hope that we could still work something out. For a second, he sat there, and he looked away. I could tell he was deep in thought.

I didn’t know exactly what was in his mind, but