By The Time I Left School, I

Growing Older Is Not Such A Big Deal For Me, Despite The Fears That Older Actresses Have In Hollywood. When I Hit 40, For Example, I Didn't Feel 40 - Or Whatever That Is Supposed To Feel Like.

I Don't See A White Woman. I See A Black Woman, Even Though My Mother Is White. Knowing That Has Made My Life Easier, I Think.

I Know That There Is A God - The God Within Me That's Always Present And Will Protect Me. I'm Not Afraid To Climb Any Mountain, Because I Know That I'm Protected. Even If I Fall And Die, I'm Still Protected. My Faith Is On That Level.

I Won't Have A Traditional Marriage; I Don't Find The Value In That Anymore. But I Am Such A Hopeless Romantic And I Really Want Love And I Want A Committed Relationship, So I Am Going To Reinvent Marriage For Myself.

Blackness Is A State Of Mind And I Identify With The Black Community. Mainly, Because I Realized, Early On, When I Walk Into A Room, People See A Black Woman, They Don't See A White Women. So Out Of That Reason Alone, I Identify More With The Black Community.