Lashay Basnight, Neighbor

For those who don&#39;t know me, I am Lashay Basnight. I love my name; it&#39;s different, and that&#39;s what makes me stand out. In the words of Marlo of <i>The Wire</i>, &#34;My name is my name.&#34;

I&#39;m a 29-year-old graphic design/advertising Morgan State University graduate from Temple Hills, Md. I am employed as a government contractor in Washington, D.C. I thank God that I am employed because I was unemployed a year ago.

I used to design hats, T-shirts and sneakers with fabric paint. Then I started creating jewelry. At first, I would just use random pieces of anything like broken earrings to make other earrings. Or I would use paper clips and buttons. Then folks started to compliment me. I thought it was weird at first, but then I realized that what I created was original. When I lost my job, I lost the ability to want to create, but I&#39;ve felt compelled to do it again recently.

I am excited to be a part of Patch because it gives me the opportunity to be able to earn more experience as a freelance writer. I am hoping to meet new people and learn new things. So I look forward to my first story and will appreciate any constructive criticism, because this is my first time doing this. Peace.