Huntsville Revisited Museum to Host Meet & Greet with Author & Illustrator of "Comparison"

Gather your family and join ours on Thursday, July 29th, from 6 - 8 p.m. We are super excited to announce that Huntsville Revisited Museum will host the Author & Illustrator of the children's book, "Comparison."

Our beloved Trin-Trin!!! We couldn't be more proud of you!

William Hampton, founder of Huntsville Revisited, will interview the author and share knowledge of Huntsville's diverse history. This is some good clean FREE family fun you don't wish to miss!

Huntsville Revisited Museum

2007 N. Memorial Parkway, Suite 0, Huntsville, AL 35810

(next to the Darkside Coffee, inside the H.C. Blake Center.)

(Copies of "Comparison" will be available for purchase.)

About Trinity Poplar

Trinity Poplar is a multi-faceted artist. When she is not learning languages, making songs or filling up her sketchbooks - writing is her favorite thing to do. From creative short stories to comic book scenes, writing is a hobby that Poplar finds both therapeutic and motivational. "Comparison," is her first children's book and published work.

Poplar wrote "Comparison" while a student at Hazel Green High School and illustrated it her sophomore year at Alabama A&M University. Aside from her work as an author and illustrator, she is also a gifted musician and is the lead content creator for her Trins Art Journey YouTube channel.

If you’d like to learn more about Trinity visit @trinsartjourney on Instagram and YouTube.

"Don't let the thief steal your joy!

Click here to order your copy of Comparison.

Class of 2021

Well I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I started high school excited, with a lot of friends that I thought were going to be with me for my whole life. It was a Covid free time and I didn’t really have to worry about social distance, let alone wearing a mask. I guess you could say I was friendly and sociable. I didn’t really think too much about racial issues or have to worry about fake people because four years ago that wasn’t really being thrown in my face as much as it is now.

Over these past four years, I’d like to think I’ve grown a lot though. Becoming who I've always wanted to be but never had the courage to. Whether that be because of fear, or even just because I used to care about what people thought. Now, I’ve come to find that the more I become who I want to be, the more the right people come my way and the wrong ones leave.

My senior year was probably one of the worst and best high school years. Even though I didn’t step foot in Hazel Green for any class this year due to Covid, I still was able to learn other lessons. I realized that online school is not for everybody, and some of those so-called “friends” weren’t for me either. I’m thankful for the time I spent cooped up in the house, for a year, because that isolation forced me to fight my inner demons and reevaluate myself. It gave me courage to really not care about what others thought or said about me at all. The events that took place in 2020 and early 2021 also exposed a lot of people I used to hang with. It made me realize that not everyone is on your side, and when things get real the fake will be exposed, and they were.

My view of the world changed this year too. I’ve come to realize this world, our country, isn't as “Great” as they made it seem in school. I always knew injustice occurred but it became more evident to me than ever this year and I will never look at things the same again. Despite high school being mostly terrible with its plus sides here and there, outside of school God blessed me with the opportunity of a lifetime. Since I was thirteen, I’ve been consistent with sharpening my skills in film. I created my first big short film with actors, sets, crew, and even spent hours writing my script for SUNDOWN.

It was a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end I finished it and that is the highlight of my senior year. To those who’ve supported, loved, encouraged, and celebrated me, I wanna say thank you. I couldn’t have gotten through high school without you all. I’m ready to get this whole graduation thing over with and begin my next journey in life and see what God has planned for me.

join me on my film journey.

-Amiya Poplar

Eat the Cake

Two became one. Then one became four. Now we are eight. Bananas, right? Our oldest son who was four in this photo is now 22, and our oldest daughter who was two, is now 20. Back then, we dreamed of doing so much of the stuff we do now. Now, we often long for the simplicity we knew then.

My days consisted of watching episodes of Dragon Tales, preparing PB & J sandwiches, and driving our son back and forth to a Mom's Morning Out that we could barely afford. My husband was in college full-time, worked for Coca Cola, RPS, did research for Tennessee State University, and owned a T-shirt business. I was a stay at home mom, made jewelry, and filled journals with poetry and deferred dreams.

The T-shirt Melvin is wearing was one that he printed displaying the triquetra symbol. Some say the three points signify the three stages of life: life, death and rebirth. In case you are wondering why I'm sharing all this randomness it's because I want you to know that your past, present, and future are as interconnected as the symbol on that shirt.

Time is limited. So don't waste it being consumed with other people's thoughts. When I look back at this photo, I don't reflect on Trinity's sweet kissy cheeks, Lil Melvin's cuteness, or Melvin trying his hardest to look sexy . . . All I see is the hint of sadness in my eyes.

Perhaps you are wondering why. Why would someone with such a hard working handsome husband and super cute kids be sad? I was too consumed with what someone else thought of me to appreciate what my husband, kids, and most importantly, my Creator thought of me. I had no clue how fast time would fly. Here I am, two decades later and I’m just learning to "eat the cake."

We had a neighbor who would judge me, my marriage, my parenting methods. Her words would echo in my mind long after we spoke. Prior to meeting her, I'm sure all the things she highlighted existed, but they didn't cause me to be insecure until she pointed them out.

After conversations with her I often felt fat, frustrated, forgotten, and pretty much like I was failing at everything. One day I confided in my older brother how her opinions were consuming my thoughts and he told me to tell her to "eat the cake."

I was like “what in the world is this boy talking about?" He explained, "Sometimes people come into your life and they want to know all your ingredients, others, simply eat the cake. If someone is more interested in dissecting you rather than connecting with you, tell them they can either "eat the cake" or "sthu."

Don’t be like me. Don’t wait until two decades later to eat the cake. Start surrounding yourselves with cake connoisseurs. True cake lovers will celebrate you as they discover the ingredients in your mix. Culinary critics will compromise the integrity of how you bake when they keep opening the oven to check and see if you are done.

Matthew 7:5 MSG

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Time is limited. So don't waste it being consumed with other people's thoughts.

Eat the cake!