09/01/2026
****Making the Connection Archives Series****
Every Tuesday, we are revisiting a past Making the Connection column originally published in the Cuthbert Southern Tribune.
Since 2008, the weekly reflections have explored leadership, family community, and the lessons that connect us all.
This week's archived column is entitled "Connecting the Dots" by Dr. Kuanita E. Murphy, Published August 13, 2026
Someone once said, "Today had to pass through yesterday to get here." The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom in that simple statement. As a student of history, I've always believed that understanding the past gives us context for the present.
History reminds us that every event, every decision, and every turning point contributes to the story that follows. The same is true in our own lives. We often spend so much time worrying about where we're going that we fail to recognize how yesterday is quietly preparing us for today.
The challenge is that we rarely understand it while we're living it. Many years ago, I arrived at the office earlier than usual with a simple plan. I needed a few supplies from our local Fred's store, and my intention was to be there the moment the doors opened. I figured I would get in, make my purchase, and get back to work before my day really began.
Instead, I became consumed with work and completely lost track of time. Later that morning, my mother called to tell me the store had been robbed. I remember sitting there in silence, realizing that only a few hours earlier I had planned to be standing inside that very store.
What had frustrated me only moments before suddenly looked very different. That experience taught me a lesson I have never forgotten. Sometimes we immediately recognize that a delay was actually protection. Other times, the reason for the detour takes years to understand.
When I graduated from high school in 1993, I was convinced I knew exactly what my future looked like. My dream was to attend the Atlanta College of Art. Everything was packed, my plans were made, and I was certain that was where I belonged.
Two weeks later, I was back home. The school simply wasn't the right fit. At the time, it felt like a disappointment. Thankfully, I was able to return home and enroll at what had just become Valdosta State University. Looking back, I realize I wasn't simply changing schools. I was changing my future.
Even then, I still believed I had my life mapped out. I declared computer science as my major because I thought it was the direction I should take. After one semester, I knew that wasn't where I belonged either.
One day, while walking through Nevins Hall, I noticed a display of academic programs. I stopped and picked up a brochure from the Department of Art. Something just felt right.
I changed my major, and although the journey wasn't easy, I had finally found my place.
Unlike many of my classmates, I hadn't taken art classes in high school. They arrived with experience that I didn't have. There were moments when I questioned whether I belonged, but I stayed the course, learned everything I could, and eventually earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Years later came a Master of Arts in History. Then a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. At eighteen years old, I couldn't have imagined how those three degrees would one day work together. Today, I use every one of them.
The creativity I developed through art helps me design books, magazines, marketing campaigns, presentations, videos, and community initiatives. History reminds me to look for context before drawing conclusions.
It has reinforced my belief that you cannot truly understand where you're going until you appreciate where you've been. Leadership taught me how to bring people together, solve problems collaboratively, think strategically, and turn ideas into action. Looking back now, I can finally connect the dots.
What once appeared to be unrelated experiences were actually preparing me for the work I do today. Nothing was wasted. Every class, every setback, every change in direction, every success, and every disappointment added another piece to the picture.
Had everything gone according to my original plan, I might never have discovered the purpose that was waiting on the other side of those unexpected turns. That realization has changed how I respond when life doesn't unfold the way I hoped.
Do I still get disappointed? Of course. But I've learned not to assume that every closed door is a failure. Sometimes it's protection. Sometimes it's preparation. Sometimes it's simply a redirection toward something we cannot yet see.
Maybe that's where you find yourself today. Perhaps a job didn't work out. A relationship ended. An opportunity slipped away. A dream took an unexpected turn. Right now, all you can see is the disappointment. I've lived long enough to know that today's disappointment may become tomorrow's testimony.
Years from now, you may look back and discover that what felt like the wrong turn was actually the road that prepared you for the life you were meant to live. After all, today had to pass through yesterday to get here. --
