2022 WOMAN OF THE YEAR: THE ICON HEROINE: MS. MEAGAN GOOD
- 26 Magazine Staff
- Dec 28, 2022
- 22 min read
Updated: Jan 27, 2023
COVER CONVERSATION WITH: COREY GUEVARRA, EDITOR IN CHIEF
PHOTOGRAPHER: IRMA LOMIDAZE
HAIR: JASMINE ASHLEY
MAKEUP: JORGE MONROY
STYLING: BROOKELYN STYLES
MEAGAN MONIQUE GOOD IS AN ICON!
There, I said it! For the better part of 30+ years, she’s unapologetically loaned us her light, inspiring an ocean of black & brown girls to dream extra big & color outside of every barriered line! She’s the epitome of poise, grace & heroism, balancing faithfulness & freedom, pairing elegance & edge in a way that honestly, only she can. Acting since age 4, she’s quite literally spent her entire life cultivating & curating in front of the camera. She’s been an activist, a superhero, detective & even a news station manager, all flawlessly delivering believability, authenticity & a quiet confidence only complimented by her undeniably stunning beauty. At this point in the story whether she is comfortable acknowledging it or not, for many intents & purposes -not limited to the literal HUNDREDS of film/tv credits she holds, as stated, Meagan Good, is in fact an icon. Though it’s no secret that she’s publicly (& privately) had one of the most evolutionarily years of her life, quietly it would appear that she’s also had the most triumphant!
As I prepared for her interview, I can admit that for the first time in almost 16 years of journalism that I was equal parts [unusually] nervous yet excited. In a time when we’ve forgotten that the headline is in fact a real experience of another soul’s life, I wanted nothing more than to approach our chat with the sensitivity & grace, I too would appreciate if my life were to play out in the public gaze. In fact I made it a point to not at all draft any questions directly mentioning the one very personal experience from her year that everyone else was discussing. You see, 26 isn’t your usual click bait publication, our covers are celebrations, our stories are selected, pointed, specific & exclusively INclusive. I think as a society we’d always do well to remember that this is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s self, navigating the life journey in the same way we all are -albeit echoed into 8 billion variations. At the core, we’re all waking, journeying, sleeping, loving, living, laughing (sometimes crying) but continuing with each new gifted day. It’s wildly important to remind the people who light up our world of how they’ve always been great & will always be great by that proxy. How we SEE them & unopinionatedly celebrate them with love, dipped in thoughtful space.
The day that our interview arrived however, I learned that my imagined caution was immediately invalid! Instead, I was greeted by one of the kindest, sweetest, MOST transparent & engagingly impeccable conversationalists I’d encountered in many moons. We chatted for the better part of over an hour, dancing in celebratory conversation of her past, present & future. As we exchanged introductory greetings something happened. In response to her “how are you?” I accidentally replied in kind with an answer & question I generally only use in my personal interaction with friends & family. “I’m great, how’s your heart?” [super #facepalm] ….As I heard the words escape my lips a preliminary panic set in as the greeting is usually just my soul connection version of how are you. But I was instantly aware of it’s prying possibilities in this particular contextual moment. Her answer however, would begin our conversation of unexpected transparency, in the name of celebration!
“My heart today is… Good? …Good!” she began. “You know, idk this past year has been a really interesting journey. It’s been rough but it’s also been really really beautiful & I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot & I’ve randomly accomplished a lot -which has been amazing. I’ve had a lot of time to myself to just pray & meditate & reflect & just decide what this next act of my life is going to be & there’s something kind of exciting about that. It’s like alright Lord, you know I’m 41, I’ve lived a lot, I’ve done a lot, seen a lot of places
–We done had some experiences now, so what’s next”? In the beginning of [this transition] I said that I felt like it was a new chapter & one day someone said to me, ‘no I think this is a new act’! So yeah, we’re leaning into the new act. It’s been challenging & painful at times, but also really really wonderful & beautiful & empowering & illuminating & undeniably exciting”!
WHOA. I WAS STUNNED TO SAY THE LEAST. LIKE MOST HEROES, MOST PROTAGONISTS, MOST OF THE STRONGEST PEOPLE, MEAGAN GOOD, HAD NO PROBLEM GIVING HERSELF THE GRACE TO BE VULNERABLE. NOW, I WAS WILDLY READY TO START HER STORY FROM THE BEGINNING. I COULDN’T WAIT TO DISCOVER HOW THE CALIFORNIA BORN SUPERSTAR (WITH HINTS OF BAJAN & JEWISH ANCESTRY?) STARTED THIS MOST MONUMENTAL LIFE JOURNEY.
CAN WE START FROM THE BEGINNING? WHAT WAS BABY MEAGAN LIKE?
Oh man, she was imaginative. –I’d be acting out scenes in the mirror & throwing myself down the staircase pretending I was being chased by Michael Myers. I’d run up into the woods & reenact scary movies; we lived in the mountains so we had everything, ALL the [creepy crawly] wildlife up there. Baby Meagan was a lot like myself today, quite stubborn at times, I still hate the word ‘no’, I only like ‘how’ &/or ‘How do we figure it out’? -I still believe that any & everything is possible & I feel like that’s how people change history; via their nerve to THINK that they can! I’ve also always been sort of overly confident, I have no idea why. I’ve just always been very sure about “me”. I’ve always had a lot of self-love, but I’ve also [at times] felt inadequate? We grew up in a very racist neighborhood, I’d been called the N word more times that I could count as a kid, but that contrasting idea of inadequacy was never because of how I felt about myself! -It was more about how I maybe felt others perceived me? I was always extremely, extremely sensitive to other people, had a lot of empathy, a lot of sympathy. I was also very giving as a child, to the point where my mom had to tell me to stop giving all of my toys away! -& you know, I was also a little bad too, didn’t follow rules well honestly, I wanted to do things my way & didn’t understand why I was being taught to do things in one, specific, predetermined procedure. For example, I hated math, I would do the work, but I never followed the formats the teachers would give. For whatever reason, my brain just wanted to do it another way. I would get the answers right, but of course my exploration was seen as deviance. Still, baby Meagan was extremely caring, extremely loving oh, & a little OCD. She always knew she was going to live authentically in every season & that no one was going to stop her from doing that. -Except for God… but unless HE says no, the answer is yes!
YOU STARTED ACTING @ AGE 4 CORRECT?
Yes I started doing extra & background work & that eventually became being a character in a scene & having 1 line. 1 line became 3, 3 lines became 8, 8 lines became 4 or 5 scenes & so on. So you know, when Drake said ‘started from the bottom’? We REALLY started from the BOTTOM! LOL
BUT NOW YOU’RE HERE!
Thankfully yes & we’ve got so much more left to go!
WE’VE LITERALLY GROWN UP TOGETHER WITH YOU; EVE’S BAYOU, COUSIN SKEETER, DELIVER US FROM EVA & WE CAN GO ON & ON…..HOW DID ACTING SHOW UP FOR YOU? DID ACTING FIND YOU? OR DID YOU FIND ACTING?
When I was 4 my mom’s best friend’s daughter started acting. They’re basically family so it was more like aunt Debra & cousin Kiana who was 5 at the time. -& you know, parents exchanging notes about activities for their children, my mom was like ‘oh I should see if the girls would enjoy acting too’. My sister & I were 4 & 6 & my mom made arrangements to have us meet with Kiana’s manager. At first they didn’t even want me, they only wanted La’Myia but I really wanted to do it, so eventually my mom convinced them to tape me as well. By the time that I was 10, I was certain that I REALLY wanted to do this! By the time I was 12 I knew that this was going to be my career path. At 13 the first speaking role that I got in a movie was ‘Friday’ & after that I was determined to do something dramatic to show my range as an actress & the next thing I booked was Eve’s Bayou at 14. Cousin Skeeter came after that, I shot that pilot at 15, it got picked up when I was 16 & I did that for another 3 years, that was basically my beginning.
HOW DID YOU KNOW (EVEN AT THE YOUNG AGE YOU STARTED) THAT THIS WAS YOUR PURPOSE?
Well I didn’t know that this was a part of my purpose until I was about 19. But I knew at like 10 growing up in our neighborhood, that I didn’t fully fit in anywhere. The racism was blatant, I’d have girls picking through my hair & asking why it was this texture & when I would wear braids they’d ask if it was washable & all those types of micro-macro aggressions. The silver lining that I found in those experiences was that it taught me to become a chameleon. But I also realized okay, I’m not gonna make the cheerleading squad, I’m not gonna make the track team, I’m not gonna make the dance team. Acting however felt like a safe space for me, It was where I could express myself & not have to focus on the neighborhood, or the treatment I might be encountering at certain times. I was comfortable with it & didn’t feel embarrassed trying to new things in it. I started taking acting classes with Carnetta Jones my God-Mother who became my acting coach from about 11-26 years old. Then around 19, was when I was going through that really awkward stage of looking 14 but legally being an adult. I couldn’t necessarily get the kid roles, but I definitely couldn’t get the grown up roles either. I was seeing my peers starting to blossom & get more work, but I was struggling & it was like ‘what is going on’?! -THAT was the first time I realized that I HADN’T asked God! –I never directly asked if this what I should be doing with my life! -I remember I sat down & said ‘Alright Lord, I want what you want for me, more than what I THINK I want for myself’. ‘I trust you more than I trust me & I need you to tell me if this is what you have for me. I’m laying it all on the alter & if you take it & tell me to do something else, I’ll do it.’ ‘But if you tell me this IS in fact IT, then it’s game time & I’m sincerely expecting you to deliver’ …After that I got confirmation in my Spirit that I was indeed on the right path, but the MAIN thing I heard was: ‘this is not about you’! …I remembered thinking ‘oh that’s interesting’…I didn’t understand what He meant, but I just kept hearing ‘this is not about you’. As I went along in my career, in the industry, I was thankful for that [word] because I was able to keep a certain amount of balance & humility & it definitely gave me perspective as I journeyed. Especially during the times in the ebb & flow in my career when I’d have a movie out & all the doors were open, but then the next year when there’s no movie & those same gatekeepers acted like they didn’t even know me. That word helped me keep my perspective to never take any of the experiences personally & to trust that there had to be more, something divine even behind those moments. What I also discovered was that having this career allowed me a platform to hopefully help other people. My personal good & [perceived] bad experiences, were both vehicles that could pour into someone else’s life. Even if it’s just showing them that they’re not alone in the things that they’re experiencing. I began to understand that the responsibility of the platform was a part of my purpose!
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT HOLLYWOOD HAS TAUGHT YOU? ESPECIALLY AS A WOMAN & AS A BLACK WOMAN IN THIS INDUSTRY? -& WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SECRET TO LONGEVITY?
One thing that I think God has taught me, that Hollywood has reiterated is to ‘take the chip off your shoulder’. Yes you’re a woman it’s hard, yes you’re a black woman it’s hard, yes you’re an actress especially when you try to expand, it’s hard. But, everybody has something hard for some reason & I may look at other actresses who are not of color, getting more opportunities, some who started after me, appearing to surpass me, but I also have no idea the issues & traumas & whatever other things she may be carrying. I can either be bitter or I can be thankful. Thankful that my journey was a mountain that I climbed yet, I still got here! I don’t have to be mad at them because it didn’t “seem” as hard for them. We have a choice, there are many things that we can’t control but the one thing we CAN control are ourselves & the perspectives we choose to let in & linger. We can choose joy & to recklessly pursue peace & we can choose to see our own glass as half-full. We have the choice to choose where our attention goes!
In regards to longevity, I think not believing your own hype honestly & just doing the work. Go above & beyond & prepare yourself for the things that you want before they come. I think having an attitude of gratitude, treating people kindly, looking them in the eye & NEVER treating anyone like you’re above them for ANY reason are key! In life roles can reverse in a heartbeat, but beyond that, have integrity anyway, especially when no-one is watching. Always do things out of genuine kindness & respect & an understanding that we are ALL valuable. In this business, I think that goes a long way. Some jobs you get on set & people say “OMG I was immediately looking forward to working with you because I heard you were great to work with!” -& by contrast there have been people that I’ve wanted to hire but when a name was brought up in the room, the consensus was that they were hard to work with & I would be out voted from hiring this otherwise brilliant talent. Those are the types of things that also affect longevity!
WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST PEACE MEAGAN?
-God.
My family, people that I love, & honestly now, directing! It’s like I can’t even talk about it without my face forming a smile. I find so much joy in it & I find so much peace in it! I love problem solving, I love creating, I love creating opportunities for the little black girls who are coming up behind me. I love working with actors that I haven’t seen certain performances from but I know I can get it out of them. I love piecing a movie together. I love putting art into the world that hopefully does something for someone in one way or another whether it inspires or influences or helps them feel less alone or gets them moving & excited to do something. Whatever it is, I just love being behind the camera & the focal point not necessarily being on me. Instead it becomes about my service to others & that brings me a lot of peace & joy.
SO….WE JUST GOT A RELEASE DATE FOR HARLEM, WHICH WE’RE ALL WILDLY EXCITED ABOUT. HARLEM IS ONE OF THOSE SHOWS THAT’S JUST LIKE… DAMN GOOD TV, IT’S A GREAT SHOW! I THINK IT CAUGHT US ALL OFFGUARD BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH CONTENT AROUND NOW. SO IT WAS LIKE YAY, NEW SHOW… BUT THEN YOU START WATCHING & YOU’RE GETTING UP 8 HOURS LATER BECAUSE YOU’VE ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO CONSUME THE ENTIRE SEASON IN 1 SITTING!
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HARLEM? HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE CAMILLE? & WHAT CAN EXPECT FROM THE NEW SEASON?
The road to Camille was filled with so many incredible moments. First of all big-ups to Tracy Oliver (Harlem’s Creator, Writer, EP), she is an extraordinary human being & a brilliant mind & talent! I came in, I read the script, there were 2 roles I was looking at, we talked, had a general meeting & I figured out that I wanted to play Camille. I figured I’d let them know & wait for them to call me back. But it was crickets LOL… Actual radio silence HA! -Eventually I did get feedback, but it was that they were auditioning other Camilles because they initially thought I wasn’t necessarily right for it… & you know that’s the thing, so many of my previous roles were always the hot girl, love interest, sassy etc., & as we see, Camille is an activist & overall sort of different from my previous roles…but secretly in real life I’m a dork! I can play the bad girl, but irl, I’m goofy & quirky & offbeat. So I just had to step up & figure out a way for them to SEE me. I setup another meeting but beforehand I asked Tracy how she envisioned Camille & so when I showed up, per Tracy’s vision, I had Camille’s goddess locs in, I wore what I thought Camille would wear & in showing up as her, showing my commitment, showing my ability & desire to stretch as an actor, I think they were then able to start to see me as Camille & also me; Meagan the actress, beyond my previous roles. In preparation, I even called Regina Hall to see if she would run lines with me. Regina in my opinion, is the queen of pairing drama & comedy & she was instantly supportive. I think women sometimes don’t always ask other women for help, but I respected Regina so much, I HAD to ask her. She ran lines with me a couple times & after about the 2nd time she said “oh girl you don’t need any help” lol. She offered some light, constructive advice; 1 or 2 thoughts that I could implement, 1 of which I definitely took in with me! By this time, Grace [Byers] & Jerrie [Johnson] had already been casted in their roles. I remembered calling Grace the night before & finally telling her that I was going for Camille, she excitedly ran lines with me over zoom & that exchange felt so right! Another super serendipitous moment was on the actual audition day. Both Shoniqua [Shandai] & I were up that day. She saw me in the bathroom & asked if I’d remembered her. She followed with this incredibly wild story of us chatting once via facetime through her friend who day played with me on Minority Report. The call ended with us touching hands on the screen & claiming ‘in Jesus name’ that we’d one day do a show together in the future! I couldn’t believe it “I DO remember that, OMG that was you??” WOW. So there we were, meeting for the first time face to face, in the bathroom, embracing & praying together before our auditions! I didn’t hear anything back for 2 whole weeks after that, I remember Tasha Smith texting me saying “girl don’t worry, God is in control” & shortly after, I got the call! I literally burst into tears because, here I was after 30 years in the business & I was still able surprise people, I was still able to do the work & get people to SEE that I still had more to offer as an actress! Playing Camille has been wonderful & has been such a breath of fresh air. Getting to work alongside these women that I genuinely love as human beings, that I genuinely want to hang out, like we GENUINELY go on vacations together! It’s a dream! You see, when you’re on set, you live there. For 5 months out of the year, M-F, 12 hours a day, these are the people I’m with. So it’s incredible when you get to spend your days with quality people that you sincerely love & sincerely enjoy.
ANY 2ND SEASON SPOILERS?
Hmmm…. Here’s what I CAN tell you… it picks up exactly where it left off! This 2nd season is very…… SPICY!…ANDDDDD the 2nd episode is directed by me :)
MEAGAN, WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED & WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ANYONE WANTING TO FEARLESSLY LEAN INTO THEIR OWN PERSONAL EVOLUTION?
Some of the best advice I’ve been given was simply that “it’s not the end of the world”. Just hearing that, completely released me from all of the pressure I used to put on myself if something wasn’t going as I’d hoped or planned. There will be other chances & maybe it’s supposed to happen like this specifically to make room for those other, better chances! As far as the advice I would give about not being afraid to lean forward into evolutions; it would be that we only have 2 choices, you can either not do or try something & then regret that you didn’t for the rest of your life. Or, you can take the leap & give it your best shot! The definition of courage is not not being scared, it’s being scared, but doing it anyway! Whenever I’ve ever jumped, I didn’t fall I started to fly!
IF YOU GLANCE OVER YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF MEAGAN?
.........Me?
Honestly if we’re talking the totality of my entire life, I know it sounds a bit unconventional, but I’m most proud of myself today. I think there was a time when I felt saying that might come off a certain way. But you know, you work at the qualities you want to see in yourself, I’m always very conscious about being both humble & gracious. I’m grateful that I’ve evolved purposely practicing those qualities, so most of the time now, I get to hold them close. So humbly, yes, the answer to what I’m most proud of in my life, for me, as me, is me, because for the most part I’m the only variable I can control on this journey. Being proud of ourselves & all the work we do to become better people is also so important. I’m proud of becoming self aware, I’m proud of not sacrificing my authenticity or the truth of who I am at the core in so many spaces where I questioned if I should. I’m proud of the fact that the things I have to work on, I’m now able to see them! I can now call myself out (as healthily as possible). I’m REALLY proud of my self-accountability & all the work that was done to find that. I’m proud of myself for making it this far, I’m proud that I haven’t fallen apart in seasons of my life that I really could have. -And not just this past year, I’ve had quite a few life seasons where I look back & I’m like ‘girl how did you even sorta make it through that, how did you get up, go to work & still find light to offer a smile or be kind to people in the middle of your own personal hells?’ In fact i’ll never forget a time when I finally I guess, saw myself….I was on a movie shoot in South Africa & there was a scene atop a very steep, narrow hill. The road up & down the hill was so narrow that only 1 car could really pass with ease. If there were ever 2 cars, 1 would absolutely be near the very edge. Terrified of heights, my preference should this arise was to always be the car on the inside of the road. One night as we were coming down, another car was coming up, but I noticed the other car had a child on board. I remembered immediately, without even a second thought asking the driver to make sure we were on the outside because there was a little boy in the on coming car. After we both passed safely & the adrenaline subsided, I remembered having a moment! I think we all want to be selfless, I think if this were hypothetical I would want to say that I’d put a stranger & their child before myself. But it’s really wild when a split second decision ACTUALLY shows up & you choose what you think you’d choose in a moment like that. Suddenly you’re holding your own mirror up to yourself & it’s like, did I just be the person I think I am in my head? It’s stunning. You know we all have ideas of who we think we are or what kind of person we believe ourselves to be but it’s not really until a moment shows up & you have to quickly, almost innately decide, that you get a glimpse of your truth. So it was really interesting for me to see who showed up FROM me in an almost life or death situation. That was a huge aha moment for me.
-So yep, I think it’s okay, I think I’m proud of the realization that I’ve evolved into the person I’ve always hoped I could become.
IS THERE A DREAM ROLE FOR YOU THAT YOU’VE YET TO PLAY?
Yes a biopic. For a long time it was Aaliyah but after like age 26, 27, I made peace with that probably not happening. After Aaliyah, I really wanted to do Whitney’s life story. I’d actually gotten the chance to soft pitch it to her & she loved it enough to want to set up a meeting with me that same week. I remember her asking me how I would end the biopic & I told her ‘with a new beginning’. There was so much irony in that moment because she was also working with my ex-husband on Sparkle. Coincidently Whitey had originally wanted to cast Aaliyah as Sparkle back in 2000 but Aaliyah unfortunately passed before the film was even finalized. So Sparkle had been shelved for about 10 years until DeVon convinced them to bring it back out & when they did, as you know, Whitney played sparkle’s mother. The very DAY BEFORE I was to meet with Whitney, she heartbreakingly passed away.
[pauses]
Unimaginable.
I can say today, that I’m grateful that Kasi Lemmons is the one that’s doing the biopic now because she’s a beast, she did Eve’s Bayou & honestly, there’s nobody better! To that end, I honestly don’t know of another dream role that exists for me right now. But when the time is right, God will show me the way.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL HEROES MEAGAN?
Halle Berry!
My mom.
My sister.
Jim & Monique Brown.
Jim has been my Godfather since I was a teen & he was one of the first people that I felt really GOT me. He’d speak to me as an adult & he respected my brain & encouraged me to lean into the fact that I didn’t fit in. He taught me how much of a blessing that actually was.
Halle Berry I actually got to meet the week after I’d gotten married & I remember at the time just hoping that she’d be everything I dreamt she would be [lol]. I remember building up the courage to walk up to her after she’d finished dinner & coyly saying ‘Hi I’m Meagan’ to which she warmly offered, ‘I know who you are’ & greeted me with such a smile! –I started telling her how much of a fan I was of her as a person & of her work & I got so emotional. But when I got emotional, she got emotional & there we both were tears pouring down, hugging each other tightly, it was this really amazing moment you know, getting to meet your hero! Even after, she followed me on socials & would comment on my posts, after the divorce announcement, she even sent word of her support –Like theee Halle Berry! -The little girl inside me to this day still cannot believe it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FUN HIDDEN TALENTS OR PASTIMES PEOPLE WOULD BE COMPLETELY SURPRISED BY?
I karaoke believe it or not! I definitely need the music behind me, but I can get the song done lol.
WHAT HAS THIS YEAR TAUGHT YOU THE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF MEAGAN?
That, as resilient I thought I already was, I’m apparently that & then some! [Lol]. This year also taught me that I’d had a lot of unknowingly unresolved memories from childhood that I guess I didn’t know were unhealed, particularly around my parents separating when I was 4. Feelings around abandonment caused by separation, but again mostly experiences I thought I’d forgotten. So identifying those feelings & making space for work around them. I also realized how strong I am, but probably to a fault? Usually if there’s any hurt afoot, my wall goes right up & I don’t think I realized until this year that that wall was in fact a fortress. If I sensed hurt, the way I leaped to protect myself was pretty hard core. This year I saw it, I really observed it & now I think that maybe it doesn’t have to be quite that impenetrable. I think when my parents separated as a child I created these specific notions of never letting anything like that hurt happen to me. Now I realize honestly, my parents loved each other, but it just didn’t work out & that’s okay! It’s okay to get hurt, because you’ll live, you’ll learn, you’ll heal & you’ll be better for it. You’ll be more useful to the world because of it & you will always, always end up okay! So learning to not protect myself quite so intensely. That was a HUGE 2022 lesson.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU HOPE TO BE 26 YEARS FROM NOW?
Ooh. I hope that I have a full [tattoo]sleeve, I hope that I’ve started growing my hair into locs & that they’re really long & down my back. I hope I’m directing full time & only popping out to act whenever I feel truly led to a role. I hope that I’m creating opportunities for other people, especially people who have experienced typecasting or who others feel can only display one type of character. I hope that I am fully immersed in activism & making a difference. I hope that I have at least 1 kid, I hope that I’m re-married & in love & living life with someone who’s equally as crazy & adventurous as me & we’re dragging our kid all across the country & they love it. I hope that I’m gardening more & cooking more & I hope that I’m speaking to & mentoring lots of young women & that I have the time to do it so they have my full attention. I hope that I’m nurturing the next generation in more ways than one. & I hope that I’m in shape & a bad ass & still don’t take no shit, but I hope that people will see me as a safe space & as a resource & a loving person. As someone who loves the Lord & truly does His work!
& SO YOU DO BELIEVE IN LOVE AGAIN?
The first couple of months the self talk was definitely that I didn’t think I’d want to get married ever again. My thoughts were, I did everything the “right” way as much as possible, I did my absolute best & it still didn’t turn into ‘ever after’. My secret, worst fear honestly, was to get a divorce at the 10 year mark, because that’s exactly what happened with my parents! -& so to fast forward, the day the ink dried was almost 10 years to the date we got married & in those moments my sentiments heavily echoed a huge “what’s the point?” With some time & reflection however, I understood & made peace with the fact, that regardless of the where we are now, back then, I DID make the right decision. God definitely told me that DeVon was to be my husband. I was meant to be with that wonderful person for that appointed time in our lives. I also found peace in the ability to realize that God however, did NOT tell me he would be my husband forever! The message was only that he was my husband [time not withstanding]. Some things aren’t forever & that’s okay... There is also brilliance & reverence in discovering that we also get the opportunity to start new chapters & new acts. –And what a wonderfully full life we get to live that way, the more destined, delicious chapters & acts that show up for us, the more we get to add to our life’s stories!
I’M YOUR OWN WORDS, AS YOU KNOW HER TODAY, WHO IS MEAGAN GOOD?
Meagan is a lover of people & life & a thankful person & a lover of God mostly. Someone who wants to do her part to make the world genuinely better. -& as cliché as it sounds, she really believes that she can do that in her own way, even if she can just help one person. It only ever takes one person to change the world.
LAST QUESTION, OUR STAPLE QUESTION! WE’RE A MENS LUXURY MAGAZINE, BUT TO US LUXURY ISN'T PRIMARILY ABOUT MATERIALISM, INSTEAD OUR DESCRIPTION IS "LUXURY AS A STATE OF MIND, CREATIVITY AS A DRIVING FORCE”. I LOVE THIS QUESTION BECAUSE THE ANSWERS OVER THE YEARS HAVE RANGED FROM EXPERIENCES TO FEELINGS & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN…. MS. MEAGAN GOOD…. WHAT’S YOUR DEFINITION OF LUXURY?
Fullness.
Living life to the absolute fullness of it. I want when I leave, to have used it ALL up! Every single drop. Fullness of life, adventure, fun, love, joy, helping others, giving, protecting, I just want the fullness. Living in a state of joy as much as humanly possible & the total fullness of life, that’s luxury to me!
