“Brighten Up My Day”

by Cleveland Recording Artist
Aaron LaFette

Susan Palmentera-Wordell is a grandchild and great-grandchild of immigrants from all over the world. Her story begins as an adventure of hope for prosperity and becomes a journey of love. From the cobblestone streets of England, the plains of Poland and the volcanic islands of the Azores came people escaping poverty. From the olive orchards of Sicily, sugar plantations of Hawaii, and the smoke engulfed, fiery shores of Pearl Harbor came people seeking the American dream. The journey would end in a blue collar neighborhood in the shadow of a giant steel mill in Cleveland, Ohio. Susan, born and raised in the inner city of Cleveland, tells the story of her life and how she became “Just A Girl From Cleveland” after her mother’s mysterious adoption by a U.S. Navy serviceman stationed in the Pacific during World War II. Susan generously exposes the intimate details of her life from both the perspective of her difficult and endearing childhood to her mistakes and successes as an adult. She accomplishes this by giving the reader a sometimes comical and other times heartbreaking peek into the kaleidoscope of her failings and accomplishments as well as the seemingly unimaginable occurrences that filled her days and years. Her story includes captivating excerpts from such happenings as her mother’s opiate addiction related death, her father’s involvement in organized crime, and the joy she experienced and lessons learned from her failed romantic relationships. She candidly displays her triumphs and tragedies of luck and loss from such conflicting events as her teen pregnancy to her enchanting brush with potential Hollywood stardom. Having been inspired both personally and professionally by the fast paced world of amateur and professional sports and the athletes and coaches she encountered, Susan refused to sit on the sidelines and instead, conditioned herself to champion her own causes and ambitions while keeping sight of her goals. Realizing that navigating the complicated road of life often involves humbling experiences, Susan relied on the hilarious antics and heartfelt advice from rising stars on the standup comedy circuit she frequented, as well as wise cracking personalities she encountered at her jobs and at home to remind her that when the ills of life bring you down, laughter is truly the best medicine.  She demonstrates that even when faced with losing everything and starting over it was her discipline in hushing a secret that could change her life forever and in keeping an almost impossible promise she made to herself that she would find what her heart had been searching for all along, which was falling in love with the man of her dreams, accomplishing her goals and finally becoming a mother again. Susan’s personal journey is proof that anyone with an adventurous spirit, a heart opened to new friendships, a mind willing to learn, the courage to brave the storms of injustice, and the tenacity to work hard to get the job done can follow the road that is leading them home to a place, where if they believe, dreams really can come true.

JUST A GIRL FROM CLEVELAND

by Susan Palmentera-Wordell