THE EVERYTHING BAGEL ...Going wider and deeper

ONCE UPON A TIMELINE:PT 1 PARENT TEACHERS CONFERENCE NIGHT

Maisha Sapp Woodley Season 1 Episode 1


In this episode, we begin where all stories should—with context. This isn’t just a parent-teacher night; it’s a moment etched in memory, where a child's fear, humor, and hyper-awareness collide. From misinterpreting “the field” to decoding the emotional weather forecast on her mother’s face, this backstory opens the door to lived experiences, layered identities, and the survival skills neurodivergent kids develop early. You’ll laugh, reflect, and be introduced to the language and frameworks that shape the series. Because you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re from.


Welcome to Once Upon a Timeline, where we break down moments that seem small—but carry the weight of everything. In this opening story, we go back to a hallway, a locked door, and the anxiety of waiting for a report that could shift your whole world.

This episode sets the tone. It’s not just about what happened that night—but how it happened, how it felt, and how it shaped the tools I now use in storytelling, parenting, and policy. You’ll start hearing terms and phrases throughout this series—like “hyper-awareness,” “decompression,” “processing speed,” and even the use of Once upon a time into once upon a timeline to help me anchor Time.

So, before we get into the innovations, paradoxes, and paradigm shifts… we begin here.