Today is Thanksgiving and I want to give thanks for everything and everyone that has been a part of my life.  I am thankful for the good and the bad because without both, I wouldn't be who I am today.  Above is a picture of my first cousins, of course there are a couple of people missing because they already left or was somewhere else when we took the picture.  Unfortunately it was taken during my grandmother's funeral, but we were all together. 

I can honestly say each one of them are like my brothers or sisters.  We were raised together, disciplined together and encouraged together.  Each has their own story, but all of our stories incorporate each other.  I couldn't imagine life without being close to my family.  Initially when my wife and I met, it was very overwhelming for her because she comes from a much smaller family and when I said meet my cousin she didn’t understand how I could be so close to a 4th cousin.  Family includes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins.  Family includes: aunts, uncles, grand aunts, grand uncles, great grand aunts and great grand uncles.  Family includes: aunts from marriage, aunts still around even after divorce.  There is so much to the word family with my family and I am so thankful.  I will post a video to show the magnitude one day, but just know that there are hundreds of us and we are all close to each other. 

So today is Thanksgiving and I am in Miami with my wife's family and it is beautiful.  I am adding to my family and thankful for everyone, every moment and every thing that I have been fortunate to witness and experience. 

I am many things.  I think everyday, every moment, I change my definition.  Through life experiences, more information, and growth I scrape and reshape myself to be a better person.  I doubt this process will ever end, as I know my friends and family will attest; I am light years away from being the best human being I could be, but every day I do strive to be better.  So I define myself by many words: Man, African American, husband, son, brother, cousin, friend, student, good, friendly, talkative, a people person, strong, weak, smart, intelligent, silly, quick to judgment, stubborn, positive, wishful, thankful, energetic, extravert, and the list continues.  I am always redefining myself and a variety of words can be used on any day at any given time.

Some days I am better than others, but I try to make sure I define myself with positive and progressive words.  However, there are those days where I am mean, ungrateful, negative, vengeful, and probably thousands more.  I do try everyday to remove those words and feelings from my soul and spirit, because those types of words have no benefits in my life.  At the end of the day I am what I am and that’s just a continuous work in progress.

Then I also remember that today we are more connected than ever before.  Through the use of the many social networks I find myself updated on what people are doing that I knew over 15 years ago and probably haven’t physically seen in over 10 years.  Through it all, I know that other people are also connected with me.  I only hope that they are seeing how I define myself.  Because I am also a combination of how they define me.  There is no way to separate myself from my connection to others, so my definition also comes from them.

If people define me as selfish, mean, nasty, hurtful, vengeful, negative, disrespectful, ungrateful, cruel, spiteful, and the many other harmful words that can describe someone’s character, then I have a problem.  No matter how I describe myself, if others see me in a negative light, I have a lot of work to do to change my personality.  I have to always be aware of how others are seeing me because it is only a reflection of me.  I can choose not to see or believe the reflection, but for the most part it has some truth to it.

I am not saying there won’t be days when people will be incorrect about me or have misjudgments.  However if I take a look at the macro rather than the micro, I am sure to see a trend, and that trend/pattern is important.  So I redefine myself everyday and so do others and I only hope that most of those definitions are positive because I am what I am and I am what you see.  What do you see?

Meeting people who seemed highly successful, but were lacking in many human qualities has been a learning experience.  It has taught me that success is not about the quantity that a man has, but the quality of the man.  My position, wealth, accomplishments, and so forth all could contribute to a following or a level of respect, but the question is whether when all of those 'things' are stripped away will those people still be around, will they still respect?

To this day I still say thank you to people at work.  I know it’s their job.  I know it’s a part of their job description.  I know they are my subordinate.  I know they are my boss, but at the end of the day, I am still respectful of the people and know that we all juggle multiple things at work.  A simple thank you will go a long way to move my needs to the top of the list. 

It’s never about the position, the fear, or the money but rather it’s all about the person.  I want people to respect the human being, not the title.  If I am not respected because of the quality of my life and the character within, then I do not have true respect.  Ultimately if that's the case, I have failed as a person.  So my goal is to have respect as a human being and if I am not succeeding, I hope my friends and family take the time to inform me.  So my new addition to my goal list is to be loved as the human being.

I remember very vividly the day that Aaron McGruder came to campus to speak with students.There was a tremendous buzz around the campus about how excited everyone was about him and his comic strip, The Boondocks.I believe it was 2002 and I had just been introduced to the comic strip and appreciated the satire and political humor he was able to extract through the use of children characters.

He was fresh off his NAACP Image Award and was in awe about how well his strip was doing in only 4 years.He kept talking about how humbling it was to be in front of people who wanted to hear what he had to say.Everyone was fixated on his every word.Remember this was before Youtube, the television show and the explosion of blogging, so people were still very excited to be in a room with someone like McGruder.He was a college student's dream.He was doing what he loved, had fun doing it, and his voice was heard around the world.

Finally someone asked the question that is always presented to a speaker like Mr. McGruder.How does it feel to be a voice/leader of a new generation?With no hesitation, he informed us all, he wasn't a leader by any stretch of the imagination.He was only a cartoonist who loved what he was doing.His example and defining moment actually came during the NAACP Image Awards.

For those that aren't aware, his cartoon strip, The Boondocks, constantly ridiculed Condelessa Rice and numerous politicians.So he was nervous to hear he was winning an award at the same time as Secretary of State, Ms. Rice.His fear was heightened when he was standing in front of her and someone introduced the two.Of course, he was well aware of her, her history, accomplishments, and failures, as she was a powerful member of the Bush administration.

To his surprise, her response was quite different than he expected.It was a simple, "nice to meet you and what exactly is it that you do?"She had no idea about him, his work, or anything that he had ever done.Why should she?He was only a cartoonist and she was worrying about WARS, troops, economy, and The United States of America.That was when he truly understood his place.He brought enjoyment, maybe some awareness, to SOME people, but nothing more.He was not a LEADER, he was a cartoonist that played his part and did what he could to help make changes.

In the end, it was okay that he wasn't known by Condelessa Rice, as long as he did his part and let his voice be heard to make changes.So the question becomes what am I doing in my situation to let my voice be heard and help to make change?I need to stop worrying about how I am not doing more or how I am not more, just do what I can and make the most of it.

Even though I was in a room of Barack supporters, everyone still had a moment of shock and then a loud yell of excitement and rejoiced in the fact their candidate had won, that there was a new President and that an African American was able to DO IT.  I was so excited and so proud of the moment.  I couldn't wait for his acceptance speech.  I knew it would be the definition of a change that was upon us as a society, a nation, and a Race of people.

Of course, we had to wait for his speech.  As always, the first speech is that of the losing candidate.  We had to hear the concession speech.  I must say that it was probably one of the best speeches Sen. John McCain had given during his campaign and I know if he had spoken with such passion and hope throughout the campaign there is no way Barack would have won so easily.  Anyway, I was very happy to hear him give his speech of support and respect.

Finally the moment came and Barack walked on stage.  I am from Chicago, still have family there, and just spoke with my mother who was standing in the crowd at Grant Park so that she could make sure she was there for this history making event.  When he walked on stage, I felt so much emotion and just was overwhelmed with a sense of PRIDE.  His speech was exactly what I expected; very poignant and inclusive.  It was everything that he was and that he hoped for this country.

The next day, I had to get up earlier than usual and was trying to get ready quickly.  My wife was still sleep in bed and as I was putting on my pants, it all hit me.  This was all bigger than anything I imagined.  It was all a moment of clarity.  For me, it was the manifestation of the mantra, "you can be anything you want to be."  Barack was President of the United States of America.  I had to take a seat and just cry.  Not cry with sadness, not cry with joy, just cry.  It was my moment of realization!!! 

Even to this day, 6 days later, I find myself sometime overcome with emotion that causes my eyes to tear.  It's nothing I can do to stop it.  It's emotion.  I UNDERSTAND HISTORY and I am proud that this moment has not past.  It's unbelievable!!  I love this emotion and I doubt I will ever lose it.  I mean I ask you, how many papers did you buy???  I know I am not the only one, understanding history means we all have had or are having our emotional moment.

He championed hope and progress.  He championed the slogan, Yes We Can.  He has won by a margin unseen before in my generation, my mother's generation and even my grandmother's generation.  He has brought millions to the democratic process that have felt unappreciated and disenfranchised.  So many new voters came out to be a part of this election and be a part of history. 

I don't know what the future holds, but the feeling that I am feeling right now will stay within my soul for years.  This is amazing for all people.  This is for AMERICA!!! 

Today is November 4, 2008, the day that Americans choose the 44th President of the United States of America.  This is the day that all Americans should be a member of the electoral process and let their voices to be heard.  I believe voting is not only a right, but a necessity and I could never see not voting, especially when so many people have died in order to give me this right.  I never understand how people, especially women, minorities, and members of the poor class don't vote after so many people fought to get them the right that is so dearly deserved. 

My first voting experience was in 2000 for the Presidential election. I was an excited college student who couldn't believe that I was going to finally be able to vote.  I would truly be an adult.  I would be a part of the decision making process.  It was a big day for me.  I was so excited and nervous.  I kept calling and checking on my registration in order to make sure that I was truly registered in my new state of Pennsylvania.  I had to check numerous times to make sure that as a college student I was okay to be registered in Pennsylvania and not my home state of Illinois.  I know I was bugging people, but this was my big moment.

The day started out as any other and I grew more and more anxious as the time approached when I would be able to go to the polls and vote.  The time finally came and I was nervous and excited because I was going to finally let my voice be heard and help in choosing the next President of the United States of America.  I walked up cool and confident to the table, handed the person my id and began to ask a million questions about voting.

I was quickly interrupted and told that I wasn't on the registrar.  The woman said I wasn't registered to vote at that location.  I began to go off.  She again cut me off and told me, "Do not worry.  You might need to go to another location.  It would be okay."  I couldn't believe it.  I was so confused.  I knew I was registered, so why would I be denied?  I didn't understand.  I walked away upset, but still excited and began to walk to new directed location. 

It was a long walk because now all I could think about was what would it be like if my vote didn't count?  What would it mean if I messed up in the booth and didn't vote correctly?  Could I make a mistake and have a redo?  How did it work?  I began to become extremely nervous.  I shook off the nerves and walked up to the new table and again handed my id and waited to be told which booth to vote in.  The woman looked over the books and again said, “you aren't registered here”.  I could have cried.

How could this happen twice?  How could I not be registered?  She had to have made a mistake.  It's no way that she knew what she was talking about.  I knew I was registered and I knew I did everything I was supposed to do for this big day.  I can't even begin to fully explain the defeated feeling I felt.  But that feeling wasn't going to last, because I knew I NEEDED to vote.  I NEEDED to be a part of the process.

The woman then told me, I needed to go to the local police station, see the judge on duty and obtain an affidavit proving that I was indeed registered to vote.  There was no way I was being denied.  So I began taking a walk to the police station and sat in front of the desk officer explaining my situation.  I wasn't the only one.  There was another person there with me too.  I couldn't believe what was happening to me.  So finally after about 30 minutes, the judge handed me a piece of paper and said “go to the original polling place and I would be able to vote.  Oh yeah, and you only have 15 minutes before the polls close so you have to hurry”. 

Not another problem?  How was I supposed to get back there in less than 15 minutes?  I was so far from campus at that point.  Then the other person who was with me offered me a ride.  I quickly jumped in the car and rode to the polls.  Ran inside and showed my paper to the woman and was quickly ushered to the booth.  I finally was in a booth.  Did I cry?  Did I shout?  What was I suppose to do?  I just voted!!!!  4 hours later, I was finally able to push the button for Al Gore.  Finally I was a part of the election process.

2 polling stations, 1 police station, 1 judge, and 4 hours later, I voted for the first time in my life.  It made me feel a little more whole.  It made me feel more like man.  It allowed me to feel like I was really a part of the process.  So would lines scare me this year?  NEVER.  Would I worry about not being a part of this election?  NEVER.  I will vote in every election that I can and make sure I am a part of every political process.  MY VOICE will be heard.

Its not a right, it's not a privilege, its a NECESSITY!!! VOTE

Today, Barack Obama gave a speech at the University of Cincinnati.  It was a great speech which touched upon his policies and decision making if elected President of the United States.  However, neither his oratory skills nor his information was the amazing aspect to the speech, rather it was the thunderous ovation he received when he walked out to give his speech as seen in the clip attached.

Now I have to say, I have only been to one Presidential speech and it was one that President Clinton was giving in Naperville, Il when I was in high school.  His speech was amazing.  I am not sure what the speech was about, but I know the feeling of being in that room was a feeling I will never forget.  Also, I do distinctly remember being amazed by the metal detectors that we had to go through and the men in black with semi automatic weapons who appeared out of no where gliding down from the roof within the auditorium.  I remember the look of the President when he appeared and the sense of accomplishment that I had in knowing that I was one of the chosen students to be there.  However, I don't remember why I was there, I don't remember his speech and I don't remember any kind of ovation anywhere close to what I witnessed on tv today.

It's not like today was an anomaly, but rather the normal response that people have at the sight of Obama.  I can honestly say that I wasn't a supporter initially, even though he is the Senator from my home state and my beloved city of Chicago, Illinois.  Everyone knows that since I have moved out East, any reference/connection to my Midwest roots receives an automatic acceptance from me.  However, this was different, this was for the Presidency.

The same can not be said for my wife.  She was a supporter from the beginning.  She was in awe of him.  I remember her going to one of his initial fund raising rallys in New York.  Her sending me texts about the line, her sending me texts about not making it in before he arrived, her sending me texts about him walking towards her as he entered the building to let her and the others who didn't make it in know that he was sorry and would come out to greet them when he was done and her sending me a text of picture she took of him on her camera phone and telling me how AMAZING he was in person.

At the time, I must admit, I didn't get it.  Did she really understand his policies?  Did she really agree with his stance on issues?  Or was she just happy that HE was running?  Over time, I began to understand, I began to become a supporter.  And recently his "30 minute campaign piece” aired on television and I just watched with awe.  Honestly, the first time I had awe was reading the op ed piece in the New York Times from Carolyn Kennedy in which she compared Senator Barack Obama to the feeling that people described about her father.  That one piece of writing is probably the biggest thing that tipped my scales for me from Hilary to Barack.

Anyway, I recently told a friend about how I felt after watching the 30 minute piece and she said, "oh I see you are drinking the Barack kool aid".  That really stuck with me for numerous reasons, most of all, because I definitely have not taken to this position lightly.  It took some time for me to believe he was the best candidate for the Presidency.  She then began to explain how just because he can speak well, does not mean he can be a good President.  Well all I can say is that I have to quote Carolyn Kennedy, "sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.  We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I am a very confident person in myself and my abilities, but I honestly feel that he is just BETTER than me and he inspires me to do better.  Any person that inspires others to do better and be better, is one that I hope we all would believe to be capable of being President and should be the ONLY type of person we want as our President.  There are many questions that lie ahead, don't get me wrong, I am not blind.  These are difficult times and the next four years will be full of difficult decisions and pressures unlike any time since the GREAT DEPRESSION.  However listening to his philosophies, his thought process, and his agenda, I have only one thing in my heart, HOPE.  What other feeling should we or I have????

This is not only a revisit to a once hilarious Bud commercial but a glimpse into the reality of many. It's unfortunate that there are numerous people who struggling with what these characters are talking about and have probably many of the same feelings. I know too many people who are feeling the effects of this economic and stressful time.

The current administation has been in the office for 8 years, which is a substantial amount of time in today's global world and have no choice, but to acknowledge thier role in the current state of America. Through different policy decisions, they have hurt everyone from Big Business to the poor American. It is a shame that so many people have to hurt because of the decisions that were made by this government, but after it is all said and done, American people can only blame themselves as they are the ones that voted this administation into office.

On the other hand, this administation must be thanked. As quoted in the video, "change, that's what's up;" this could have never happened without all of the mistakes that were made by the Bush administration. There is no way that if everything was just okay, or slightly bad, would Sen. Barack Obama be able to make so much headway. It is a perfect storm for the rise of someone like Senator Barack who is able to get many people to look pass race, sex, color and look at what's important; the issues.

So in the end, maybe Bush should be congratulated for bringing the country closer together and forcing people to look pass their prejuidces. America is looking to elect either an African American President or a female Vice President. We can all thank Bush for making this possible and a certain reality. As a country we had no choice, but to look towards the best, rather than just someone who could fill the seat. Therefore, I am not sure if President George W. Bush legacy is so bad. He helped America tremedously.

"CHANGE, THAT'S WHAT'S UP"

This should make every person proud.  Not only has this teacher took the time to learn about his students, which is demonstrated by him taking a song that is number one on the charts and using it to stimulate his classroom, but also these kids are talking about the very important Presidential Election.  These children are not only understanding politics, they are partaking in a debate and learning that school can be educational, stimulating and a lot of fun.  This teacher is ingenious and I am sure these students couldn't wait to get to school everyday as they were learning the new words and steps for this show.

However, it's more than a show.  After this well though out and planned lesson, I am sure these students could educate some adults about politics and the stances that John McCain and Barack Obama have on a couple of issues.  I am sure they are able to teach some adults about what it means to debate, what it means to study, what it means to prepare.  Nothing about this is just cute, it is inspiring.  One of the problems that we have with our educational system is that too many people believe that it fails our students because students have lost interest or aren't feeling like they matter.

Well I bet every one of these kids feel important now.  The teacher took the time to learn about them.  This school is in Atlanta, where TI is a huge megastar.  These students not only know him and his music, but most likely, love him.  Clearly the teacher understood this affection and used it as a tool to not only teach his students, but also entertain them.  I hope to see more videos like this and when I have a family, I only pray that my child is in a classroom where the teacher genuinely cares about making sure that the students LOVE to learn.

Congratulations to Ron Clark Academy for making school, politics, and learning cool!!

So during the second debate, I went to join my wife at a debate party at the 40/40 Club.  Known as the Jay Z club with numerous celebrity parties and events, this was also an event for them.  As I walked to the door they were quick to ask if I was there for the debate and to point me in the right direction for the viewing party.  There I found numerous people like me; concerned citizens who wanted to learn more about what the candidates had to say.  This was also an opportunity to discuss and debate with others about stances and how well or poorly each candidate performed.

None of this was eye opening or unusual.  I have seen many of these types of people out on the streets discussing politics like it’s a sporting debate with each person taking a certain position and vehemently defending their position.  So this didn't make me understand just how important this was, but rather my walk to the 40/40 club. 

During my walk I began to notice a gathering of homeless people taking shelter from developing rain.  It was obvious this was a normal place for them, as it was an enclave for a building and they had their boxes/shelter all set up.  But to my surprise, I heard a noise, more like talking.  IT was Tom Brokaw.  They were listening to the debate.  They were tuned in just like everyone else that I knew. 

This election is about so many people with so much at stake.  I only pray that people come out and truly participate in the election and let their voice be known.  Today is the last day for registration in New York, but the real test will come on Nov. 4, 2008.  This is not about just me, but the entire country.  This is about the guy who is as rich as Bill Gates and the guy who is as poor as the people I saw listening to the debate. 

Sometimes we get caught in our own world/needs and forget what globalization means.  This is so big!  This is so much more than ME and YOU.  This is so much more than just the United States.  This is the World. 

A 20% tip has actually become quite regular for me.  I think I will have to change that though, because most of the time these restaurants don't have the service that deserves 20%.  I mean, a tip is for the service, not the food.  Anyway, I say all of this to say, that since the bill was $37, I found myself giving the woman a tip of $6.  After she seen me writing on the credit card slip, the amount of the tip, she began saying how grateful she was of me and how nice I was to give her such a nice tip.  She then began to tell her fellow co-workers, I am so glad that I didn't cash out my tips yet. 

We also had conversations about my blackberry and phone, while she explained to her co-worker that the blackberry was like having a computer.  First, let me say, I wife and I began typing away on our 2-way pagers as we began our relationship so from there we moved on to a blackberry.  I remember getting a blackberry from Nextel for free in 2003 and selling it to a friend for $100, because I had no idea what to do with it.  Little did I know, I should have invested in the stock.  Anyway, to give a $6 tip wasn't even a thought; it wasn't anything but a reaction to the number 3, in $37.  I just simply double that first number for a tip.

While for this woman, I had just made an impact on her.  I had just been so generous.  I had just given her a "big" tip.  Obviously we are in two different financial places in our life, but it doesn't mean that she does not have the same dreams as me.  I have been very fortunate.  Don't get me wrong, I have worked hard for what I have accomplished and always tried to do better for myself and my family.  But this woman reminded me that I have to be grateful for all that I have and that I am capable of attaining in the future.

Some days it is hard.   You turn on the news and all you hear about is the bailout, the Dow dropping, and the impact on the housing market.  All which I have a huge interest in as I own a home, have money invested in the market and am concerned about what kind of tax breaks I will receive with this new plan.  I doubt any of this is what that woman at Waffle House is concerned about, as she probably has other worries; worries that I am fortunate enough not to have at this time. 

Some days it is hard.  Some days my wife and I are very concerned about money.  Some days I am unsure.  But I will remember that $6 difference I gave and how, even though I might believe it to be hard, it can be much worst.  I am reminded of how much I do have and will use that as my barometer of hard.  Not just because I want more.  Wanting more isn't hard; not having and needing is the HARD.  Luckily I can say, all I want is More.  I have all I ‘need’.

I have never met Matt Damon so I can't speak to his intellect, speak to his mannerisms or to anything else about him.My judgements only come from what I see and read.I always thought of him as being smart and capable, but listening to his recent statement to the AP, I can't help but respect him even more.But, I do wonder, is he right?Is he missing the point?

I have my opinions of all the nominees for the Presidency.I hope that everyone has or is forming opinions.For instance, why is the most important job in America only between two parties and two serious candidates?Why is there a debate tonight and I am only hearing from two candidates?Aren't there more people running?When I get to the voting booth, won't I see more than just an Obama and McCain ticket? So why is it that only two people will be at the first debate?Honestly, there are so many questions and not enough answers.

Either way, Matt Damon makes a great point about the person who is on the Republican ticket as the Vice President.I think it isn't good for our country to have someone who will have such an important job and such an important position to not have made their plans and agenda clear to the American people.What does it say about our people and our country that we are willing to vote in someone without knowing how they will run the government?It's really scary when you begin to truly understand how this country is run and how people think.

Voting is so important and so necessary.I hope no one is taking this as a joke and doing the research necessary to make an informed decision.This is our life and our future.We can't sit back and let anyone make that decision.Lets learn and lets vote!!

1. It was a busy intersection, which means there were numerous people who witnessed the action.  Also, there were numerous businesses that were open and all able to provide a bathroom for a mother who's son needed to use the facilities.  With a quick glance, I was able to see bodega's, restaurants, home furnishing stores, supply stores and many other establishments that had a restroom.

2. It was the middle of the day so the action was very obvious and people could easily see.  Since the action was taking place at a busy intersection, there were pedestrians, cars, and bicyclist who all received a bird's eye view.

3. The mother was seemingly proud at helping the boy hold himself as he urinated on a wall.

I must also admit that I am making quite a few assumptions, one being that the woman was his mother and not a sick individual, as well as the boy being less than 7 years old.  I was not able to verify either assumption, but between my wife and I, we were confident that both were/are true.

There are so many things wrong with this picture that I do not know which problem is worst, but I will only use this space to talk about the foundation that exist for this boy.  A mother who feels that it is okay to deface other's property, that her son doesn't need to find proper facilities to urinate, the lack of respect for self and others in doing such a private act, publicly, and the simple disregard for societal norms, all seem like the wrong signals to send to a boy of his age.  To make matters worst, all that I have just named are only the surface of the issues that surround this boy urinating on a wall

How will a teacher be able to change this training?  How will a mentor be able to change this training?  I would love to have gotten out of the car, introduced myself and just followed the boy for his life.  It was very clear to me that the odds of this boy becoming successful were diminishing right in front of my face.  I just wonder what will happen later?   Will it be the school's fault?  Will it be the fault of an absentee father?  Will it be the fault of society? 

It needs to all start at home.  The decisions that his mother makes, will impact him for life.  The fact that she not only condones, but also participates in such actions, indicates a lot to this child, who will only later compound other unfortunate scenarios.  No one has more impact than a person's family, especially a person's mother.  I don't care if the mother is present or has previously abandoned the child.  (How many people are searching for their mother's love - which is an entirely different and more complicated topic)  A mother is the beginning of any person and I would argue has more impact than any father, therefore if a mother is not providing the necessary tools for her child then I would argue that her child is going to have a lot of obstacles throughout life.

The foundation is very important for a building.  It doesn't matter how tall, solid, beautiful a building looks, if the foundation isn't done properly the structure will ultimatly crumble.  The same is true for humans.  The family structure is the foundation for every child and if a mother or any guardian is not properly guiding the lives of their children, ultimately that child will become an adult with many problems.  I only hope that someone comes into the life of that boy that I saw on the street, because it is clear that his current foundation is a little shaky.

Okay, so I usually don't do this, but every once in awhile, you come across something that makes you realize that beauty comes in many forms and shapes.  I came across this picture and couldn't believe the photo.  I want to point out a few things about it.

1. It's Helen Mirren, the famous actress who recently won an Oscar for Queen Elizabeth

2. She is 62 years old, yes I typed it right, 62

3. The picture is just a photographer without any retouching

It lets you know that it is our choice how we ultimately live our life.  People always talk about going on a diet or doing this cleanse and this weight loss program.  There is no miracle pill, it's all about how you take care of yourself or how you have lived your life.  Now this woman is 62, she definitely could never wake up one day and say, "I am going on an intense diet, and will look like this."  No!!  She had to respect herself so much that she has lived a life that has led to this picture.  Of course the money helps and the ability to have people help her 'maintain', but it all starts with self motivation.  If this picture doesn't motivate you to have a life balance and to practice wellness of "Mind, Body, and Spirit", then nothing will.  When I am 62, I hope I have a picture in my swim trunks and people will comment on how good I look. 

I will start by giving you a dry run down of the events that took place. I left work at 7pm and went directly to an "after work set" to meet up with my previous boss and a friend of mine. We left there and went to a Rock concert at another club around 9pm. We left there around 10pm to see an R&B concert at another club. We left that club around 10:30pm and went to another club. We decided that we had enough of that club, went to another one, only to leave there around 2:30 and then arrive at our last club for the night. Finally I was home about 4:30am. What a NIGHT!!!

By most standards that is a crazy night, but the devil is in the details. At the Rock concert, first I have to explain that it was a HEAVY METAL concert and it was a great experience. The lighting and staging was especially well done. The instrumentation was great and everyone played their part bringing together a sound that I usually wouldn't purchase, but it was a site to see. I was pleasantly pleased and as I was leaving, I saw a lot of music industry veterans that I knew. They were shocked to see me and the people I was with at the Rock event. There was even a statement that "we were the only Black people there." Now there is nothing truly offensive about the circumstances, because it was true, I think I counted 4 other black people total in the entire building. (Note to people who don’t give Rock a chance, so far I have seen 3 heavy metal shows and trust me, they are something to see at least once. I will go back and see a show. The group I saw was “Shinedown”.

My issue comes in that there are numerous white people who work rap/urban projects in music, but there are not many minorities working Rock. I have even heard some people say they don't listen to "certain" music they work, but they are still working it, because they understand the job and how to reach a demographic. Well why is it that the gatekeepers in the industry feel that minorities can only work "minority" focused projects? If I am a marketer, shouldn't I be able to market anything? It's always amazing how many white people are in a meeting about the new "street" project, but when it comes to Rock, if anyone other than a white person gives a suggestion it is seen as a remedial comment?

Well that was one of my first issues that kept me up thinking as I got home at an ungodly hour that should have sent me straight to bed. The second was that at the R&B concert, I was in the club, which is pretty small, when a shooting broke out. Let’s start with the following, the artist I came to see got off the stage, after talking briefly, he started walking towards a disruption. I realized I saw the guys involved in the dispute, when they came into the club and I had felt then that they weren't up to anything good. Then when I saw the pushing, I tried to grab the artist to follow me as I began to run for the exit. I reached the door only to hear the gun shot. I quickly ran outside, ducked behind a wall and waited a couple of minutes, finally reached the artist to make sure he was okay, then rejoined my friends (they had already left to grab something to eat) and we simply drove off to our next destination.

Even though, the entire gun situation is wrong, my issue came with myself. At no time did I feel like, "oh my god I was almost killed." Rather, I felt, "I knew this would happen when I saw the guys. Oh well, time to move on to the next destination." No other feeling came over me. I just rolled with it and kept it moving. A feeling came over me later when I got home that I was crazy for not being scared, nervous or unsure. I just knew what was in store and kept my eyes open for any disturbance to follow because I knew there would be some gun play. Something’s wrong with that kind of thinking. I am not sure if it is because of the industry I work in or just the perception I have from being in certain situations. Why didn't I become scared? Why did violence like that, which was so close, not affect me and cause me to go home and reflect?

At the end of the night, I just sat for a minute and could not believe the night I had been involved in. Mind you, I don't drink so there is an added adventure of watching people as they get drunker. Either way, it doesn't matter what's your status or your intentions, there is always something. I am just wondering, why? Does it have to do with race or choices? I don't have the answers, but I definitely will think about last night for quite some time.

So I find myself every now and then checking out this Matt Harding video on youtube.It's amazing to me the amount of people that he was able to get to join him dancing.He was not only able to get a lot of people, but also a wide variety of people from different countries and nationalities.From the video it seems like he was just doing what he does, and people decided to join.I am sure there was some type of coordination, but it doesn't matter, because people still decided to join.I will be honest, after seeing the video; I tried to figure out how I could join him as well.I am definitely that guy that breaks in song and dance anywhere.It's just fun and refreshing.

Everyone I know who watches can't resist but to smile.It is just a simple, but heart warming video.Supposedly this all started because this guy, quit his job to travel and a friend wanted to tape him doing his "funny dance" during their trip.One thing led to another and now he has a sponsor and he travels the world doing his dance with a website that has millions of people trying to join in on his dance.

I am definitely not advocating people go out and quit their jobs.I am only advocating people to truly express themselves.Find that passion that makes you happy and cultivate it.Clearly for Matt Harding it was travel and dancing and look what happened when he finally became committed to it.When he really took it upon himself to develop is personal expression, he became free.I would love to visit all of the places in his video.But most of all I am impressed by his personal expression and hope that I can cultivate my self expression.

So my wife and I recently went to the historic All Star game at Yankee Stadium. I also had the privilege of going to the homerun contest the night before. Even though, I am proud that I live in Brooklyn, NY and have come to the conclusion that I will never get my wife to leave Brooklyn, I will always be a Chicagoian at heart.  So you will notice from my picture that I am showcasing my love for my beloved Chicago White Sox.  (I am about to anger some people from my home town, but because I have been away for so long, I even have love for the Chicago Cubs..  *note to others, if you are from Chicago, you are suppose to choose one, it is not possible to actually root for both teams).  Anyway, I must admit, that the actual game was kind of a bore.  It was extremely hot and for some reason, the normal excitement wasn't in the ball park.  This could be attributed to many things, for instance, the amount of corporate seats that were purchased or given away and their recipients’ lack of intensity for the experience and game, the amount of young talent that participated in the game and the loss of blockbuster names either due to injury or down year statistically.  However, there was intensity in boo'ing Boston Red Sox players.  They got boo'ed every time their name was called.

Anyway, this post isn't really about the game, more so about one player, Josh Hamilton.  Josh is a special talent who from day one, had an ability to play baseball that amazed everyone who saw him.  He was drafted by the Tampa Ray Devil Rays at the age of 18 in 1999 and given a signing bonus that was unheard of for a high school draft pick, $3.5million.  He was in and out of the majors, suffered injuries, but worst of all, suffered from a drug addiction that would not seem to let his soul go.  When drafted, he was seen as the perfect prospect; a tremendous athlete and a clean wholesome boy.  Things changed and so did his life, because one day he woke up penny-less and out of baseball.  It's hard to believe that someone who was believed to have so much character and so much promise could fall so far, but it happens everyday.

No ONE ever wakes up and says, I want to throw all of my potential away.  It is always a string of events that happen which eventually leads a person to place they could have never imagined.  But it’s not for others to judge and belittle a person for a mistake or a problem that persists, but rather to help and restore that belief in self and the knowledge that any difficulty can be overcome.  Despair can happen to anyone, no matter the situation or status.  It is only by the grace of God and the drive that is within that it does not happen to you.

So even though Josh had fallen, he is officially having his coming out year in the 2008 season.  At All-Star break he was leading the majors in RBI's, he was player of the Month for April and May, and he was telling his story of redemption to anyone that would listen.  He has now been sober for 3 years and still talks about the deamons he faces everyday in order to keep his sobriety.  His story is a great one, one of many highs, a low, and a new high.  His is a story that will be told for ages, as he is a person with tremendous talent and a national platform to tell it.

However, I just do not want the world to forget that there are many people out there like Josh, who need others to believe in them.  Yes, they might not have the sports ability that Josh Hamilton has, but who knows what contribution can be made if someone would only reach out their hand and help.  Josh is here today, wow'ing the crowd at Yankee stadium for a number of reasons, but most of all because people around him did not give up on him and kept trying to get him to believe in himself.  

Please don't give up on the people around you who are struggling.  Who knows, it might be your voice that they hear one night that guides them back to the promise that once shined.  So yes the game to me was a little boring, but the story that I witnessed; the All-Star game in Yankee Stadium before its closing and the redemption of a fallen star, is one that I will never forget.  Josh has changed his routine, never is out late at night, never carries to much cash and always knows that he has to take one day at a time, but he is here and he is fulfilling his promise.  Thank you to those who never gave up on him and thank you to those who have never given up on the people like Josh Hamilton who are also fulfilling their promise today. 

More info about Josh hamilton, see below.... 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3492395

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/07/02/hunger.house/index.html