Lifestyle of The Broke & Nameless (V-Blog)

Summer Maddness Pt. 2

I finally had a chance to listen to "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. It sounded better than ever. It was on a mixtape (CD) that was playing in the car so it hit me by surprise right after I posted the first blog! This summer has continued to be a good one.

Last week me and wifey got treated to a 3 day stay at The Breakers.
Being a Soflo native I was always very aware of The Breakers but was never fortunate enough to stay there, that is until now. Thanks to our job, Pam and I spent 3 relaxing days doing whatever we wanted to do there. No job, no schedule, no kids, no worries! Plus, we had an ocean view room. We are very much looking to go back sometime soon. It was totally not what I expected. I must admit, I had some prejudices going into it. Those preconceived notions were quickly erased by superb customer service and five star hospitality. The amenities at this place were incredible. I would definitely recommend it as a short get-a-way staycation (I call it breakcation) for any Bomb Beach resident, and as a vacation spot for anyone around the world who wants to know why I call this area of the country Bomb Beach. It's just simply paradise.

Happy New Year My Friends

This year, this decade is a wrap! Wow, 09 went by sooo fast. I can't really remember a lot about it. The more I think about it though, more and more stuff comes to mind.
February brought the birth of our second son Miles. In June I flew to Cambodia and spent 13 days traveling the country, at times in some rather remote locations. In July I lost my Aunt Bea who was 99 years old. She was like my grandma and I miss her a lot. In August 1Way (past and present members) reunited for Edge's release party. September 18Th was my son Micah's 3rd birthday. He had a party and that was pretty cool. In October Pam and I celebrated 6 married years together. We are having a great life! November 30Th I turned another year older and in December Miles celebrated his first Christmas. I also took another step in toward the finish line on my next project. Although the year was kinda of a blur, it was still a good year!
I once remember reading the biography of Bobby Seals, one of the founding members of the Black Panther Party. In the book Monday always represented a new beginning for him. And so it is with this New Year.
Whether the year got away from us or we could not wait for it to be over. We get to write another chapter in our own personal history that will build upon our mistakes of last year. For some of us, it will allow us to build upon the successes we had.
The New Year is kinda like an adult "do over". How many of us need that? I stopped being a resolutionist (one who makes resolutions every New Year) a while ago. When it comes to the considering the year in front of me I wanna be a revolutionist, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, evolve & mature into the person that Christ wants me to become. For me, this year, 2010 is about the pursuit of holiness. I dare you to join me. C'mon it's Monday!!!!

The Sweet Spot

There is just something about this time of year that makes it the best time of the year, my favorite time of the year. If I could I would put the day before Thanksgiving up until New Year's Day on repeat and let it play the rest of my life. The weather would be ideal (especially here in Soflo), hurricane season would not exist, and I would be always eating that incredible Thanksgiving Day spread that the fam always has (plus leftovers)! That would indeed be ideal. But life doesn't work that way. At 12:01 AM on Friday morning Thanksgiving Thursday turns into Black Friday, and then it is a slow continuous fade till New Years Day. The magic disappears and the only reminder that it was ever here in the first place are the holiday lights that the neighbors leave up far too long. Such is the ebb and flow of life I guess. I get that but I don't have to like it. Lol. But still if there was a repeat button, I would be ready to push it come 11:59 AM on December 31st.

Someday Is Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 20th, 2009. I cleared my morning schedule to be a part of history! I could not be there in person like 1.4 million of us were, so like most Americans, I watched the whole thing on television. Since on November 20th Charlie Gibson was the reporter that told me "Barak Obama has been declared the winner, and is the 44th President of The United States", ABC had the honor of bringing me The Inauguration!
I watched with disbelief. Is this really happening? Tears flowed. I watched as the motorcade pulled up to the White House. This was not just some Senator visiting; this was a transition of power. The next President! A black President Tears flowed.
If you have read any of my previous blog entries, you would know that I was really invested in this election.

As I sat in bed with my wife Pam to watch the swearing in ceremony, my mind shifted to the Civil Rights Movement and the anthem they sang We Shall Overcome.
It became particularly popular in the 1960s in America, after Pete Seeger picked it up, adapted it, and taught it to his audiences to sing. The melody dates back to before the Civil War, from a song called "No More Auction Block for me." Originally, the lyrics were "I'll overcome someday," which dates back to a turn-of-the-20th-century song by the Reverend Charles Tindley of Philadelphia. The song didn't appear on a large scale until 1946, during a labor strike at the American Tobacco Company. One of the women striking that day – Lucille Simmons – began singing slowly, "Deep in my heart I do believe we'll overcome some day." Here is how it goes:

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome someday

CHORUS:
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome someday

We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand someday

CHORUS
We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free someday

CHORUS

We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid someday

CHORUS
We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone someday

CHORUS
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around someday

CHORUS
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome someday

Then it struck me as President Barak Obama was giving his speech that someday is today. Someday is now!
Only a day after celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, On the same mall that he shared his dream, the dream was being fulfilled. Wow, and I am alive to witness it! Many have stated that they thought this would never happen in their lifetime, well it has. All of the struggle, and the Americans that had to endure being treated as less than are now truly seen as American. Now, not only do we know we can dream, but that we can achieve the dream. The anthem on the 60's We Shall Overcome has echoed into a new century and become YES WE CAN. Now on January 20th, 2009, YES WE DID. We overcame. We overcame as a race, and as a country. The road is long but we have taken a definitive first step. No more do we sing "We shall overcome someday" because someday in today!