And Just A Year Ago...

While having Sunday morning dim sum last week with a few old friends, we got to catching up and updating one another on our lives.

I haven’t seen this certain friend in maybe over a year, but the last distinct memory he had with me was dinner at Cheesecake Factory. I remember sitting at the table for what seemed like hours eating anything and everything, and really just talking about life. I confessed my aspirations and where I wanted my life to go while in between bites.

I told him, then, that I really wanted to pursue my passion for writing. I wanted to get accepted into a Journalism program at one of the local universities and one day write for XXL or Vibe.

Fast-forward one year later and I’ve received my acceptance letter for the school of Journalism at the University of North Texas, and as far as writing for XXL or Vibe? I’m not quite there, but I am writing for an urban site [http://yourstrongestally.com/blog] and fulfilling my passion for words and music all at once. I’m learning something new every day and perfecting my craft in the process.

With hard work and determination, anything is possible..

A lost license and a lost Love.

I had went out last Thursday to a local sports bar to watch the Mavs play the Thunder. Usually when there's any sporting event, especially the playoffs, there's a large group of people out and about. Instead of taking names down like normal restaurants do, this particular place made you trade your ID for a buzzer. As I went to exchange the buzzer back for my ID, the hostess had a hard time finding it. Long story short, they lost it.

I shouldn't have been drinking that night anyway, so I took it as a sign and avoided going to get a new license until Monday. As they called my number, I rounded the corner and was greeted by a middle aged blonde woman. She went through the basic routine and somewhere in between scanning my thumbs and taking a new picture, she got to telling me about her life. Her late husband had passed a few months ago and there was a certain pain in her eyes. He was her first love, and really all she knew. Her first experiences prior to that consisted of her being sexually abused as an adolescent. When they got together things were great in the beginning, then the abuse came and soon after rape. She said it was all she knew, so when men were nice to her she "ran like hell". It was weird to her. Weird to be treated with respect. She said since he's passed she's found herself a real man, who treats her and her children with respect, and she couldn't be any happier. A part of her was still bitter about the past, but I could see she was trying to move forward. I'm not sure what compelled her to open up to me, but I took a great lesson from it.

Out of the many people we encounter on a daily basis, you don't know what people may be going through. Respect any and everyone, smile every chance you get, and remember the bad day you're having.. someone out there may have it worse.

I think we were destined to be in each other's life that particular Monday. She needed a listening ear and I was her confidant. Simply 2 strangers who had no idea that we'd be leaving that conversation with more than what we began with.. A rare but beautiful accident.

Biological Clock

I came across a tweet that was intended to be a joke at first, but in the end spoke volumes of truth.

She said as a woman she can't help but feel a certain way about those around her getting married. However, when she stops and thinks about her life, she can't think of one person she likes/loves enough to spend the next 50-60 years with.

Almost 23 years under my belt and I couldn't help but take a trip down my own memory love-lane. Through the trials and errors, heartbreaks, and smiles.. it all made me who I am today. I live with no regrets, simply lessons learned.

So have I ever felt that way about someone? Sure. Do I still feel that way? For always. Life doesn't always hand you things on a silver platter though. I try not to question the events in my life because I know that they've happened for a reason. But I'm an eternal optimist and my faith is undying. Whatever is meant to be will be.

My best wishes go out to ms. Anonymous, because once she does find that one.. she'll wonder how she ever did without. Vivre L'amour, without it we're nothing.

1 Corinthians 13

Sometimes I like to go back and re-read my entries. More times than none I surprise myself. Not because I can re-live the feeling I had while writing it, but because the depth of the content.

Trying times sometime bring out the best work in people, and sometimes it can alter you from being productive at all. I know I've been MIA from here, and I'm truly sorry.

The good news is, I was picked up by a growing hip-hop site based out of LA.. have been putting in work for them and absolutely loving it. So don't fret, I'm still here.. placing my personal life on hold so to speak and trying to nurture my professional.

I'm hoping since I'll be blogging more at the other site professionally, it will inspire me to update more, personally.

T R I L L E N T

In this day and age the ability for us to download free music is easier than it's ever been. We have sites such as megaupload and mediafire that make napster and limewire look trivial and ancient.

With that being said, many artists are under the attack of hackers or bootleggers who will get an unfinished copy of their tracks out to the world wide web within seconds.

So what does Webbie do? Why, he leaks his own tracks of course.

Southern Gal, lovin both Savage Life 1 and 2 along with all the mixtapes he's been dropping, was pleasantly surprised when he leaked his own 3 tracks via twitter.

http://mysong.fm/beenthere Webbie - Been There
http://mysong.fm/madenigga Webbie - Made Nigga
http://mysong.fm/whatshappenin Webbie ft. Lil Phat - Whats Happenin

Evident that he hasn't lost his touch, he's giving his fan's what they've been asking for since his last album "Savage Life 2" dropped in 2008. It's not surprising in the least, because he took a 3 year time frame between dropping Savage Life 1 and 2, perhaps he's making it a tradition.

From one fan to another, enjoy, and go out and support once his album drops.

mu•sic

No matter where you are in the world, old or young, rich or poor, there’s a mental escape that is constant; Music. I’ll admit I’m a self-proclaimed music junkie with over 20 GBs of greatness. I have a song for every feeling that I’ve allowed myself to willingly experience. 22 years down the line and I’m still amazed how when you can’t find the words to express exactly how you feel, there’s a song that can do just that. No matter what you may be going through, there’s always that one album or song that can change your mood instantly. You press play, close your eyes, and get lost in the music. Bob Marley said it best, “When the music hits, you feel no pain.”

Although today is Sunday, it's officially my "Saturday". I've been laying in bed for the past 3 hours just enjoying my "weekend".

Today's feel good jam is Lenny Williams - Because I Love You. Enjoy your Sunday, blessed and be blessed folks.

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.