Who am I as a Community Member?

I just got home from watching, “COURAGEOUS” the movie and it got me thinking about who I want to be as a father first of all to my children and what kind of community member do I want to be? Therefore I too have made a resolution to be a man of integrity, and worthy of respect. I have made the resolution to be a man that will not do and say the right thing only because he is in public, but do the right because it is who I am in my home.

Study shows that children who grow up in a fatherless home are more probed to rebellion not only in their family but also outside. However I say it not only the lack of fathers but also the lack of mentors and role models that leads a child into rebellion. All the role modeling that our kids are exposed to these days is Hollywood, MTV, BET etc… No one wants to help the struggling kid, we leave it all to the parents, (fathers) most of the times. “It takes two individuals to bring a child forth into this world, but it takes the entire community to raise that child. I want to be part of that community.

The other fact is that most of the children who grow up with “fathers” in their lives when asked they would say they don’t want to be like their fathers. I am one of those children, I had the privilege to have my father around for 14 years before he past and if you ask me if I want to be like my father I would say, “Not really.” What up with that? Is there really no one that would lead the next generation into knowing what is right? Trust and honesty are a human way of living that I like to consider to be on the verge of extinction. People’s words don’t mean anything to them anymore. However I want to stand out, not because I want recognition from anyone, but because I hold that much to the next generation.

 Home, with father is where it all begins, but it does not end there. Fathers need to take responsibility for the upbringing of their children. Our society is filled with things that tells our children that been a person integrity is not cool; home should not be one of those place  or things. Therefore, I believe that home is where the truth needs to be established. Today, by the grace of God I am working with a few High school students in my community and I know it would pay off someday. Somebody has to try at least to set up a standard of living for the next generation. We need to get back to the point where our “Yes” means exactly that, “Yes” not maybe but, “Yes.”

 It is hard to see how much needs are out there till you put yourself in the shoes of a fatherless child. Kids are in need of good role models, just someone they could look up to. I like to be involved in what is going on in my community. Thus my relationship with the student at Lincoln High gives me the chance to be not only a role model but also an example to those kids. There is no better feeling than to see a young guy come up to you and says, “thank you,” and you go for what? And he says, “For listening.” Don't we all need that somebody that would not judge but just listen? We all do... I like to invest in my community because I believe that what you put in must and will come out. If I spend my time investing in the life of those high school kids I know in return they will also invest in the life of others and the cycle will go on and so forth, from this generation to the next.

In my community I strive to build up the next generation with godly attributes. Every chance and opportunity I get to speak/invest into the lives of young folks, I use it to the best of my ability, and pray it affects them in a positive way. I want that to be the legacy I am remembered by, in my family and in my community.

Who am I as a Reader?

                Throughout my years in school, reading was not my strong suit. It was not like I hated reading but I just could not read for fun. When I saw friends with books in hand I found myself longing for that, been able to read because I wanted to and not because it was required of me, Which was back then the only way I would find myself reading. The other thing that made reading hard for me I think was impatience, I would myself enjoying a book of 300 hundred pages and after reading about 50 or so pages I would literally count how many more pages I had left. And that would be the end of my reading and the end of the book.

                However I the summer of 2009 something kind of change, when I started working at John Morrell and Co. for about a year at that point.  A guy who became a dear friend of mine, Melvin brought in a book, and was reading. I don’t remember the title, but my longing to read surfaced again. When we finally went for lunch break I think I ask him how he does it, for that book was about 500 pages. I went on to explain to him who I was as a reader. I was like a tutor, who when he is not under pressure would not move. If I did not have to read I wouldn’t read.

                My friend explains to me that as a beginner in reading I should start with something I like. He went on by giving me a list of genre such as fiction, non-fiction, autobiography etc… The next day I went to the Goodwill store on Kiwanis and I bought myself a book. Determined that I was going to read it and finish it. “THE KISS” by Danielle Steel, bought it for 50cents. I started reading the book on 06/08/2009, to my utmost surprise I couldn’t put the book down.  I came back late from my lunch break at work the next two days many times. I finished reading, “THE KISS” on 06/12/2009. That was the beginning of my love for books and also for reading.

                Since THE KISS, I have read more than 75 books. I had a book in my procession every week after that. I read everything and anything from the twilight sage to DREANS FROM MY FATHER, by Barack Obama to STILL ME, by Christopher Reeve. I learned a lot about the stem cell research from that book, Which Mr. Reeve “Superman” was a strong believer. Learning is also something that came a lot handy when I started to read. Simple thing like my vocabulary went to the next level.

                Now a day my reading preference went from fantasy to inspirational. Something I couldn’t say two years ago is that I love reading and I believe it is what encouraged me to come back to school. Now I consider myself an active reader, for I am constantly reading something. My understanding has change over the past year in ways I can’t begin explain; I have also grown a lot intellectually in the process.