Family Vs. Friends

The word family for some is defined by the bonds accumulated over time with blood relatives. To others, it means the strong bonds and relations birthed and maintained with individuals who aren’t of shared descent. In both contexts, we tried our best on Friday to understand the dynamic between the two and tried to understand if one held more weight than the other. Can a bond between a mother/father and a son/daughter ever be replicated between friends?

Some concluded that it sure can. I believe the natural fabric or essence of family extends beyond blood relatives. It may seem or sound foreign to many people but it has happened and it continues to. I believe a friend can be there to pick up the slack of a lackluster or absent parent to another friend without a doubt if the occasion presented itself. Some argued that limitations may arise and to that I agree. Expecting to receive identical parental treatment of endless patience and love – given to us by our parents – from a friend could be classified as foolish thought, however; it shouldn’t deter us from believing that a friend may be capable of those traits. And if you do come across such a friend, be open and be glad to call them family. In the end, family is what you make of it. I’m sure you’ve all heard that axiom one too many times but it’s true. I stand as an example of someone who has received such treatment from people who aren’t of my descent. These individuals are rare but they exist.

So in the end, if you already have such a friend, be sure to let him/her know how much you appreciate them for being in your life and make them aware of how proud you are to have them as part of your family. And lastly, if you are that friend to someone else, I commend you for stepping up to the plate and carrying out such an altruist act.

SDR Wednesday Memo 12/30/2020

Hope this holiday has been treating you all well. Hope you all received gifts you’ve been dreaming of all year and with that satisfaction, hope you all took it upon yourselves to make someone else’s holiday just as satisfactory. My brother and I received flashlights, so we’re patiently waiting for a power outage any moment now.

As we wave 2020 goodbye, a year plagued by a plethora of negative events and sprinkles of positive outcomes, let us look forward to 2021, a year destined to be such a delight – Oh wait: “News just struck that the new Covid-19 strain has officially landed in California and Colorado. It’s much more transmissive, however; there are no current indications that its virulence has increased.”

WTF!!! Can’t we just catch a break already? – I hear ya. I totally do.

All I can leave you all with is a mindset. And what is that mindset? Knowing that you are still in control of your life. Knowing that you are directly responsible for your own happiness and success. Knowing that you can still carve out something out of nothing. Knowing you can still turn this never ending crisis into an opportunity. Knowing that you are not alone in these trying times. Knowing that there’s a new year ahead of you which may bring good or bad times and you’ve begun to develop a strategy to make the most of it.

SDR Wednesday Memo 12/9/2020

Another week, another hump day coming to a close with a flurry of snow depending on where you live. To be frank, snow has never been my favorite but I can definitely see the appeal, especially for those of you who love winter sports.
This week, we’ll be piggy backing off last week’s memo regarding the topic of never giving up. I recently picked up this book called “The purpose driven life”. At first glance, it seemed like another self-help, promise to change your life kind of book. Immediately after flipping through a few pages, the author blatantly warns: This is not a self-help book. This book will not help you find the right career, it will not help you achieve your dreams, plan your life or cram more activities into an overloaded schedule.” Then, he goes on to state: “On the contrary, it will help you do less by focusing on that matters most.” What matters most? – you may ask.

Finding PURPOSE!

A handful of statements stood out regarding purpose. To share a few: 1) Purpose always produces passion. On the other hand, passion dissipates with a lack of purpose. 2) Knowing your purpose motivates your life.3) Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.4) Knowing your purpose focuses your life.5) Those without a purpose try to do too much, eventually becoming gyroscopes, spinning around endlessly without going anywhere.
After reading a few chapters, especially note 5, something suddenly clicked. Many of us may feel like gyroscopes at times. As we try to fill our lives with meaningful activities and goals, we may get the sensation that we aren’t progressing at the pace we wished for. So naturally, we become inclined to give up on our goals and pursue new ones. Maybe it’s time we start asking ourselves, why do we tend to easily give up on our goals or newly adopted activities? Do we lack purpose? Do you lack purpose? And if you do, how can you obtain it?
Just something for your sharp minds to ponder for the remainder of the week.

SDR Wednesday Memo 12/2/2020

The warm weather is slowly dissipating while winter is brazenly knocking at our doorsteps. But that’s okay, thank God for artificial heat right? Or the Romans, or Franz San Galli, or John Evelyn’s. At this point, you pick, Google can’t seem to give a clear answer.
Jokes aside, this week, we will be briefly brushing on the meaning behind the phrase – “Never giving up”.

At some point in our younger lives, we all set out to achieve an absurd goal. A goal so enormous, your parents and friends looked at you with muddled eyes and inadvertently sat you down and revealed to you how foolish you sounded without truly knowing the consequences and impact of their words. Anyone remember having that conversation? If not, then you’re definitely an outlier. As long as I can remember, I always wanted to play American Football as a profession. I was obsessed with the sport. I recall spending hours upon hours watching games, highlights and film. However; since my parents didn’t approve of my choice, they did all they could to discourage me from playing. So like all teenagers, I’d sneak out of the house after school to attend the practices in the spring. At every school discussion or gatherings, when the question “what do you want to be when you grow up” was brought to our attention, I’d always say year after year – To be in the NFL. I was so obsessed, I’d repeatedly tell myself I’d play without pay if I had to. I was dedicated – possibly delusional – but very dedicated. So much so, I had to get my coaches to visit my house year after year to convince my parents to let me play. They thought I was decent, so they visited only to be politely shown out of the house. Then, after many attempts without real results, the time came and I threw in the towel. I had succumbed to pressure and gave up.

The reason for sharing this story is to smoothly transition to a talk recently given by my kickboxing trainer and his long time friend Bryan Robinson who played at Wesley College, later for an NFL club dubbed the Arizona Cardinals and soon after landed in the AFL (Arena Football League). At every stage of his career, he constantly worked hard, conquered the odds and dedicated his breath and sweat to achieve one goal – being the best at his profession. He never gave up!
Now that we are all older, a bit more mature, we take on new goals to prove to ourselves that we are capable. That we are more than what society has in store for us. Whatever goal(s) you may have or plan to have in the near future – whether it be to obtain that new promotion at work, land that first job, buy that new car, volunteer for a humanitarian cause, start or save your relationship, buy that new house, grow mentally or spiritually, become a millionaire or billionaire, build a service to the benefit of your community – I hope you take on the initiative to remind yourself to never give up regardless of outside influences or environmental pressures. You are solely responsible for your goal(s). Like Bryan Robinson, make sure at every step of the way, you pour out every breath and sweat to the fullest.

What are some goals you have set out for yourself?
And remember – Never Give Up!

SDR Wednesday Memo 11/25/20

Hump day is coming to a close while thanksgiving day patiently waits around the corner. This year has been a year to remember or to forget depending on who you talk to. Many have lost while a plethora of others have gained. Tears were shed. Joyous moments were found. Yet through it all, a good majority of us will be gathering at a dinner table tomorrow to give thanks. What does it mean to give thanks? What does it mean when we say we are grateful?

Recently, the company I work for hired a man in his late twenties to support in the day to day operations. We got off to a good start and ever since, our relationship has matured quite a bit. To describe him as a positive and jovial individual would not do him justice. He constantly walks around with a contagious smile on his face and is always on the prowl to spring a laugh out of someone. Then, one day, while discussing with him the implications of Covid-19 and the nagging feeling of lack of freedom hunting most of the population, he opens up and reveals that he lost his mother to the Ebola virus in 2014. A year prior, his father succumbed from a heart attack. You can imagine my facial expression after his confession. I immediately stopped talking and just listened. He went on for an hour. As I drove home later that evening, I began to ponder the true meaning of gratefulness. I began to question if there’s truly weight to the words “I’m grateful” when spoken into existence. We say and preach it repeatedly, yet at the slightest minute sign of struggle or discomfort, we verbally or physically go off the rails. Are we then really grateful? Or has it become just another unquestioned expression to the likes of “Bless you”?

As we gather tomorrow with family members and friends, I hope we can find it within us to contemplate on the meaning of being thankful and grateful. As someone once told me, it’s not something you inherently possess. Instead, it is practiced every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Beware of the Golden Wish

Sitting behind a white screen embellished with blue borders, I begin to drift once again into a headspace most would deem unhealthy or better yet, unnecessary. “Why waste any brain power thinking about philosophical things when in the grand scheme of life, they may just turn out to be as trivial as the new Smart 4K TV some of us so desperately craved for Christmas,” I catchmyself asking often. Unfortunately, convincing myself to ignore these thoughts isn’t as easy as asking Alexa to play my favorite movie score. So, to quell my thoughts, here I am writing, hoping you get to read this and maybe relate to the topic at hand. Alright, ready? Here’s a question I have for you.

Why do we wish for certain things in life, knowing fully well those wishes are more likely to be offered as a golden double-sided coin? A golden coin which offers you your most desirable need but in return demands a hefty price. Yet, despite all the warning signs, the nagging heart palpitations and the voice in our heads pleading us to re-think, we load the chamber and pull on the hair-trigger anyway.

Why are we often so short-sighted that we are constantly itching to jeopardize our future for a golden wish to gain an artificially temporary glorious present?

Isn’t it time for us to look inward and truly analyze ourselves for who we are and kindly refuse the golden wish?

Beware of the golden wish, for it brings temporary joy but robs you of your future!

A Random Evening (Jason’s short Story)

The time is thirty minutes past four in the afternoon. Not an ounce of quiet can be found in these bustling streets. Heading north on Main street, vehicles begin to align bumper to bumper. On one side of Main street, heading south, the public bus stops to drop off and pick up a handful of passengers. On that same exact side of the street, a mob of teenagers on their bicycles are gunning down the sidewalk while trying to outmaneuver through a dense crowd of bystanders. In the process, the teenagers arouse within a few bystanders a feeling of frustration. Parallel to that street, its sidewalk portrays the same traits. Crowded and busy. Some are walking in and out of stores, while others are making haste to get to their next destination. Suddenly, the sound of a siren echoes down Main street alerting everyone in the process. It’s faint at first but with every passing second, the siren elevates in volume. As the drivers begin to maneuver to the side of the road, another vehicle unexpectedly zooms down North of main street. Unable to slow down due to traffic, the driver crashes into another vehicle causing a catastrophic chain of reaction. Everyone panics! The perpetrator immediately exits his car and runs off like a madman. He takes off pushing every pedestrian in his path without a care in the world. Meanwhile, the siren finally rings in its full glory revealing a decked out police car. Realizing the mess the perpetrator had left behind, the officer rapidly exits his vehicle in pursuit of his target. A few feet ahead, the perpetrator resumes his rampage to escape, shoving an innocent woman in the company of her child. Completely and utterly unprepared for such a violent interaction, the woman’s body ragdolls in the concrete wall while unintentionally smashing her head in. The crowd screams! The child begins to cry and the perpetrator once again escapes. A few seconds later, the officer runs by the victim. He gently injects her and presses a button on his utility belt.

“Medic. Code 098. Temporary aid needed at my pinged location. Victim – Woman, brown hair, light green eyes. Age – early forties, bleeding on the right side of her head.” shouts the officer through the comm attached to his hand.

Then, he urges the witnesses to keep the victim company while the medics arrive. The officer then resumes his chase. Standing at the entrance of his Dojo, Jason drops both of his grocery bags on the ground and urgently takes off after the maniac responsible for committing such a monstrous act. On the way, he stops to check on the injured woman and her child. He puts his best foot forward and tries to console the child to the best of his ability. In the spur of a moment, a drone arrives at the scene.

“Scanning pinged victim.” announces the drone in a very pleasant programmed voice.“Pinged victim identify. Administering temporary med-aid.” says the drone.

Witnessing the drone administer medical aid to the injured woman, Jason feels a bit indecisive. He’s unsure whether he should remain at the side of the victim and her child or chase after the person responsible. After all, is it ethical to place the life of an injured woman at the hand of a mechanical drone or to allow such a maniac to run amok without restraint? In a crouched position, Jason looks to his right, then to his left. He grabs the nearest person and instructs them to look after the child. He stands up and instantly accelerates North. He runs block after block. Those rigorous training exercises and experiments he was put through at A.R.C were paying off. Being in the best shape any man would dream of, he sprints. Following a brief minute, he finally catches up to the officer. Jason slowly looks over his shoulder and notices the sweat and fatigue painted all over the officer’s face. “Poor old man.” thinks Jason. Not wasting another second, he overtakes the officer in pursuit of the perpetrator. After multiple turns and weaves, Jason begins to feel just sick and tired of this maniac’s destructive behavior. He notices the perpetrator forcefully yank a man away from his car illegally parked on the side of the road. He gets in and sinks his foot on the gas pedal. Unaware of incoming traffic behind him, he lags to close the driver’s door and gets it wrenched off by an incoming truck. Not a bit unnerved by the incident, he drives further North and then takes a left turn. Aware of all the streets and intersections in the area, Jason decides to cut this chase short. “He’ll hit traffic in less than a minute. The road he turned into is a one way street. He’ll have no choice but to head up. I have to catch him before he crashes into any more people.” says Jason. Resuming his chase, he zooms North to intercept the maniac. Just as he planned, a few miles north of the one way street, traffic was indeed in session. Horns are blowing non stop. Jason analyzes the area and notices one horn blowing particularly irregularly. He pinpoints the vehicle and in a stealthy manner chases after it. Finally at the end of his mission, he slowly and quietly creeps up on the perpetrator. Completely caught off guard, the perpetrator is ambushed. Jason knocks him out cold and removes him from the vehicle. He carries him away from the street to the sidewalk. With the perpetrator tied to a lamp pole, Jason quietly remains seated next to him as he patiently waits. A minute goes by and no one shows up. Two minutes, not a soul in sight. Three minutes, all you can see is a collection of vehicles stuck in traffic with drivers trying their best to stay sane through this ruckus. Suddenly, sirens break loose. “About time they showed up.” Jason expresses out loud.

“Wake up!” says Jason while showering the perpetrator with a few slaps to the face.

The perpetrator wakes up to find both his hands burdened by a rubber cable.

“Who the hell are you?” asks the perpetrator.

“The face you never want to see again.” answers Jason in a cold tone.

“What the fuck!” yells the perpetrator. “I have rights. You ain’t no cop!” further adds the perpetrator.

“You had rights.” replies Jason.

“Man, if you don’t…..” exclaims the perpetrator, but Jason wouldn’t let him finish.

“Shut your damm mouth!” expresses Jason. “You hurt a lot of good people today. Shut your mouth!”

Ensuing a few moments, a few police vehicles arrive at the scene. The officer Jason overtook earlier steps up to the curb. Completely out of breath and drenched in sweat, he states in an animated tone : “Boy, you didn’t break a sweat. You must be a track star kid. Oh I’m sure of it, you definitely are a track star.”

“What’s a track star?” confusingly asks Jason.

Baffled by Jason’s comment, the officer looks at Jason, laughs and rhetorically asks: “What’s a track star? Are you not from planet earth kid?”

“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you where I was from.” answers Jason.

“Try me!” says the officer.

Amazed at the officer’s curiosity, Jason springs forth a light smile.

“C’mon, try me!” insists the officer.

“Not today sir. Not today. How’s the woman doing?” asks Jason.

“She’ll be fine. She’s on her way to the hospital. Thank God for those drones uuh. As you can tell, I’m an old fashion guy. Technology isn’t my thing. But I gotta admit, those drones are God sent. Now we can be in multiple places at one. It’s a goddamn miracle some genius invented those things. ” explains the officer.

Not wanting to prolong the interaction any further, Jason decides to walk away leaving the rest of the work to the police officers on site.

“We could use a man like you on the force!” proposes the officer to Jason as he carries away the perpetrator.

“I’VE SEEN YOUR FACE!” yells the perpetrator as he’s forcefully being put inside the police car.

“Shut the hell up and get in!” says the officer to the perpetrator.

Jason ignores it all and doesn’t reply. He continues walking down the busy and crowded street. With his back turned away from the scene, he waves his right hand at the officer.

“See ya around kid.” states the officer.

The Game We Play- A Short Story

It’s the year 2018

The court room has no more than twelve participants out in the stands. Small chatters run rampant as the jury mulls over their decision. Meanwhile, located to the left of the room sits the defendant with his lawyer. A middle aged man, skinny in stature with pale skin and short spiky hair. Sporting formal attire, the defendant sits with his right leg crossed over to his left. Every so often, he turns around and gazes at another young man sitting in the crowd. His expression towards the young man is nothing short of disappointment. To the right sits the plaintiff with enough physical bruises that would cause the faintest of hearts to skip a few beats. A swollen upper lip and lower lip, a black eye accompanied by small patches of unhealed bruises all over.

“Shall the defendant and plaintiff please rise.” announces the bailiff.

Both parties did as instructed.

“Members of the Jury, have you reached a verdict?” asks the District Judge. The Jury spokesman stands up and replies: “Yes, your honor. We have. Your honor, the members of this jury find the defendant GUILTY!”. Upon hearing that statement, lips were sealed and salivas were swallowed all around the room.

The judge in turn takes very little time and announces: “Mr. Kettleman. You were found guilty on a charge of 3rd degree aggravated assault. You will be sentenced to one year with possibility of early parole if said parole conditions are met.” After hammering down his final verdict, the judge proceeds to adjourn the court.

Without a fuss, Mr. Kettleman accepts his faith and allows himself to be escorted out of the courtroom. Halfway through the aisle, he once again stares at the young man sitting in the crowd. “You’re gonna be alright.” the young man sympathetically expresses to Mr. Kettleman. Deep down however; that sympathy might have been masked to hide something veritably dark.

Mr. Kettleman does not speak and makes his exit while mentally preparing for his one year sentence.

Later that night, somewhere deep inside an underground facility

The District Judge sits at a round table in the company of others in his domain and many others with pay grades higher than the mind dares to count. Their weekly meeting carries on as usual until its abruptly interrupted by a messenger. “ Sir, someone’s here to see you.” the messenger relays to the District Judge. A bit flustered by the interruption, the District Judge politely excuses himself off the table. “Gentlemen, will you excuse me.” announces the Judge. He makes his way out of the securely guarded double doors. He heads down the hallway and takes the elevator up to the garage. There, a man awaits him. The Judge greets him and says: “What do you have for me?”

The man in turn replies as he hands the Judge a yellow sealed rectangular envelope: “From Mr. Kettleman. $250,000 in advance for said conditions. An additional $250,000 will be delivered to you upon Mr. Kettleman’s release.”

“Inform your client that from now on, the advances have doubled.” says the District Judge as he returns to the elevator.

Half a year later

Zan, a tall and light skinned young adult walks out of his vehicle. Lacking confidence due to a deformity in his eyes, his unsteady hand wobbles a bit as he uses the key to lock the doors to his vehicle. Out in an abandoned parking lot, Zan stands near his car as he awaits for his long anticipated meeting with one of the biggest names in his town. A meeting with The Pin! Following a few minutes, a luxurious white Bentley with tinted windows slowly drives into the lot. Zan immediately fixes his posture upright and takes in a deep breath. The white Bentley comes to a full stop, parked parallel to Zan’s outdated and worn out red Buick. The driver’s door to the Bentley springs open and a man steps out. Obesed and quite short, the man propels himself out of the vehicle onto his two feet.

“Mr. Pin. How are you?” greets Zan as he analyzes the lack of breathing room left by Mr. Pin’s tight blue suit.

“Zan! My son. Good to see you!” excitingly replies Mr. Pin as he walks towards Zan with open arms. Mr. Pin then pauses and takes a quick look at Zan. Ensuing a quick warm manly hug, Mr. Pin says: “Come, come meet my family. My daughter is so excited to see you.”

Mr. Pin walks to the passenger seat and opens the front door. A woman walks out of the passenger seat. A bit older she is with wrinkles to show but not enough to come to the conclusion that she was beyond fifty. The shining jewels around her neck and ears definitely complemented her light blue outfit. “This is my wife.” points out Mr. Pin. With nothing else to say, not even a few words of compliment or encouragement, he resumes his tour and proceeds to open the back passenger door. Out came an invigorating and stunning young woman. The white dress and pearls around her neck has Zan jaw drop in utter suspense. Noticing his reaction, Mr. Pin carries on and gently grabs her by the elbow. Unexpectedly, he greets his daughter with a light and quick passionate kiss to the lip. Zan does not find any kind of joy in seeing such an interaction between Mr. Pin and his daughter. Feeling belittled, he suddenly becomes tense.

Mr. Pin walks the young woman over and says: “Zan. Meet my daughter, Angel! She’s my precious jewel. I trust that you will treat her like the rare diamond that she is. This merger is progress. Not just for you both, but for both of our families. And if you ever need anything, I mean anything, you know where to find me.”

“Of course.” replies Zan.

“By the way, how’s your father?” asks Mr. Pin.

“Never been better.” replies Zan.

“Tell him we’ll be seeing each other soon. We’ve got lots to discuss. Great things are on the horizon. Great things! I send him my regards.” adds Mr. Pin as he returns to his white Bentley and dries off leaving his daughter in the company of Zan.

One month later

Blood spills all over. It continuously drips as it finds its way between the cracks of the ceramic floor.

Mr. Kettleman stands firmly over his victim with a bat at hand. He’s breath seems heavy and his heart beats at an abnormal rate. He swings once more with enough force to break any firm bones. Realizing he might have pushed the limits with his punishment, he takes a step back and swings the bat to the farthest corner of the room. “I will no longer take the blame or serve anymore jail sentences for your reckless behavior. From now on, you will own responsibility for all of your hideous messes. Now get up!” Mr. Kettleman demands.

The victim does not respond. Mr. Kettleman demands once more: “ Dammit! Get up! Get up Zan!”

Not a sound.

“Zan! This isn’t the time for your foolishness.” adds Mr. Kettleman. He leans over to grab his son and realizes he had just created his worst nightmare. He immediately breaks down mentally. Tears swim out of his tear ducts faster than he can control them. He wipes his eyes and in the process stains his face with the blood of his son. “ZAN! ZAN! WAKE UP!” yells Mr. Kettleman. He cries and cries. “ZAN! I WAS JUST TRYING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON! GET UP!”

Nothing Mr Kettleman had to say would bring his son back.

Two Weeks Later

Sporting formal attire, the defendant sits with his head down. Every so often, he turns around and gazes at an empty seat in the crowd. His expression is nothing short of regret and sadness.

“Members of the Jury, have you reached a verdict?” asks the District Judge. The Jury spokesman stands up and says: “Yes, your honor. We have. Your honor, the members of this jury find the defendant GUILTY!”

The judge in turn takes very little time and announces: “Mr. Kettleman. You were found guilty on one charge of 3rd degree aggravated assault and first degree murder. You will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.” After hammering down his final verdict, the judge proceeds to adjourn the court.

Somewhere out in the 50th floor of a penthouse

“Was it all worth it?” asks the woman as she watches the news unfold detailing Mr. Kettleman’s trial.

“Yes it was. I don’t blame you for being blind to the bigger picture. You’re so small minded.” answers Mr. Pin as he sits as his large glass desk overlooking the city behind him.

“The boy beat our daughter pin! Angel is now paralyzed from the waist down. How could you say it was worth it? How could you say such a thing!” the woman adds before breaking into tears.

Mr. Pin stands up from his leather chair, walks over to the glass window, places both hands in his pockets and expresses: “ With one trojan horse, I was able to take his entire kingdom.” Mr. Pin pauses, takes a deep breath, smiles and ends with: “Now I own 75% of downtown. It’s the game we play. The game we play.”

Featured

Welcome to My Den

Disturbed Mind of A Millennial

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

Hello fellow awesome reader,

You won’t believe how stoked I am to see you here. Come in, have a tour and if you like what you see, make sure to follow this blog in order to receive notifications on newly published articles. You can also find me on instagram @ https://instagram.com/iiarcseriesii/ or on amazon @ amazon.com/author/kjeanbaptiste

Hope you’re here to stay!