If you want to look for treasure turn to page 37.
If you want to wait for the storm to end turn to page 92.
As a child I distinctly remember "Coose Your Own Adventure" books. These delightful books not only created a wonderful fantasy, but allowed for its readers to play an integral part of the plot development. I'd make a decision, turn the pages quickly and eagerly absorb the fate of the protagonist... Sometimes the "treasure" lead me to be attacked by "pirates" and I'd lose some valuable time or resources on my quest. I'd turn back to the decision-making page and try the second option and turn the pages, with some relief that this fate would at least be different, if not better, than the first outcome.
However, in life, we are not always so fortunate to go back and amend our past mistakes or poor decisions so effortlessly...
A fair approach seems to create as many memories to base future decisions off of. Also the use of breadcrumbs or Polaroids as a trail of reminders can help when trying to find your way back home...
As an adventure seeking, patient, and optimistic person, I'm determined to enjoy life before and after each crossroads. True there are consequences for chosing one path over another, but that's life! I proceed with confident caution. Stay tuned for more unfolding events, as the pages turn!
-dniceness (ooh i like that, d niceness!)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Funk of 40,000 years
Even in death Michael united the planet. That proves who the Baddest is and will ever be. He shared 40 years of his life with us. He defined icon. His brand ranks next to Jesus as a globally recognizable figure; a class that includes Santa Claus...
Michael Jackson was a gift from God. I consider it a blessing to live during the reign of the King of Popular who encouraged me to look at myself, love deeply, and care for those forgotten about or without voice. He was childlike. He was a witness for Jehovah.
He was the child star who grew into an international obsession. He awakened our desires to stare at a train wreck. He gave the world uncompromising vision that I compare to humanitarians like Gandhi or Mother Theresa. By consolidating the elements of human entertainment: song, dance, acting, appeal, and "faint factor," Michael was inhuman while he walked (backwards) on this earth. His unexpected departure came at a time when underground apparition Jay Electronica was one of few modern entertainers to express sympathy to Michael's mercurial lifestyle.
I believe Michael's actions, though controversial, were right for Michael. Not even the brightest of stars possessed the tear-jerking draw of Michael Jackson... and his death and the international outcry that followed was pure testament that through his God-given talents, his purpose was to connect us. To manifest a harmonic, gyrating, and soul stirring ether that had no boundaries. And he was the vessel chosen by our Creator to deliver powerful messages that crossed generational, ethnic, and musical expectations.
On June 25, 2009, I stood in my parent's driveway, anticipating my own birthday a few minutes later on the 26th. "Human Nature" majestically flowed from my ipod headphones. As the emotional song sparkled in my conscious mind, I had a moment where I acknowledged the global anguish and triumph of our greatest performer's final curtain call.
He had 50 shows in London that were to be his last. Imagine the dollar signs lodged in the eyes of many who wanted their piece of the action. He was an exploited genius. He lived to see his own brand become one of the most recognizable on the planet.
his music stands as an immeasurable contribution to contemporary Black entertainment laced with heart breaking controversy. He brought America's color divide to a song where each could be proud to feel. His smile arose from the most genuine parts of the human experience. His voice gushed with candy and gold.
"sing a simple melody, that's how easy love can be"_ABC
it was 11:30. I stood with many in awe of his departure and my own memory of his music and dance. I felt his kaleidescope aura and influence spread across the vastness of space above planet Earth. His star power reached across the solar system. He was truly international, a universal figure in the pantheon of world music. He had no classification and held the title of King of Popular...
his face wore the scars of personal control in a world of demands...
his final bow was as meteoric as the youthful falsetto that captivated a nation.
He made MTV a place for all musicians.
He sold over 750 million records.
I celebrate my birthday with the world lifting up one of the best to ever...
in a word, my 28th birthday was
THRILLING.
Michael Jackson was a gift from God. I consider it a blessing to live during the reign of the King of Popular who encouraged me to look at myself, love deeply, and care for those forgotten about or without voice. He was childlike. He was a witness for Jehovah.
He was the child star who grew into an international obsession. He awakened our desires to stare at a train wreck. He gave the world uncompromising vision that I compare to humanitarians like Gandhi or Mother Theresa. By consolidating the elements of human entertainment: song, dance, acting, appeal, and "faint factor," Michael was inhuman while he walked (backwards) on this earth. His unexpected departure came at a time when underground apparition Jay Electronica was one of few modern entertainers to express sympathy to Michael's mercurial lifestyle.
I believe Michael's actions, though controversial, were right for Michael. Not even the brightest of stars possessed the tear-jerking draw of Michael Jackson... and his death and the international outcry that followed was pure testament that through his God-given talents, his purpose was to connect us. To manifest a harmonic, gyrating, and soul stirring ether that had no boundaries. And he was the vessel chosen by our Creator to deliver powerful messages that crossed generational, ethnic, and musical expectations.
On June 25, 2009, I stood in my parent's driveway, anticipating my own birthday a few minutes later on the 26th. "Human Nature" majestically flowed from my ipod headphones. As the emotional song sparkled in my conscious mind, I had a moment where I acknowledged the global anguish and triumph of our greatest performer's final curtain call.
He had 50 shows in London that were to be his last. Imagine the dollar signs lodged in the eyes of many who wanted their piece of the action. He was an exploited genius. He lived to see his own brand become one of the most recognizable on the planet.
his music stands as an immeasurable contribution to contemporary Black entertainment laced with heart breaking controversy. He brought America's color divide to a song where each could be proud to feel. His smile arose from the most genuine parts of the human experience. His voice gushed with candy and gold.
"sing a simple melody, that's how easy love can be"_ABC
it was 11:30. I stood with many in awe of his departure and my own memory of his music and dance. I felt his kaleidescope aura and influence spread across the vastness of space above planet Earth. His star power reached across the solar system. He was truly international, a universal figure in the pantheon of world music. He had no classification and held the title of King of Popular...
his face wore the scars of personal control in a world of demands...
his final bow was as meteoric as the youthful falsetto that captivated a nation.
He made MTV a place for all musicians.
He sold over 750 million records.
I celebrate my birthday with the world lifting up one of the best to ever...
in a word, my 28th birthday was
THRILLING.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
prositry
dried flowers never cease to amaze me spacey
are her withered feathers
dancing on the wings of love?
misty are my eyes of glory
staring into the sun
paint the tide upon my brow
and wish upon the starry gate
228am est.
are her withered feathers
dancing on the wings of love?
misty are my eyes of glory
staring into the sun
paint the tide upon my brow
and wish upon the starry gate
228am est.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
When the Saints
"They'll never play surf music again..." Jimi wouldn't dig all the refried tan lines and beach bummified combers of St. Augustine. Europe claims it as its longest held territorially occupied city. In 1564 a strong Spanish fleet obliterated a small occupation of French and free blacks in the region that would become Jacksonville. A year later St. Augustine was born... (for more history read a brochure!)
I was there to visit the incredible facilities of The University of St. Augustine's School for Health Sciences. This is the university utopia for prospective physical and occupational therapists. I had the distinct pleasure of touring the campus and sitting in on two classes during my two-day stay in the city. I landed in Jacksonville after a brief 50 minute flight from Atlanta and an equally long drive to St. A.
I checked in and received a campus tour from an admissions assistant. She was kind enough to confirm receipt of my application. The main lab building was huge. Approx. 60 treatment tables in ONE LAB! Wow! A GREAT gym, treatment pool, and juice bar.
Thursday I sat in on a "Clinical Massage and Manipulation" class. Though I went there to get a taste of class structure I picked up a few techniques and peed the "demographics." I think I saw one cute sista... the whole time there but that's okay. "Remember your priorities," the little voice in my head said... but, I couldn't help but notice the lack of melanin in the place I hope to attend. I stayed for three and a half hours still hoping to add some punch to the punch as a student.
I got a bite to eat on a beach front spot and checked into my hostel. http://www.casayallaha.com/ For those of you who may not know about B&B's and hostels... there THE ONLY PLACE to STAY when traveling on a budget. For around $28 I got a room and a fully furnished house at my disposal. The owner was quite friendly and after a "character check," house tour, and a few ground rules, I settled into my dorm. Fortunately I had the entire room to myself and read The Spellbinder's Gift by, OG Mandino from Tim's personal library.
Dinner at the Columbian. A Heinekin and I read myself to sleep, turning in early around 10:30.
Friday morning I awoke around 6:30, still programmed from my usual daily work routine... no problem. I made a pot of coffee for the house around 9am and Tim loved it! I showered, shaved, and dressed for my day of observation at the university. Making a good impression on my tourguide afforded me an observation in a Neurology class where students were locating structures on human brains. That's right! After a lecture and orientation groups of 5 students prodded specimens.
Another beach front lunch, completion of The Spellbinder, and I was about ready to leave for Jacksonville.
My flight got delayed and I studied James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Revelation at the terminal. With my ipod churning out tunes the time quickly passed and I enjoyed a quick flight home...
In a few weeks I'll know if I'm considered for an interview... I sure hope to return to St. Augustine!
-delano
I was there to visit the incredible facilities of The University of St. Augustine's School for Health Sciences. This is the university utopia for prospective physical and occupational therapists. I had the distinct pleasure of touring the campus and sitting in on two classes during my two-day stay in the city. I landed in Jacksonville after a brief 50 minute flight from Atlanta and an equally long drive to St. A.
I checked in and received a campus tour from an admissions assistant. She was kind enough to confirm receipt of my application. The main lab building was huge. Approx. 60 treatment tables in ONE LAB! Wow! A GREAT gym, treatment pool, and juice bar.
Thursday I sat in on a "Clinical Massage and Manipulation" class. Though I went there to get a taste of class structure I picked up a few techniques and peed the "demographics." I think I saw one cute sista... the whole time there but that's okay. "Remember your priorities," the little voice in my head said... but, I couldn't help but notice the lack of melanin in the place I hope to attend. I stayed for three and a half hours still hoping to add some punch to the punch as a student.
I got a bite to eat on a beach front spot and checked into my hostel. http://www.casayallaha.com/ For those of you who may not know about B&B's and hostels... there THE ONLY PLACE to STAY when traveling on a budget. For around $28 I got a room and a fully furnished house at my disposal. The owner was quite friendly and after a "character check," house tour, and a few ground rules, I settled into my dorm. Fortunately I had the entire room to myself and read The Spellbinder's Gift by, OG Mandino from Tim's personal library.
Dinner at the Columbian. A Heinekin and I read myself to sleep, turning in early around 10:30.
Friday morning I awoke around 6:30, still programmed from my usual daily work routine... no problem. I made a pot of coffee for the house around 9am and Tim loved it! I showered, shaved, and dressed for my day of observation at the university. Making a good impression on my tourguide afforded me an observation in a Neurology class where students were locating structures on human brains. That's right! After a lecture and orientation groups of 5 students prodded specimens.
Another beach front lunch, completion of The Spellbinder, and I was about ready to leave for Jacksonville.
My flight got delayed and I studied James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Revelation at the terminal. With my ipod churning out tunes the time quickly passed and I enjoyed a quick flight home...
In a few weeks I'll know if I'm considered for an interview... I sure hope to return to St. Augustine!
-delano
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
PIMpS (Big Boi in the News)
'Sneakerheads' pay big bucks for rare kicksStory Highlights
Big Boi says he has 400 pairs, including crocodile-skin Nikes he's never worn
Shoe companies capitalizing on niche demand for rare, limited-edition sneakers
Sneakerology teacher: "If they've got money, they can buy coolness"
By Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- OutKast's Big Boi is a junkie, has been for years.
Big Boi: "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair."
1 of 3 The multiplatinum rap star got his first shoe fix back when he was better known as Antwan Patton, a busboy at Steak and Ale. He saved up his paychecks and rushed to a dealer to cop the only thing that could cure his jones -- a pair of British Knights tennis shoes.
"I've actually been into sneakers since I was a little kid," Big Boi, 34, said backstage before his concert this month at the Sneaker Pimps exhibition in Atlanta. "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair."
Sneaker culture has thrived for decades, but shoe companies have increasingly capitalized on the demand for one-of-a-kind kicks. Collectors, known as sneakerheads, have lined up to pay hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to ensure few people are wearing the same shoes. See some of the rarest shoes »
"Coming up, my mom got five kids so there wasn't a whole lot of stylish tennis shoes around the house, so I used to want a lot of sneakers," Big Boi said, explaining that he started making up for lost time -- and shoes -- long before OutKast's 1994 debut, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik."
Juan Castaneda, 27, also grew up in a family of modest means and longed to don the fresh kicks he saw his peers wearing.
"When I got money to buy them, I started catching up," said Castaneda, who works at a nursing home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Don't Miss
Miuccia Prada, the reluctant fashionista
He estimates he owns about 200 pairs of sneakers, including a pair of Nike Air Jordan XIs with patent-leather trim called "Space Jams." They cost him $500.
It's supply and demand at its simplest, said Elliott Curtis, a former Carnegie Mellon University basketball player who for two semesters taught Sneakerology 101, billed as the first accredited class on sneaker culture.
Shoe companies create a limited number (say, a few hundred pairs) of shoes -- even if it's just an old model with new colors or materials -- and demand automatically spikes.
"It's like a status symbol. If Nike is selling a shoe for $2,000, they're not expecting to sell that many," the recent graduate said, adding that sneakerheads are drawn to scarcity.
"If they've got money, they can buy coolness," Curtis said.
Curtis goes to garage sales and mom-and-pop stores seeking rare and retro sneakers for his 75-pair collection, but he concedes he's waited in line for limited editions and paid as much as $250 for a pair.
Sporting an ultra-rare set of blue-and-red "Bugs Bunny" Nike Air Jordan VIIIs, Big Boi said he today boasts at least 400 pairs of sneakers, but he rarely pays for them because shoe companies send him pairs.
His most expensive, a pair of crocodile-skin Nike Air Force 1s, sell on various auction sites for up to $1,800. Big Boi has never worn them, but he plans on taking them out of their Nike lockbox this summer so he can wear them in a video for his upcoming solo album.
To Peter Fahey, the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps shoe shows, Big Boi's enthusiasm is typical.
Sneaker culture got its start in New York in the 1970s, mostly among playground streetballers and practitioners of an emerging genre of music called hip-hop. Over the next three decades, rappers and basketball players -- most notably, Run DMC and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan -- would play integral roles in boosting the popularity of rare kicks.
"Run DMC were probably at the height of the whole movement. It was the first time music and sneakers crossed like this," Fahey said of the group's 1986 hit, "My Adidas."
Today, Adidas, Nike and Puma compete with luxury brands such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci. The major sports shoe companies also allow customers to design their own shoes. Upstarts such as San Francisco's JB Classics and Japan's Madfoot and KKOK have snatched up market share as well.
Shoe companies realize hip-hop's influence and work hard to get "a fresh pair of steps" on a rapper's feet. Earlier this year, Converse released a line of its iconic All-Stars in tandem with Chicago rhymesmith Lupe Fiasco. Nike has issued two versions of the Air Yeezy, inspired by rapper-producer Kanye West. Louis Vuitton also has teamed up with West.
Some lines, such as the Yeezys, quickly become collectors' items. Die-hard sneakerheads keep them in their original boxes like "Star Wars" action figures and ferret them away in closets, their soles never to be scuffed by a sidewalk.
Bryan Lyle, 22, of Stockbridge, Georgia, said he recently camped out three nights at an Atlanta boutique to get one of the shop's eight pairs of Air Yeezys.
Lyle paid $300, a small fortune for shoes, but Castaneda said the price more than doubled within days. He got a pair of Yeezys from an eBay merchant in Hong Kong. The damage? $700.
Castaneda's girlfriend, Melissa Bailey, 26, said Castaneda actually bought three pairs. He found two online and paid someone to camp out for the others. Castaneda's modus operandi is to buy three pairs of his favorite shoes -- one to wear, one to store for later and one to sell or trade, she said.
"He will not walk through grass. He will not walk through dirt," Bailey said.
Fahey held his first Sneaker Pimps show in Sydney, Australia, in 2003, but only 200 people showed up. Soon, however, tens of thousands would attend shows in more than 60 cities. A 2006 show in Jakarta, Indonesia, drew about 13,000 sneakerheads.
The shows now feature between 1,000 and 1,500 shoes. Some are rare. Others are signed by celebrities. Hip-hop acts are a staple, as is artwork -- on both kicks and canvas.
At this month's show, hundreds of sneaker enthusiasts filed through Atlanta's Tabernacle with the decorum of museum patrons, stopping to admire the shoes displayed on swaths of chain-link fence.
There were novice sneakerheads, such as Chris Shepherd, 20, and Charnelle Cook, 20, an Atlanta couple who marveled over the DC Comics and Transformers sneakers.
Asked about her multicolored hightops, Cook said, "I couldn't tell you what these are called. All I know is they're Reeboks, and they're fly."
There were seasoned collectors, such as Kyle Self, 35, of Decatur, Georgia, who said he had about 25 pairs, some of them still in their boxes, including three pairs of $400 low-top Pradas, which he called his "everyday sneakers."
There were even female collectors, such as artist Estasha Goodwin, 23, who modeled a pair of shimmering gold, winged -- yes, winged -- hightops made by Adidas and designer Jeremy Scott.
She complained that shoe companies too often focus on the male market and ignored female aficionados.
"When they do cater to us, it's always bubblegum pink. They don't even make them in our sizes," she said. "I know women who know more about sneakers than any dude out here today."
Incidentally, her favorite of the 15 pairs she owns were made for men -- the Nike "Ace of Spades" Dunks, inspired by the Detroit Tigers' high-kicking pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, who is prominently featured on the black-and-aqua shoe's hightop.
Asked why she shelled out $250 for them, she gave a familiar response: "It's a feeling you get when you know you're the only one that has something. Even if you're not, it's the way you walk it."
Big Boi says he has 400 pairs, including crocodile-skin Nikes he's never worn
Shoe companies capitalizing on niche demand for rare, limited-edition sneakers
Sneakerology teacher: "If they've got money, they can buy coolness"
By Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- OutKast's Big Boi is a junkie, has been for years.
Big Boi: "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair."
1 of 3 The multiplatinum rap star got his first shoe fix back when he was better known as Antwan Patton, a busboy at Steak and Ale. He saved up his paychecks and rushed to a dealer to cop the only thing that could cure his jones -- a pair of British Knights tennis shoes.
"I've actually been into sneakers since I was a little kid," Big Boi, 34, said backstage before his concert this month at the Sneaker Pimps exhibition in Atlanta. "You can really tell a lot about a person through the shoes, so I always like to keep me a fresh pair."
Sneaker culture has thrived for decades, but shoe companies have increasingly capitalized on the demand for one-of-a-kind kicks. Collectors, known as sneakerheads, have lined up to pay hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to ensure few people are wearing the same shoes. See some of the rarest shoes »
"Coming up, my mom got five kids so there wasn't a whole lot of stylish tennis shoes around the house, so I used to want a lot of sneakers," Big Boi said, explaining that he started making up for lost time -- and shoes -- long before OutKast's 1994 debut, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik."
Juan Castaneda, 27, also grew up in a family of modest means and longed to don the fresh kicks he saw his peers wearing.
"When I got money to buy them, I started catching up," said Castaneda, who works at a nursing home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Don't Miss
Miuccia Prada, the reluctant fashionista
He estimates he owns about 200 pairs of sneakers, including a pair of Nike Air Jordan XIs with patent-leather trim called "Space Jams." They cost him $500.
It's supply and demand at its simplest, said Elliott Curtis, a former Carnegie Mellon University basketball player who for two semesters taught Sneakerology 101, billed as the first accredited class on sneaker culture.
Shoe companies create a limited number (say, a few hundred pairs) of shoes -- even if it's just an old model with new colors or materials -- and demand automatically spikes.
"It's like a status symbol. If Nike is selling a shoe for $2,000, they're not expecting to sell that many," the recent graduate said, adding that sneakerheads are drawn to scarcity.
"If they've got money, they can buy coolness," Curtis said.
Curtis goes to garage sales and mom-and-pop stores seeking rare and retro sneakers for his 75-pair collection, but he concedes he's waited in line for limited editions and paid as much as $250 for a pair.
Sporting an ultra-rare set of blue-and-red "Bugs Bunny" Nike Air Jordan VIIIs, Big Boi said he today boasts at least 400 pairs of sneakers, but he rarely pays for them because shoe companies send him pairs.
His most expensive, a pair of crocodile-skin Nike Air Force 1s, sell on various auction sites for up to $1,800. Big Boi has never worn them, but he plans on taking them out of their Nike lockbox this summer so he can wear them in a video for his upcoming solo album.
To Peter Fahey, the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps shoe shows, Big Boi's enthusiasm is typical.
Sneaker culture got its start in New York in the 1970s, mostly among playground streetballers and practitioners of an emerging genre of music called hip-hop. Over the next three decades, rappers and basketball players -- most notably, Run DMC and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan -- would play integral roles in boosting the popularity of rare kicks.
"Run DMC were probably at the height of the whole movement. It was the first time music and sneakers crossed like this," Fahey said of the group's 1986 hit, "My Adidas."
Today, Adidas, Nike and Puma compete with luxury brands such as Chanel, Prada and Gucci. The major sports shoe companies also allow customers to design their own shoes. Upstarts such as San Francisco's JB Classics and Japan's Madfoot and KKOK have snatched up market share as well.
Shoe companies realize hip-hop's influence and work hard to get "a fresh pair of steps" on a rapper's feet. Earlier this year, Converse released a line of its iconic All-Stars in tandem with Chicago rhymesmith Lupe Fiasco. Nike has issued two versions of the Air Yeezy, inspired by rapper-producer Kanye West. Louis Vuitton also has teamed up with West.
Some lines, such as the Yeezys, quickly become collectors' items. Die-hard sneakerheads keep them in their original boxes like "Star Wars" action figures and ferret them away in closets, their soles never to be scuffed by a sidewalk.
Bryan Lyle, 22, of Stockbridge, Georgia, said he recently camped out three nights at an Atlanta boutique to get one of the shop's eight pairs of Air Yeezys.
Lyle paid $300, a small fortune for shoes, but Castaneda said the price more than doubled within days. He got a pair of Yeezys from an eBay merchant in Hong Kong. The damage? $700.
Castaneda's girlfriend, Melissa Bailey, 26, said Castaneda actually bought three pairs. He found two online and paid someone to camp out for the others. Castaneda's modus operandi is to buy three pairs of his favorite shoes -- one to wear, one to store for later and one to sell or trade, she said.
"He will not walk through grass. He will not walk through dirt," Bailey said.
Fahey held his first Sneaker Pimps show in Sydney, Australia, in 2003, but only 200 people showed up. Soon, however, tens of thousands would attend shows in more than 60 cities. A 2006 show in Jakarta, Indonesia, drew about 13,000 sneakerheads.
The shows now feature between 1,000 and 1,500 shoes. Some are rare. Others are signed by celebrities. Hip-hop acts are a staple, as is artwork -- on both kicks and canvas.
At this month's show, hundreds of sneaker enthusiasts filed through Atlanta's Tabernacle with the decorum of museum patrons, stopping to admire the shoes displayed on swaths of chain-link fence.
There were novice sneakerheads, such as Chris Shepherd, 20, and Charnelle Cook, 20, an Atlanta couple who marveled over the DC Comics and Transformers sneakers.
Asked about her multicolored hightops, Cook said, "I couldn't tell you what these are called. All I know is they're Reeboks, and they're fly."
There were seasoned collectors, such as Kyle Self, 35, of Decatur, Georgia, who said he had about 25 pairs, some of them still in their boxes, including three pairs of $400 low-top Pradas, which he called his "everyday sneakers."
There were even female collectors, such as artist Estasha Goodwin, 23, who modeled a pair of shimmering gold, winged -- yes, winged -- hightops made by Adidas and designer Jeremy Scott.
She complained that shoe companies too often focus on the male market and ignored female aficionados.
"When they do cater to us, it's always bubblegum pink. They don't even make them in our sizes," she said. "I know women who know more about sneakers than any dude out here today."
Incidentally, her favorite of the 15 pairs she owns were made for men -- the Nike "Ace of Spades" Dunks, inspired by the Detroit Tigers' high-kicking pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, who is prominently featured on the black-and-aqua shoe's hightop.
Asked why she shelled out $250 for them, she gave a familiar response: "It's a feeling you get when you know you're the only one that has something. Even if you're not, it's the way you walk it."
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Patience is Virtuous
Today was one of those days that just felt weird.
Mother Nature sent us a reminder of fall while summer encroaches on us with glaring 87degree afternoons. May daisies and a buzzer beater victory of the Orlando Magic over the nearly perfect-at-home, Cleveland Cavaliers; it was overcast and patients behaved oddly...
I got a reminder of why I'm on my path, which is a good thing leading up to my trip to Florida in two weeks.
A patient called in to schedule an appointment and had no earthly idea about the process of using his insurance to pay for PT services. Something familiar in his voice drummed all the patience I could muster to help guide him towards understanding. I explained to him how insurance works and provided a couple of scenarios that could play out once I got his policy verified. He was very gracious and I did my job well to get him scheduled, despite taking an extra two minutes to do-so.
I had a moment after that phone call. I felt concerned for the many people who get less than tender loving care when trying to navigate the choppy waters of insurance and paying for medical services. I hope to one day try to educate many people on the basics of how insurance works, how to select a good plan, and how to stay on top of your claim once filed and services have been rendered.
Again, this is about doing what others don't care, or have the time to do... explain, repeat, review, and educate.
Something just feels right about leading people to understanding, something empowering, something potentially life-changing...
May this reach you in peace of heart and mind.
-rev. run (kidding!)
-delano :c)
Mother Nature sent us a reminder of fall while summer encroaches on us with glaring 87degree afternoons. May daisies and a buzzer beater victory of the Orlando Magic over the nearly perfect-at-home, Cleveland Cavaliers; it was overcast and patients behaved oddly...
I got a reminder of why I'm on my path, which is a good thing leading up to my trip to Florida in two weeks.
A patient called in to schedule an appointment and had no earthly idea about the process of using his insurance to pay for PT services. Something familiar in his voice drummed all the patience I could muster to help guide him towards understanding. I explained to him how insurance works and provided a couple of scenarios that could play out once I got his policy verified. He was very gracious and I did my job well to get him scheduled, despite taking an extra two minutes to do-so.
I had a moment after that phone call. I felt concerned for the many people who get less than tender loving care when trying to navigate the choppy waters of insurance and paying for medical services. I hope to one day try to educate many people on the basics of how insurance works, how to select a good plan, and how to stay on top of your claim once filed and services have been rendered.
Again, this is about doing what others don't care, or have the time to do... explain, repeat, review, and educate.
Something just feels right about leading people to understanding, something empowering, something potentially life-changing...
May this reach you in peace of heart and mind.
-rev. run (kidding!)
-delano :c)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Seeds!
with the spring came the cool breeze of children...
2009 has been the year of new additions to my circle of friends
the miracle of childbirth has never meant so much to me
as I welcome new arrivals to the planet!
With so much drama in the economy I see what folks did with those long nights in; saving money.
1. SG. her son nearly cost her her life after some postpartum complications - reminds me that even with fibroids and one ovary God decides when and where life happens. She is a true rebel for peace and patience and is well deserving of her new son, biggups to St.P, you two make a great couple!
2.KB - after a long celebrated courtship with a fellow Hamptonian KB, up and marries this other gorgeous chica he met through his mother...Lady MB is the proud wife and mother of one of my best friends and I am ecstatic for this couple to have gotten married BEFORE starting their family! As "old school" kids, I wanna be like KB when I grow up! But, really mad props to folks who tie the knot!
3.CHG - another TWO points for CHG! She too made it official prior to her "bump" project! I had the honor of speaking poetically at her wedding ceremony. With open arms I welcome her new daughter CDG!!! (Keep me in your prayers C, I'm on the cusp of PT school!)
4.ABC - now you know I have to celebrate Copper tones and the blessing of life that comes from unexpected bundles of joy. A friend of mine whom I once dated...I decided to be a true friend when she dropped the bomb on me about her being 'with child.'
5.Tony - my best friend's baby is on the way... I always hoped we would be thirty, single, and childless... he beat me to the child part and is very happy with his new lady Chevy... a true love child in the works, Tony wasn't expecting to meet his baby's momma when he did, but being aggressive has its benefits! The same time he was getting all wrapped up in a new connection he started his parenting phase of life more quickly than I expected. Alas, its just begun!
With all these children I may not need any of my own... ha ha ha! No, I'm just doing me like I know how... career first, ladyfriend/wife second, daddy hat third...
whatever is in God's plan for me, I'm rockin with it!
-delano :c)
2009 has been the year of new additions to my circle of friends
the miracle of childbirth has never meant so much to me
as I welcome new arrivals to the planet!
With so much drama in the economy I see what folks did with those long nights in; saving money.
1. SG. her son nearly cost her her life after some postpartum complications - reminds me that even with fibroids and one ovary God decides when and where life happens. She is a true rebel for peace and patience and is well deserving of her new son, biggups to St.P, you two make a great couple!
2.KB - after a long celebrated courtship with a fellow Hamptonian KB, up and marries this other gorgeous chica he met through his mother...Lady MB is the proud wife and mother of one of my best friends and I am ecstatic for this couple to have gotten married BEFORE starting their family! As "old school" kids, I wanna be like KB when I grow up! But, really mad props to folks who tie the knot!
3.CHG - another TWO points for CHG! She too made it official prior to her "bump" project! I had the honor of speaking poetically at her wedding ceremony. With open arms I welcome her new daughter CDG!!! (Keep me in your prayers C, I'm on the cusp of PT school!)
4.ABC - now you know I have to celebrate Copper tones and the blessing of life that comes from unexpected bundles of joy. A friend of mine whom I once dated...I decided to be a true friend when she dropped the bomb on me about her being 'with child.'
5.Tony - my best friend's baby is on the way... I always hoped we would be thirty, single, and childless... he beat me to the child part and is very happy with his new lady Chevy... a true love child in the works, Tony wasn't expecting to meet his baby's momma when he did, but being aggressive has its benefits! The same time he was getting all wrapped up in a new connection he started his parenting phase of life more quickly than I expected. Alas, its just begun!
With all these children I may not need any of my own... ha ha ha! No, I'm just doing me like I know how... career first, ladyfriend/wife second, daddy hat third...
whatever is in God's plan for me, I'm rockin with it!
-delano :c)
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