JMFK (MF = My Friend)

As I continue to live in this world I continue to see others leave it. I sees some leave behind peace and others leave behind war. When I was little these things didn't matter a whole lot. I was child and the thought of not being alive wasn't even in the picture. I grew up, but still I seemed immortal, death was not something for me to worry about. Then I got a dose of reality that showed me I was not immune to death's touch, and it made me think about how I would leave and what I would leave behind.      I can't help but think of the song "Shower The People" where he talks about showing people how you really feel about them. While your here, and their here, let people know you love them. Don't let squabbles over petty things keep you from expressing love if that is how you truly feel. Ask yourself these two questions. If you left, what would you leave behind? If someone left you, what would you do?      Do you have a purpose, or maybe you used to an...

Someone recently reminded me of this scene in the Adams Family. I bet like me you had forgot about how funny it was, but if you get a chance watch it again. It was a different take on how the first Thanksgiving went. Anyway its that time of year again, and once again I will physically be at work, but my spirit will travel to Nashville and hang out with my family as it has done for many a holiday.      As I think about this day that we give thanks for all we are blessed with I can't help but reflect on all that I have been given. I have been so fortunate to grow up with a loving family who watched over me and gave me a chance to have a good life. So blessed to be able to work and take care of myself. Extremely blessed to even still be in the land of the living. So I can definitely say thank you and mean it!      Thank you to all that have taken time to pray for me. Thank you to those who have had my back. Those who stopped to give a hand when I needed ...

I love music, and I mean Music. I definitely have favorite types, but I love to hear all kinds of music. It can lift me up on a bad day as well as push me through a tough one. It’s hard for me to lift some weights or go for a run without some headphones in my ears. In fact I’m listening to Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton’s performance at the CMA’s as I’m writing this. Yes for those wondering I do listen to a little country, but later I might be listening to Sade or Tool. You never know with me, I’m all over the place sometimes. When I’m working on my novels I’m usually listening to classical because it helps me think. If it’s good sounding instruments and singing or just good singing without the instruments or good instruments without the singing it don’t matter. I just want to hear it in my head to help take me away from the world.       You may share my same love of music, and like me it probably has some influence on how you feel and even think. Lik...

So I took a look at my blog and thought maybe I could make it look a little better. Hopefully my words will continue to get better, but I realize presentation helps people read them so let me know if this is better. By the way I am still working on a new series of fantasy novels. I have semi-finished parts, but I want to take the time to write more and focus on cutting out errors. I feel like I am getting better so if anyone out there reads anything I write, give some feedback. I don't care if its online or in the real world. I just want feedback, there is no positive or negative for me. If it sucks you can say so, I put on my big boy pants everyday. I can take it!

When I was little a lot of times my argument for something would boil down to me stating "Its what everybody else is doing or saying" or "Everybody else was acting up or nobody else did it right either". My mom would simply say "If everybody was jumping off a bridge, would you jump too?".      You see my parents raised me to live a certain way, as probably most of your parents did as well. That way was supposed to be based on the Bible, and the life of Jesus. In addition they encouraged me to not just know that way, but to have the courage and strength to follow that way even when others around me didn't.      Now this lesson went beyond just not cussing, listening to your elders, treating people kindly. They also encouraged me to strive to do and be my best. Even when people might call you a nerd, or tell you its okay to slack off or that you were doing enough, my parents said "You can do better". Those words of wisdom have made me the ...

Hopefully you haven't forgotten the great celestial event of a couple of weeks ago. I for one have not, and in fact I miss it already. It was a sight to see indeed! My glasses are sitting on a cabinet in my room, and sometimes I want to put them on and go outside and stare up at the sun, wishing for another eclipse. The way the world looked and felt was just magical, like nothing I may never get to experience again in my lifetime.      The thing that makes me want it to come again though is not what it was, but what it did. I don't know how you experienced it, but I was with my family and if the world had ended right at that moment I would have been at peace with everything. For a few moments we were all together, and there was nothing but love and wonderment. Grandmother down to great grandchild stood together on my parents back deck and it was like we were all children again for a brief time. No cares about sickness, troubled relationships, financial problems. We we...

**NOT A PICTURE OF MY ACTUAL HOUSE**    Some people may remember my house in Nashville flooded a few years ago. Now when I bought the house I was forced to buy flood insurance for the whole house because the den, which sits a few feet lower than the rest of the house, was in the thousand year flood zone. The den was in the problem area, but its attached to the house so MY WHOLE HOUSE MATTERS . Now the great thousand year flood came and wouldn't you know it the den flooded.      My family, who I can't thank enough, came down to my house and fought the waters. I was out of town working. There was nothing in it for them, but because they have love in their hearts they fought for me. They know we are connected through physical and spiritual blood, so to them it was worth the effort because for them  JOHN MATTERS .      Now I get to Nashville and start cleaning up. Now as I said the den flooded. The rest of the house was fine. If you had been...

We have become very fixated on crime in certain cities in this country. A lot of false information is out there and I thought a quick reminder of math might help clear up some things. Crime rates are listed in crimes per amount of people. This lets you know statistically how likely you are to be a victim of that crime in one area compared to another.      The crime we in the US seem to be fascinated with is homicide, but many time we just see total number and fail to understand the rate. So if you are in a room full of ten people and I say half the people will be murdered you will probably be shocked because five people died. While in another room the same will happen, half will be murdered, but there are only two people in that room. Will you be as shocked? The same rate is happening in both rooms, but which would you choose to be in if they were the only choices? Something to think about for sure.      That being said here is a link to a site listing t...

I thought I would drop this quick one so there will be no more confusion. Many people in Dayton have been wondering for years if it was true. Brothas at barbershops in Chattanooga have also wondered the same thing so I want to put this to rest. Here is famous actor Don Cheadle: Now here is very unfamous former movie extra and wanna be author John Kelly Jr.: So LET ME SPLAIN THIS so everyone understands. Don Cheadle is not shopping at the Dayton Food City or getting dinner at Arby's. He also does not occasionally get his haircut in Chattanooga. He is also fifty pounds lighter and a lot richer and better looking than John A. Kelly Jr. so I hope that clears everything up. Don if your reading this I am sorry for all the rumors of you being in Tennessee. I was not trying to impersonate you!

First off congratulations to Justin Gatlin for bringing the world 100m title back to the USA! A great day for the US and for TN with two former Vols, Gatlin and Coleman, taking gold and silver! I know some are still hatin on Gatlin for his past performance enhancing, but this post is not about defending him so I wont speak on that. I may later dedicate a post on him and performance enhancing in general.      This post is really just to talk about the sport I love, Track & Field. It is a very misunderstood sport, and very underrated, especially here in the US. Right now the World Championships are taking place in London, and once again NBC and the USATF are trying to promote the sport to the american audience. I for one wish they would stop trying, because their attempt is a negative for true fans. True fans love it for what it is, and not what it lacks compared to other sports. True fans check sites like  TrackandFieldNews  all the time to find out whats...

YOU CAN"T SEE ME! Hopefully you recognize my homage, but if you don't its me trying to copy the wrestler John Cena. He used to always tell people "You Can't See Me" as he waved a hand in front of his face. I thought my poor imitation would maybe get a laugh and hopefully bring people to the blog to read my latest post.      Events lately have caused me to think on how we see things in life. How our past and present shape how we even recognize the very reality around us. Not too long ago I posted about how you need to see me, because people really don't. Well I have had more time to think about it, and have come to the conclusion that YOU CAN'T SEE ME. I am literally invisible to most everyone in the world. Okay literally is stretching it. People don't just walk into me or aim their cars at me, or drive off while I'm trying to get into the car. Wait those things do happen, especially that last one. Almost getting drug while I was trying to...

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt" (Sometimes attributed to Abe Lincoln or Mark Twain)  May be based on: Proverbs 17:28  Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Some may remember I blogged back in January about people being on their high horse, and I appreciate the response from everyone. So much so that I once again feel compelled to further address the same subject, which is how we have made a mockery out of our supposed principles. We say we stand for something, but that is only when it’s convenient or popular to do so. We love to talk on social media, but do nothing in the real world. Case in point is the reaction to Kathy Griffin’s comedy, or whatever she calls it, about the president.      Let me first say for the record I have never thought Kathy Griffin was that funny, and it is personal for me...

This is not really meant to be a political post, but instead more of a plea. A plea for the children of the world. For those who don't know I am childless, yet that doesn't mean that I don't care for the plight of children. I see many people who talk about keeping children alive, but then nothing else. What were left with is a bunch of children alive and suffering.      Some suffer because they have no one to take care of them. Others because the people who are supposed to take care of them don't. That's why I applaud all those out there that take care of your children and have the heart and will to take care of the children of others.      By now everyone is like "Yeah we know", same old story but your not talking about me. Are you sure I'm not talking about you? Yes you made a child and 'maybe' you take care of them, but what are you doing with them. Are you being a parent? Are you spending quality time with them?  ...

Recently I was told that people don't really know where I stand on many issues. They say I play "Devil's Advocate" too much, and its a fair criticism because I do. Why do I do it, because people rarely think and I am trying to get them to actually engage and expand their minds. My true thoughts and feelings can get lost in that process though and I thought I would share a brief simple rundown of my stance on a few things and people. I will of course take all comments and criticisms! GUNS ownership = responsibility responsibility = knowledge, skill, purpose, Owning a Safe! **Would just like to add "If you live by the sword, you die by the sword"** DRUGS Many have medicinal uses (including Marijuana), if your just getting high then JUST SAY NO. Also being hooked on prescription drugs is the same as 'HARD DRUGS' your still a drug addict ALCOHOL If you have to drink then you should stop because you have a problem.  Being d...

I got into a discussion on Facebook the other day and it brought up an old memory of something that happened while I was in college. I want to share a short version of that story today.      My third year in college I interned with a company. This company had two internship slots which usually went to engineering students at Tenn. Tech, but that year they reached out to TSU for one of the slots and I got it. During that year the other intern's father passed away and the company asked if I would go to the funeral as a representative. It was kind of last minute, but I decided to go for it. The only thing at the time I was worried about was making it to the town, which was southeast of Jackson, TN. I had never been out that way, but I mapped out a route and believed I could make it. Let me just share at this point that the other intern had expressed to me on several occasions that his family out that way was shall we say 'not into diversity'. Also I grew up being told that...

I am not my hair I am not this skin I am not your expectations, no (hey) I am not my hair I am not this skin I am the soul that lives within                                     India Arie The chorus from 'I Am Not My Hair' by India Arie. If you like real soul and R&B you need to give her a listen. Anyway I have been growing my hair back out lately and it got me to thinking about this song. She talks about the journey of her hair throughout her life. Being a man it might be harder to directly relate, cause for us its usually a matter of short or long, but I do feel all can relate to the deeper meaning of the song. The chorus lets you know that what she is talking about transcends hair, skin, even expectations, and that is what I want to talk about.      You see someone with a long beard and you might think tough, country boy, hunter. Someone with a flattop and shaved sid...

                      “Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes.” ―  Steve Martin Found this quote when I was looking for the real one, and just had to put it in here. Anyway the real idiom is one everybody knows, Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes . As we approach the inauguration of a new president I have been hearing some interesting things from the winning side about giving someone a chance. I got to remembering this same moment in time eight years ago and the winning side at that time also saying these things.       As I have written and said before people are people. Were still just humans no matter what side of an ideology we choose. We can all do acts of kindness or evil. Therein lies the problem. All humans are imperfect flawed beings, but we like to pretend that the fact that we beli...