A coffee table book about coffee tables

If you read my last post you may have seen that I was going to begin writing a book. Well a one of my dear friends suggested that I write a book in the form of a letter to my unborn son. I love that idea. So I have decided to take it a step further and write several letters to several people and just share some of my thoughts with the world. So tonight I will preview my book with a letter that I will put in the book, which coincidentally, isn't about coffee tables.

Dear Ludacris,
Hey my man, I just wanted to drop you a line to see how you were doing? Myself? I'm good, although, to be honest my mind is a little troubled. I was sitting back thinking about your rift with Oprah Winfrey and I just wanted to add my two cents. First let me reiterate that I am a big fan of your work. I feel that you are witty and funny in a world full of tough, grimy "thugs." I actually cried when I listened to "Freedom of Preach" with Bishop Eddie Long on your latest album Release Therapy. I'm serious I was crying because the message hit me hard. I felt like the person that Bishop Long was talking about. I felt that it was time for me to change. As a matter of fact, I believe that your song played a major role in me wanting to write a book. Anyway, I was thinking about hip-hop and me. Common has a song titled "I Used to Love Her" that details his relationship with hip-hop. It is a wonderful song to this day and I believe that it is around 10 years old. Well as a child of hip-hop and one of the first generations that grew up exclusively in the hip-hop age I have always been a huge fan. As Chuck D. once said hip-hop is the ghetto CNN. As a teen, I listened to Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, N.W.A. & 2 Live Crew. So I listened to the political & the vile and I loved them both. Oprah had commented on how she didn't appreciate the misogynistic and explicit rap lyrics commonly heard today. As someone who now works with young students as a high school teacher have to concur with her opinion. Now in Freedom of Preach, you said that those who didn't understand the youth might just be getting too old. Well I am thirty now and I don't claim to understand the youth, but I still listen to the same vile music as my students and to be honest with you I enjoy it. I gravitate towards rap, although my music interests have broadened over the years. I see "hardcore" rap as a form of entertainment. I know that Jeezy isn't "trapping" or that T.I. is a "dope boy." I know better than that. Now I am not trying to attack Jeezy or T.I., but I know that common sense says the reason that you become a dope boy is to make money and if you make money rapping, then illegal business isn't smart business. The problem lies in the younger generation. When I was young I understood that "Freaky Tales" by Too Short was akin to someone bragging about having sex with all the girls at school. It sounded great, but it was probably untrue. I never though Eazy-E killed all the guys he rapped about killing because if he did and then bragged about it, he deserved to be caught. Well, my students are amazing in that when their idols say something they don't even question it. Do you remember when Charles Barkley had a commercial that said he wasn't a role model? His argument was that just because he could dunk a basketball, doesn't mean that he should raise your kids. I definitely agree. Parents should be the one that raise their kids. The problem is that a lot of these kids don't have parents to raise them. Or at the most only a mother. And some of those mother's have to work to support their families and unfortunately they don't have the time to be both mom and dad. That no way excuses the parent, but it does make it more understandable. I believe in the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. And Luda that makes us both villagers. Now far be it from me to try to stop someone from making money, but my pops would say, while playing dominoes, that all money isn't good money. He meant that just because you could score 5, 10 or 15 doesn't mean that it will be good for you in the long run. I always believed that. Just because you can make millions, is it worth helping destroy those that look like you for a few bucks?

This is just the first part of my letter to Ludacris. My book will contain a longer letter. Let me know if this sort of thing interest you.

My Soul (A Poem)

My heart aches as I wait to overcome this abyss
Trapped in this town of sadness, moments ago I was in a state of bliss
This pain is two hands wringing out my heart
I'm begging to be finished off, but I'm afraid this is only the start
Why have I been chosen to be a planter of this seed
Why can't I just succumb to money, drugs, thugs, girls, gold & greed
Surrounded by this cess pool of a world, Ever closer I see the slime slide in
Sometimes I wonder...Is it inevitable that I'm going under? If so, why not dive in
What if I'm not the solution. What if what I build falls apart
Or what if a blazing inferno of change spreads and I am the spark
Will I be remembered, like others before, as a movement that began as one
Or will I be remembered amongst a host of pretenders who tried to empower, but had none
My tortured mind cries out, "When will we get better?"
But my tears start to fall, as I hear a voice call and my soul answers never.

Random Thoughts

I have a friend who periodically list things that she is grateful for. I thoroughly enjoy reading her list so I decided to list some random thoughts that I have been thinking and share them with you....my audience of millions....err thousands...hundreds????tens....okay one. There I said it.

• I was talking to a fellow teacher and she commented on what a good writer I was and that I should think about writing a book. Well I have long been thinking about just that and was amazed that someone thought I should. So long story short; I'm writing a book!!!!
• I am glad that Terrell Owens is alive and well, but I'm even happier that my birds shut him and the Cowboys down. E-A-G-L-E-S.....EAGLES!!!!
• This isn't an original thought because I heard Chris Rock mention it, but who is gonna take the weight as the acknowledged leader of black causes? Is everything in this country so right and fair that we aren't involved in a struggle any longer? I nominate Common & Mos Def. I guess we have to wait on Barack Obama.
• Mid term elections coming up......gas prices going down. Maybe George W. Bush isn't as big a moron as many believe. Who am I kidding, yes he is.
• If you haven't read it and you deal with young brotha's on a daily basis, please read "Letters to a Young Brother" by Hill Harper. It's a really good read.
• You may not know Marcellus "Dat Dude" Wiley. If you don't let me give you a quick bio. Wiley is a 10 year NFL vet from Columbia University (Yes, Ivy League Columbia). He plays for the Jaguars here in Jacksonville. Anyway he is a phenomenal writer. He has a myspace page that I just recently discovered. Check it out. Columbia...man I'm jealous.
• I need to find a way to eliminate standardized tests. They are aging our students at a rapid rate.
• Does Baby aka Birdman have a tattoo of Lil Wayne on his chest? Why do I keep thinking the words down low when I see those two?
• Girlfriends isn't as good without Toni and I'm still pissed at Flava Flav for getting rid of Bootz. But if you are ever reading this, Bootz holla at ya boy. I'm waiting for marriage too.
• I'm not feeling the "Show Me What You Got" (Jay-Z's new single) beat, but as a wordsmith Jay has few equals. I can't wait for the album.
• Why do my students question every word that a teacher tells them, but they take the words of Lil Boosie, Plies, Rick Ross & other MC's as gospel.
• In church today, I learned that my love language is acts of service. Just wanted to share that.
• I really feel that I may be addicted to Pepsi. I have woken up in the middle of the night on more than one occassion and left the house for the sole purpose of satisfying my Pepsi craving.
• One of my former football players verbally committed to the University of Florida this past week. I am extremely proud of him.
• I am also addicted to gossip blogs. Incitingariot.blogspot.com & rhymeswithsnitch.blogspot.com are currently my two favorites. Man the lives of some celebrities really sucks. For example Jim Jones really has a wedgie fetish.
• I was watching Akeelah & the Bee when I heard this Marianne Williamson quote that I had seen attributed to Nelson Mandela in the past: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. So true.
• With that said, I think it's time for me to take the weight. Vote William for leader of the Black Cause.