Thanksgiving Day 09

Today is not a day for very many words or at least I can't seem to find them. Mostly I just think, feel and miss my mom. This being my first holiday season without her. It's been a lot of years with her spoiling me and making sure that I feel and experience some sort of Christmas/holiday spirit. Thanksgiving was always very special too. I miss her dressing. I tried to make some for myself this time. Two attempts in the last couple days but the second attempt was a success. Not as great as my mom's but still good. I held the plate up to heaven so she could smell it. It was a good day but one day could never be enough to give thanks to all she's given me...

Another Grand Escape

Hours ago the whole return to reality took shape. That’s just a fancy way of saying I’m back in LA after enjoying another incredible escape/journey, etched in forever because once again it involved someone so very special enjoying the experience along with me. The best part about the trips each time is the unexpected eventhough at the moment they happen they sometimes seem a little ridiculous, unnecessary, interesting, strange, disappointing, etc etc. We ran through the gammot of experiences from prejudice moments, to the not so good food, to weird personalities stretched across some of the most beautiful country landscapes and city environments you can find. One of the coolest moments was seeing the Cadillac Ranch up close and personal. I’d read about this landmark for many years, seen pictures of it and wondered how it would look whenever I got a chance to capture the scenery with my own camera. With all the folks who spray paint the cars over the many years that it’s existed, it’s got to be truly interesting to see what the cars looked like when the idea first hit the man who created this unique display.

Anyway, the Cadillac Ranch was really our second stop. The first was the semi-well known establishment called the Big Texan where they make a 72 ounce steak and challenge you to eat it with all the sides included in one hour. Our waitress told us that two guys had tried to eat the steak earlier but failed and almost threw up everything they ate. The atmosphere is fun and pretty cool. The waitress was very VERY talkative though she overdid it at times with the “how else may I help y’all” that ended every visit to our table which was like every twenty seconds or less. The food? Well, we left thinking that maybe the cook was having an off night or perhaps he/she was tired since it was just about an hour and a half left to go before the place would close for the night. If neither of those hold truth then we could only say that the actual taste of the food doesn't come close to all the hype. Hers was over-cooked and charred. Mine was just charred though eatable. The best for me were the so-called “mountain oysters” and strawberry margarita. The mac and cheese they need to remove from the menu completely.. *smile* The adjoining hotel is cool from the outside and just okay from the inside but it’s pretty much about the old time Texas/cowboy experience so I appreciated it just for that and for it being a part of the journey.

The next day we headed to Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The drive was long; a little over six hours but still very interesting.. I love Texas, the smell in the air, the little towns along the way, the great scenery of mostly farms and especially the beautiful horses. I also love it when a ‘DQ’ sign pops up aka Dairy Queen up ahead. My love and I always smile because we do love to treat ourselves to a big juicy beltbuster hamburger. We stopped at one small town after leaving Amarillo and the Cadillac Ranch where we noticed some subtle prejudice in the way we were treated as oppose to the several others that were there but again, it just added to the experience. *smile* We stopped at a really nice rest stop, which there were a couple along that highway. The sign read “watchout for rattlesnakes.” Didn't see any...

Night fell fast after a few hours of driving and I found myself relying heavily on the GPS to guide me the correct way. We drove down long two lane highways and breathed a sign of relief when we found ourselves in Paris, Texas where they at least had a nice freeway. Paris looked like a nice size city, too. I wished we would’ve gotten there earlier in the day but this was after six. We kept going and soon I saw signs that we were getting close to Mt. Pleasant; my second home since so many of my family are buried there. Love made sure I paid my respects and placed flowers on the graves and I felt blessed to have someone who showed so much appreciation, respect and love for what she knew and felt was important to me… Incredible. We ended the night with dinner at the brand new local IHop. *smile* Just like most places in Texas, it was clean, comfortable and we always got a kick out of the accents coming from those that lived in the area.

Next day it was time to hit the road again. I wanted to share another interesting place with my love and also see it for myself again. I hadn’t been to this interesting/historic mansion in many many years so I was curious to see how it looked this time around. The mansion is located in Mississippi near the river and not too far from the border of Louisiana. And just like the first time I’d gone there, I found it interesting how rundown the surrounding neighborhood is compared to the actual grounds of the mansion. Only thing is, the mansion didn’t appear to be very well kept up over the years since I’d last seen it or maybe it’s the affects of hard times, lack of interest and the “economy” causing it not to be as great as it was. For the most part the people there were very nice, except for the bartender who seemed to have a complex about his own reflection demonstrated by his reaction to me as oppose to the other patrons. *wink* But nevertheless it was all good as they say, except for the food which looked better on paper than on the taste buds. And the atmosphere was more highbrow society than downhome delicious. Most impressive was our waiter who did his best and seemed very sincere in wanting us to enjoy our food.

Time seemed to fly by once this evening was over. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to Texas. The drive was great. Love fell asleep and left me to my thoughts while cruising down the highway. I saw plenty of DQ signs but I kept going since she was asleep. *smile* Gas prices were wonderful compared to what you find in Cali, which seems to always be the case. Not to mention the rental car I was driving was super cool and comfortble; a 2010 Chevy Malibu with a two tone interior. It was very nice! First stop on the way back was Jefferson, Texas. Still looking beautifully historic and filled with the best places to go for antique shopping. I bought some old fashion syrup and jelly. Back in Mt. Pleasant we made a return to the incredible Walmart, which looked bigger than I remember it being in past years. Bought a bunch of “Pittsburg Hotlinks” and “Summer Sausages.” The trip had come to an end but the experience is forever… That’s the best part of traveling and the gift of actually paying attention to the moment in time. This is just a small reflection of that experience… till next time.. *smile*

Forward thinking..

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal..

Urban Surf Riders

I have to say I get a kick out of watching skateboarders ride the concrete waves, if you will. And when you find some that truly have a command for what they're doing, it can be a jaw dropping experience just to stand on the sidelines watching the display of creativity meets physical ability and guts, basically. I caught some of that with these fellas and since I had my camera with me, I tried my best to capture a great shot...

What's Inside Keeps Them Around

The beauty in the discovery of past lives is something I’m always fascinated by. I was never one that was interested in futuristic stories or movies. The last time I went to a Star Wars-ish, Fantastic Four-ish type of movie, I was asleep within the first ten minutes. I’m just not moved by the stuff. But give me a story showing the growth, the struggle, the survival, the triumph of the human spirit and you will keep me fascinated from beginning to end.. I especially love it when the stories are true; told by someone who received the gift generations later like with me with respect to my family and other’s who carry stories from so long ago and pass it down.. I always tried to get my mother to speak about the past and anything she may have learned from those that came before her but many times she would say she didn't remember or she would kind of brush me off. In the end as she battled cancer and found the end of her journey to be right around the corner, she began to open up and tell me more about the past. She didn't share all that she could and when I pressed for more details, she stopped. That's the one thing we didn't have in common. She held onto or suppressed so much that she couldn't remember stories. Me personally, I love to share any and all stories that I know about family, friends, experiences and anything else that reflects lives that have been lived hopefully to the fullest and even those that dont live it to the fullest we can learn from. Some miss out on their potential and others stifle any potential by embracing negativity, jealousy, and selfishness. They're everywhere among us... But imagine this, looking into the eyes of someone who is coming to grips with their own mortality as they watch a loved one whose days on earth could be over very soon. They smile and open up by sharing stories of the past. You watch as they find comfort in rediscovering the experiences and I felt really blessed to listen in. The human spirit on display, finding pictures in forgotten places and discovering hidden thoughts that resurface out of the need to feel closer to what once was... better times and places....

As 1-Concert

Saturday night in Pasadena was a beautiful concert experience. It was both celebration and tribute. It was also a moving and very thought-provoking experience. I attended the AS-1 concert at the Pasadena Civic Center. As-1 features the incredible talents of Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera. This was a new experience for me eventhough I am very much familiar with both entertainers via watching them on the TFC channel or just hearing their music via youtube. However, in person these two put on an amazing show and what's really great about them is the way they work together. The songs, the talent, the humor especially from Martin Nievera, and of course the pure energy and excitement of Gary Valenciano. This was different for me because my concert experience is usually Prince and more Prince.. *smile* and at the same time this show was attended by a mostly filipino audience and it was one of the most positive and celebratory experiences I've ever been a part of. I was impressed by the band and how they went from playing songs made famous by both performers and then going into sections of the show where they played a bunch of Michael Jackson songs and closed the show with about 4 or 5 Earth Wind and Fire tunes that truly rocked the house! I was most impressed by how personable these two performers were/are and as they spoke to the audience, you could hear a pin drop between the laughter because everyone paid close attention to what was being said. Case in point was when Gary Valenciano spoke about the "eye of the storm" being inside the concert hall. Meaning that for that 3 hour show, it was pure escape from the world outside but of course once the show was over, we know we have to return to what goes on outside in the world... the cellphone, the text messages, emails, traffic, and all that comes with our daily lives... I believe in trying to find that escape every weekend and every night when I rest from the days work. Escape from the world, refresh yourself so that you can meet tomorrow's basket of whatever life brings you... And inside that concert hall on Saturday night, it was a truly incredible experience that I was blessed to share with the most incredible special someone in my life... She too is my beautiful escape from all that this crazy world brings...

Blast From My Recent Past

I’ve been seeing really cool reminders of my recent past.. The literary blessing, so to speak.. Books/stories that I’ve written a long while ago have been getting great responses from those that have discovered them by accident. And then even with myself, as I open up old programs and stuff that I created for the purpose of promoting the stories, I feel a sense of pride about where I’ve been in my life. With all the ups, downs, mistakes, good feelings, triumphs, etc etc, I feel like I’ve had a pretty interesting journey and with that, I’ve also held onto the many stories passed down to me from those that came before in my family. Sometimes it makes me hunger for the chance to pass down what I’ve learned or heard about… Even with all it’s sadness attached, life is truly amazing but of course it aint over but at the same time, one must cherish each single second because you just never know… And even as we all recognize and agree with the old cliché about not taking life for granted, we always do and we forget until something happens… The challenge of self should always be to consistently remind oneself to not forget and to truly live. Never forget real true loved ones and never forget to truly live your life…

In Memory..

Usually around this time of year, my mother reminds me of the passing of my father. Sometimes we kind of just look at each other, share a memory and silence then keep moving forward. This year is so different now and something I will from now on have to get used to. My mother not being here though funny thing, this morning I could swear I heard her voice. I felt myself drifting into a deep sleep yet before that I knew that soon I'd be hearing the alarm go off so I could get up early for work. Instead of the alarm, when I sank into that very restful/peaceful type of sleep to where it felt as if all air had been released from my body, that's when I heard my mother's voice. "Anthony?" And then it was like I jumped up; wide awake I turned off the alarm ten minutes before it was due to sound off. So, all day today in between being focused on work, I thought about my parents and promised myself I'd do a little tribute to my father before the night was over. One of many things we shared in common besides our love for the highway, blues music, guitar, and Pittsburg Texas Hotlinks, is the love for photography. I developed the love and passion for it not too long ago but I was always aware of my father's love for capturing images the old fashion way with film and actually developing it inside his personal dark room he created in the closet. Amazing how things have changed when I can simply sit here at the computer and make magic with the images. I recently found myself re-discovering photographs that were taken by my father. Some have faded over the years but I tried my best to fix the images and keep them for myself on my computer. A few of these images I showcased in the video as a tribute and to say "miss you dad.." The years seem to fly by when someone is no longer around...

Special mention

Special mention to my mother. I visited the place where her ashes reside and as always, the tears fell down my face. I miss her voice and presence. She'd have a lot to say or perhaps sigh about right now with the way things are going on and she'd probably escape the day to day by losing herself in some football on sundays and a good game of bingo. I thought I might keep up her tradition of writing and logging down all the football scores each weekend but it's just not in me. I have patience for some things but not all things. She kept the scores of every game since the mid seventies and her last time tracking the scores was last year. Anyway, last weekend I was happy to see the plaque on the wall with my mother's name. It took a while for them to do it but it's there now. As Forrest Gump would say "that's all I have to say about that..." for now anyway... God Bless my mom...

Our Climate Divide

What happened to having class in this world? What happened to common sense, good natured, celebrating and respecting the differences in each other? What happened to basic respect? I'm watching all these shows; folks arguing left and right about healthcare yet they hold so much disdain and anger in their hearts. Healthcare and hatred don't seem like they should be living on the same block but hypocrisy has always been a part of the fabric hasn't it? There's also a whole lot of denial going on as some try to defend arguing as a healthy ingredient to coming up with the final plan; the final bill that will satisfy us all and give us "affordable healthcare." Maybe one day that's gonna be a beautiful achievement but in the meantime and right now, there's a lot of anger that doesn't give me the impression of people gathered together for the good of everyone. That's more like a mirage... The climate is strange and it's good that some in the media talk about it; make people aware... It's scary and then you wonder on one hand why the White House denies it but common sense also says that it might be to their detriment if they did acknowledge the hatred. What they say behind the walls is for sure much different than what they say behind the mic while eyes and pens wait for mistakes... Then as much as I appreciate Pelosi, the folks at MSNBC, and others speaking up about the climate getting worse and the potential dangers, it also gets to a point where it seems as if everyone is positioning themselves to be THAT ONE individual who said, "I told you so." And should the unthinkable happen, they'll say that and others will try to prove they were the ones who said it first... It's like an out of control snowball rolling down the hill making a huge racket; so noisy you can't hear yourself scream. But the thing is, this snowball that's laced with disrespect, anger, rudeness, and contempt has been building for a longtime, waiting for an opportunity like now. You see it on a small scale in every day life in how some treat others, and how some embrace stupidity and unnecessary acts over simple kindness and caring... Stuff that takes very little effort. But all this anger? Whew... that takes a lot of effort and that's why so many walk, talk and act like the end of the world is on their shoulders... But somehow, they muster up a smile because they relish in the possibility of screwing up your day or being that thorn that sticks deeper in your side.... The world is a trip and here we are.... what's next?

Little Inspiration From Life..

Attempt to live right and learn from your mistakes. Any tests that follow are as they should be or should’ve been; keeping you on your right path if you listen. Those that never learn and continue to laugh in the face bad decision making will ultimately suffer the tried and true cliché of what comes around…. goes around. Be humble and grateful. Once you get over the hump, adore what you’ve been blessed with and remain passionate about your dreams. Humility and passion is a positively beautiful combination when focused upon all gifts and blessings placed in your path...

Reunion Reunited

Not too long ago(a few weeks), I had the pleasure of witnessing real true friends unite. It was a beautiful occasion for a wedding that turned into a reunion. I stood back and watched eventhough I felt so much apart of it. The best part was seeing my love so happy and enjoying the moment. There was no way I would resist being there right with her.. The wedding was wonderful The church was beautiful. Sort of like a big circle inside whereby the audience can basically sit around the entire stage though everyone in attendance sat on one side. After the ceremonies and during the time that pictures were being taken, the old friends/classmates reunited. Faces were filled with wide eyes and uncontrollable smiles. People saying names with question marks because they weren't sure if that truly was the person they were remembering. And then there were embraces and more smiles. I stood back and captured the moment with my camera. A lot of times when I'd see the ladies together, standing side by side lost in memory and reunited, they reminded me of the ladies on that show, Sex In The City having fun together. It didn't matter that they hadn't seen each other in maybe 28 years as one said. To me it seemed like they'd just seen each other yesterday because they picked right up where they left off; great friends having a great time together... It was great to witness it...

Labor Day 09

Labor Day Weekend was a beautiful moment... Started off with a great time hanging out with the 3Kings. A friend of mine named Marquise and his very talented bestfriends reaching for their dreams in the Hip Hop world. I wish them the very best and I enjoyed doing the photoshoot for them/ with them... Then I capped off the weekend checking out my uncle Richard grabbing the crowd in Leimert Park in Los Angeles as he performed with the incredible LTD music group. I captured some cool images of the performance and other happenings in the park. But as always, the weekend was a beautiful and always needed escape from the world thanks to love who keeps me right there in her arms; spoiled and blessed like never before... It was hard to come outside...

RIP: Ted Kennedy

I've never known the full extent of Ted Kennedy's presence, his life, his impact but I've always heard his name pretty much my entire life. My mother loved it whenever she'd hear about him or see him on TV. "There goes Teddy" or "Poor Teddy" or "What has he done now?" would always echo in the house. As I watched some of the tribute and memorial service today, I kept thinking how sad and how glued to the TV my mother would be right now if she were here. Pretty much everything makes me think of my mom after her recent passing but this one really makes me picture her face, her eyes, her shaking her head because of life's twists and turns but I know she'd be the first out there in line collecting any magazines or newspapers that might have a tribute to Ted Kennedy. I am truly amazed by his life, how full and how varied the experiences have been. The tragedies are tremendous though the strength and resiliency of he and his family is even more tremendous by far.. Sometimes you can measure a life by the stories left behind, falling from the lips of friends, acquaintances, family, and even to a very small extent; enemies, jealous foes, and advantage takers. Ted Kennedy's measuring stick seems quite long and with that, it's kind of cool to see a smile attached to a tearful eye from so many that he touched regardless of the closeness or distances between he and them... Aint no more pain for him; he's smiling and perhaps being welcomed home by his brothers....

Bittersweet Discovery

Eight years ago I discovered an old letter hidden deep inside the bedroom closet of my grandmother's house in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. It was a love letter written by her to my grandfather in 1930 something. Just a couple days ago I discovered another letter. This time it was written by my father in 1971 and addressed to my mother. What a find; a bittersweet discovery because in the letter my father talked about being so thankful and claiming that "someone up there likes us!" when speaking about doing so well with roof over head, a wife and a son. He wrote in the letter, "I look forward to spending the next 100 years together..." A few years after that, I can recall when my mother ran crying into my room, telling me that my father no longer wanted to be with us. It was kind of a shattering moment. One of those times that changes everything... I'm amazed my mother continued to hold onto this letter and kept it close by for all these years... Despite the heartache, her love remained forever. Now I suppose she's in heaven looking for him. Perhaps hoping to share something about life that she learned and join in a whole lot of prayer, hoping their son does alright...

So Many Memories..

The Gates Affair

The Professor Henry Gates situation is a wild one.. I figure I'll weigh in with some thoughts, opinions, common experience and uncommon ground... First thing that came to mind when hearing about this was my own recent encounter, which wasn't at all like the good professor. Actually, my experience was a positive one... Maybe it was positive because I didn't over-react. I didn't display the higher than thou or invading my space posture. The police were recently called to my place, responding to an alarm that had gone off a little while before I arrived home. I had no clue. The alarm was functioning normal. When the police arrived, the lead officer asked for my ID and I like the good professor I had to go into another room to get it. The police didn't follow me but he asked for my name before I went to get my ID. I imagine he could see from my demeanor and non-threatening posture that I was cool. I made a joke that I was happy to see the alarm actually worked. Police laughed. Incident over. Police gone. Hmmm.. where's my invite to the White House now? *smile*

From what I can see with the Gates thing, it was a lot of overreacting going on from a lot of folks; Gates, the Prez, the media, and even the news conference holding police folk. And the media(the worse) has truly gone overboard with the coverage though at the same time, it's a good thing that the situation got folks talking. The only thing is, when race gets involved, people lose that part of the brain that holds tight to common sense. I was watching Rick Sanchez today on CNN. He's not one of my favorites but I do check him out from time to time. I think he half reads stuff and sensationalizes the most trivial things, mostly because it's his show and he likes to be in charge of the conversation. Don't upstage or look like you know more than him... Rowan Martin was on the show. He's funny. Makes good sense and has good common sense. There was also Bey Buchanon(probably spelling it wrong-yawn) who I totally can't stand and another guy who didn't really speak loud enough to get in between the semi-heated moments between the other three. After the segment was over, I could only shake my head and think how much of a waste of time that was. No one really providing any enlightenment upon the big issue because the issue is so much bigger than many are comprehending if they only focus on Gates and his moment in the police spotlight. It took this to get him to understand the vulnerable feeling that others beneath his blessed status in the world experience everyday... His first time, it appears...

I've had a few encounters/experiences throughout my life and know of others who've had it a lot worse. For me, most of my experiences in hindsight make me laugh or smile because the memory has lived with me for so long. Moments like when my mother was driving and in the back seat was myself and my uncle, both young teenagers at the time with afros. The police pulled my mother over and immediately asked if she was alright. My mother being such a light-skinned woman; she was mistaken at that moment for a white person. The officer had one of those classic egg on the face looks when my mother said we were her son and youngest brother.... Me and my uncle looked at each other in confusion like saying "uh, what did you do?" "Huh? Nuttin... what you do?" "Nuttin.."

Then another time during my Junior Highschool years, I was stopped by the police while walking home. It happened twice on the same day within a five block radius on the same street; Palms Blvd. At the time, this neighborhood was predominantly white. There were maybe three black families in that area. The first police said I fit the description of a liquor store robbery suspect. I shrugged. I was clueless and wanted to continue on home. They got in their car and drove off. No thanks, goodbye, apology or anything... A second police car pulled up a couple blocks later, questioned me and said I fit the description of a gas station robbery suspect. And I wonder what was the description? *smile* yep, my complexion was in demand that day. I shrugged again... And from that point on, I had loads of encounters, especially later on once I started driving and even though the encounters have ceased in one way, I still get the suspicious looks, stares and glares that's meant to let you know whose in charge... All that good stuff that Professor Gates has now discovered... So when I get my invite, tell the President I prefer Mountain Dew over beer. And if there's food being served then yeah, I'm like Magic Johnson; I'll have some grilled chicken.. *smile* I hope the hoopla is over...

The Trip That Changed A Lifetime

Everything was packed, boxes were everywhere. I sat on the floor next to my dog. I imagine we both had a look of bewilderment; wondering what was going on and what would life be like in the coming months. My mother was sad because with the change of scenery came separation. She’d be miles away from her mother, sister and brothers and once we’d reach our destination, she’d live on the other side of town from my father. That alone made the move one of the worse events of our lives.

It was a strange drive from Los Angeles to Texas. For the most part it was very quiet with a lot of pretending going on. I can say that now in hindsight. I remember my mother always looking back to check on me and my father being extra nice. My dog sat quietly in the very back of the station wagon. That was a rare moment for him that lasted a couple days. When my father drove at night, the dark shadows of his silhouette played tricks on my mind. I would sink down in the backseat and stare at him. The shape of his head appeared to change; sometimes forming into the shape of Frankenstein. I stared at him for long periods of time before drifting off to sleep. In between that, all I can remember is that we drove and drove all night and day. I don’t remember us stopping somewhere to spend the night or stopping for food, though I’m sure we did, stop for food. I guess my mind chose to release some parts of the memory so that other images might linger a little longer or possibly forever.

The image that always haunted me was when we pulled into the Dallas airport. My mother and I looked around wondering what was going on. She started to tear up and to make matters worse, it began to thunder outside. The rain came down hard as my father announced he’d be flying on to Houston because he had things to tend to with the business. He said we’d be alright and we’d have only one hundred miles left to drive before reaching the small town in east Texas where his mother lived.

My father never looked back. He couldn’t sense that he had a son staring at him with his hand pressed against the window waiting for a chance to wave goodbye. My father walked faster so he could get out of the rain. My mother took a while before she’d move over to the driver side. She cried. There were three pairs of sad eyes sitting in that station wagon; her’s, mine, and my dog. All my mother could say was that she felt completely lost. She had no clue how to find the highway that would take us up the road to east Texas. We eventually found our way but it would be a lot of years gone by before we’d truly find our way in every sense of the word. That moment changed everything...

40 already..

Time flies, especially when someone is no longer around. The 40 day mark after my mother's passing is already here. It's crazy. It's like the ten years that's already behind me since my father's passing. You look up and wonder where did the time go and revisit everything that's transpired since then; the ups and downs, highs, super lows, and the blessing of being able to find your way back better than before. I'm grateful but I sure miss my mom. I smile and feel joy when I think of all the memories and yet I ache when I think about those final months, seeing her deteriorate or the finality of watching her lifeless body being carried out the front door. Before this life forced me into adulthood, they never warned me about the images/memories that would be imbedded inside my head and heart as if branded with a hot iron. Again, it's not all bad but if you truly pay attention and appreciate your journey, it can be quite powerful... what's next...

Michael Jackson (I Wish You Heaven)

Rest in peace and love to Mr. Michael Jackson. I guess you can say that life moves on, moves forward and in many mysterious directions, good and bad. I've been dealing with the loss of my mother and as such, have given much tribute to her here on my blog and I'm sure there will be more times when my thoughts of her will be revealed here but now I want to take a moment to give my respect to Michael Jackson's incredible talent and gift to the world. I was blessed to have actually seen him in performance way way back when I was a young kid. My father took me to see the then Jackson Five at the Hollywood Bowl and for some reason, I can remember the experience, the vibe much more so than I can remember details of the moment. From then I was hooked on the group; watching the cartoon show every Saturday morning and using some of the songs like "Got To Be There" as the background soundtrack to when I would be talking to one of my kindergarden honeys over the phone... *smile* I would later graduate to Prince but that's another story. I continued to enjoy the incredible creativity and voice of Michael and his brothers for many years to follow though I have to be honest and say that I'm actually one of the few on the planet that wasn't really into the Thriller album but prior to that with the Off The Wall album and everything before that, I was lovin it! I was chatting with someone the other day about the songs that dont get much mention but to me are the songs that get me moving and smiling.. I can hear the grooves as soon as I mention the titles.. I'm talking about "I Am Love," "Get It Together," "Maybe Tomorrow," "Looking Through The Window," "Corner In The Sky," "Forever Came Today." I can remember listening to many of these songs one year when I drove from Los Angeles to east Texas. My intention was to truly drive back in time since I was headed to a place that holds so many past memories for myself. Listening to those songs really takes me back to a time when all loved ones were still around. A belief in forever is a nonexistent thing, especially when your mother is no longer among the living. That being said, I imagine many hold the same sort of loving feeling for Michael Jackson. I hope that on the strength of those feelings they keep within their heart a positive memory of the man who was without a doubt, one of the greatest entertainers to strut from coast to coast, all over this planet. And on that note, let me leave you with this really cool video from another very creative soul; a true artist... Dwele. His tribute is way too cool...