Mahogany

"Remember that class where I taught y’all how to make it rain? That’s what I’m going to be doing. Every. Single. Night. Dollar dollar bills, ya'll." - Kenny Powers

Did you know I finished in the top 10 of my freshman class in high school? Did you know in high school that my parents divorced during my freshman year? Did you know that my grades slipped sophomore year because I was so emotionally drained from the beginnings of my parents separating to the actual final proceeding that I didn't give a shit about school? Did you know my high school simply thought my grades dropped because I was in over my head in honors classes? Did you know my mom sat me down before my junior year and gave me the real talk? Did you know I "bounced" back when others struggled that same year? And did you know I ended up finishing in the top 10 of my graduating class, completing the circle, and proving the critics wrong? Maybe that's why I don't believe you when you say your home life doesn't spill over to your work life.....

Did you know I went to college on a full ride? Did you know that I let my ego get to my head and focused more on girls and partying than on school? And did you know I lost one of my scholarships and was put on academic probation on two others? Did you know my department chair told me he didn't think I would graduate on time? And did you know my mama read me the riot act while I was 1000 miles away interning? Did you know this was happening right before junior year? Did you know I took 23 hours first semester junior year with 4 classes being majors? Did you know that I took 20 hours second semester with 3 classes being majors? And did you know that I was on the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Executive Board, working community service, AND folding clothes at Abercrombie and Fitch? And did you know I still partied and chased girls? And did you know I got off academic probation junior year and ended up on the Dean's list? And did you know I graduated with honors? Maybe that's why I don't believe you when you say it's too hard, that's impossible....


Did you know that while I was getting married, I was working on my master's degree AND working full time? Did you know that for 24 straight months, every other weekend (Fri nights, all day Sat, and Sun afternoons) I was in class? Did you know that I was working in IT Support which meant every so often I draw pager duty? And Did you know that on "special" weekends I would be "lucky" enough to have the fortune of being on-call AND being in class in the same? And did you know sometimes those weekends turn into about 5-10 hours of sleep because I'm up working server issues and trying to complete this marketing research paper at the same time? And did you know that added in this was attending marriage counseling for a year because it was mandatory for the church? Maybe that's why I don't believe you when you say you are busy....

Did you know that I was giving you just a snippet of what I've done in my life? And are you processing the above or just saying man these are a lot of questions? Or maybe you're just more curious on other things that the Honest Man has done in his life? And maybe that's why I'll stop here for today :-)

Today's Lesson

I'm no pariah nor are my stories the stuff that dreams are made of. But I will say I have seen, done, and accomplished some things in my lifetime. So as Diana sang so eloquently in the panned "Mahogany", 'Do you know where you're going to, do you know the things that are in store for you, do you know?' Marinate on that for today readers!