An Inspiring Poem About Life - by my brother

Just wanted to share an inspiring/eye-opening poem about life that my brother wrote. If it moves you to comment, please let him know what you think. Enjoy.


My God

I started my life at the age of 22...

Let me run that by you one mo' again.

I started my life at the age of 22.

I lived in a glass box before then.

I lived a well thought out and planned existence

One life, one family, one girl, one master plan

I recognized my odds, but never thought to seek, my God.

The one altruistic, all-powerful God

Always has been, always is, and always will be

God

Within us

Within me

That divine being of unpredictability...

God

The one

Not two

Nor three

God...

22 yall

22 years of a planned existence

Of my planned existence

That was simply fabricated

By that selfish being that inhabits us all

That whispers in your sleep

Telling you its okay to want and to dream

Resulting in my misplaced existence

22 years of searching for an existence with no memory

No social, no passport

That could disappear as quickly as it began

Vanishing into the quiet of my dreams without a trace

I was lost

Drowning in a sea of guilt and self-hatred and confusion

Only to find...

My God

Where He had been all along

In me

Don't you find it odd that

Our saving grace is to say grace

Eye to the third power equals one

You and I equal one

This world plus me in it times my God's beginning

Equals one

I know the math my sound strange, but no matter the name

Allah, Jesus Christ, Yahweh

We must all give praise

Afterall, wouldn't a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

Divinity and Salvation lay within

And to continually create a self-perpetual image

That systematically breeds ignorance

Which manifests a fundamental injustice done to

My God

Your God

Our...God

Sickens me

Where is the junction that money and God meet?

I love my God and he ain't cheap

He's free

Because He is in me

As I'm in him

And together we dig deep to find Truth

With a capital T

So when the silence of your sleep leads you

To the depths of your imagination

You'll figure out what this all really means

So don't sleep

Peace...

Do You Google Before You Date?

So, I was recently telling some friends that I used to google guys before I went out with them -- and even today, sometimes I google people to get background on who they are before I meet them in person, find out if they have any interesting news (can you say murder suspect? Yes...that happened to a friend!), or just out of boredom.

But the question is -- do you google a guy BEFORE you date him?

Only once have I chosen not to google -- and that was b/c I wanted to find out about a guy's family, but thought it was an invasion of privacy to google his family members, since he stayed mum about them. But other than that, GOOGLE ON!

What do you think? Is google free and clear to use on anyone or should it be used sparingly to protect folks' privacy?

check out your latest crush/man/friend w/ benefit here: www.google.com

Are All Men Cheaters?

Do all mean cheat? Or do all men just have the propensity to cheat, and it's up to them to control it? Over the years, I've had girlfriends in 1 of 2 camps: either all men cheat, or all men want to cheat. I have had some girlfriends that think that men are responsible enough to stay committed and true to their mate -- but sometimes, that comes back to haunt them.

I think guys are just as capable of staying committed as women -- but I also think women are just a capable of cheating as men.

In a world where:

romantic courtship + touching proposal = fantasy wedding

How can you be sure to not let the cheating monster rear its ugly head in your relationship?

What are the warning signs to look out for?

Baby Nupe (Greeks Gone Wild!)

Okay, so I've gotten this video twice in my inbox in the last 2 days, and I've just NOW watched it. So, here's the deal --- here's a "baby nupe", aka "Baby Kappa Alpha Psi", rockin' the hell outta this cane to "Wipe Me Down", a down-south favorite.

I don't know what bothers me more :
- that he's better than almost ALL the Nupes I've seen twirl, or
- that somebody actually taught this kid all these moves!

I can't even hate -- this boy has more rhythm than any GROWN man I've seen!

Check him out! "Wipe him down!" Go Baby Nupe!

Celebrity Divorce: Crap Shoot or Same As Everybody Else?

What is really going on with divorces in Hollywood? Are they breaking up because they have the limelight on them all the time, or are they breaking up because that's what can happen in a marriage when you don't marry for the right reasons?

So who all is broken up so far?

Shaq and Shaunie (4 kids together, 5 years of marriage, and homegirl stashed his cash -- smart girl)
Dwayne Wade (2 kids, 5 years of marriage)
Eddie Murphy (5 kids, 12 years of marriage)
Michael Jordan (3 kids, 17 years of marriage, and homegirl could get $150 mil)

So, what are the odds of making it? Does it depend on how many folks are in your business when you're married? Or does it start with marrying the right person for the right reasons to begin with?

Or, in fact, is it that once a cheater, always a cheater, and you shouldn't even bother faking the funk by signing the papers?

Sometimes I feel bad for athletes and celebrities because the public blows their head up so much that they think that even their crap smells like roses -- but that ain't the case. Sooner or later, someone's going to knock them down off that high pedestal and then who are they gonna have left? I even see this with college athletes. Don't think the world revolves around you just because you're hot for the minute. That's what I love about Will and Jada, or even Blair Underwood and his wifey -- home is home, and work is just work. Don't believe the hype, no matter if you're a celebrity or not.

Is It Okay For Black Men to Call Black Women a Bitch?

Is Isaiah Thomas the stupidest man on the face of this earth? Why in the HELL would you do a videotaped deposition and say that it's no as bad to call a black woman a bitch as it is for a white woman? That's insane. But he said it! And that's why the jury found him liable in the $10M lawsuit.

But seriously -- is that what black men think? What about us women -- is it "not as bad" for a black man to call us a bitch as it is a white man? I know we call our girlfriends' "bitches" jokingly sometimes (or so I've heard), but for a man to call me a bitch? As Whitney would say "Hell to the NAW!"

What's the verdict -- is it okay or not? BE FOR REAL...if you think it's not as bad, say it!

Check Isaiah's dumb butt incriminating himself (see below).

Wedding Day Mishaps! Relationship Test! What Women Need To Know!

Welcome back! This posting comes from the many stories about wedding day mishaps, bridesmaid horror stories, funny (and not so funny) family moments, and the "post" wedding day mishaps (photographer not sending your photos!) that I've heard my friends describe about their wedding day or the night before.

It's interesting because we all imagine that special day going perfectly -- the sun is shining, everyone's makeup is flawless, and the minister gets every single word right (even when you told him not to use the "obey" clause in the vows). But, it rarely goes perfectly, from what I hear.

FOR BRIDES TO BE AND FORMER BRIDES:
What didn't go so well on your wedding day or the night before? What do aspiring brides need to know BEFORE they embark on the madness of wedding day planning? POST IT !

FOR SINGLES, DATERS, THOSE WHO ARE "MORE THAN DATING":
How do you know if you're ready to get married? Dr. Phil has a good test that you can find here, but be sure to check out his 10 relationship myths too so that you know you're being realistic about your relationship and not living in a fantasy world!

Do tests like this really work? Or should we just do a gut check to figure out? Or do your thoughts on marriage change with the wind?

Click on "Comments" to share your thoughts!