Kwaye

A little while ago, while surfing on YouTube, I stumbled across a young singer.

His name is KWAYE.

At first glance, I thought I was looking at African royalty.

Born in Zimbabwe, he was raised in London and began honing his musical talents there.

A chance encounter with an Uber driver in Los Angeles put his recording career on track. Read about that here!

Below is the song/video that put this artist on my radar!

And, man, I love the song!

Keep The Faith

When I first watched the video posted below, its POWER compelled me to JUMP TO MY FEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

POWERFUL!

I am 54 years blessed and have NEVER felt a sense of professional fulfillment.

Nor romantic bliss.

But, for some CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY reason...

I STILL BELIEVE experiencing both is within my grasp!

I DO make a DIFFERENCE.

And as long as I keep pushing forward, I CAN achieve what I SEEK!

I CAN!!!!!!!

I wake up every morning and go to bed every night, feeling hopeful that ALL things that happen in my life are for MY good...

Because I STILL have FAITH!!!

I wish the best for EVERY living thing!!

And ALWAYS WILL!

Regardless of AGE, RACE, CREED, COLOR, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, EDUCATION, FINANCES...

ALL people DO make a DIFFERENCE!

DON'T YOU QUIT!

Kibera Slums of Joy?

Zaheer and young girl

My overachieving physician/attorney fraternity brother, Zaheer Shah, and his lovely wife, Christine, spent Thanksgiving overseas. One of their destinations was Africa's largest, urban slum: Kibera. I suspect their visit there has changed their lives in a significant way.

At the very least, I'm sure it made them incredibly thankful for the lifestyle they lead here in America.

What I know for sure, is that after reading what he said about Kibera and its inhabitants, I am even more thankful for my life precisely as it is. Yes, I intend to make some changes to it, but flaws and all, I'm thankful for everything it is. And everything it isn't.

And I'm thankful that Kibera's dwellers still know joy while in the throes of immense poverty.

This is what Zaheer had to say about Kibera:

"Today was the highlight of our trip abroad. We visited the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. In twisting, narrow alleys reside anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million of the less fortunate inhabitants of Nairobi in an area known as Kibera, located only 4 miles from Nairobi's vibrant downtown. As we walked into the slum on our way to an orphanage, my wife witnessed for the first time streams of raw, open sewage running alongside the walkway in the alley. Many of the dwellings were made of mud and the rooftops mere sheets of tin. As we moved deeper into the slum, the scent of burning plastic and garbage hung heavy in the air only to be intermittently punctuated by the smells of raw sewage. And the children. Everywhere. Laughing, running, playing. Their eyes bubbling with curiosity and a friendliness towards strangers that you no longer see in children in the West. My initial impulse was to withdraw a bit. To become concerned about my risks of exposure from the apparent lack of sanitation and to worry for my personal safety...But those children. And the way that they so authentically engaged us. I looked over to see my wife holding hands with some of them, even kissing a little girl and I began to feel myself letting go as well. Embracing the moment. And I am so grateful that I did. I lived a day ,today, that was so pungently alive, that I literally stopped in my tracks on at least three occasions to ask myself, "Is this really happening?". I am no photographer, but the images that I share with all of you in this post are a gift. A literal shadow of the gift that God granted me today by allowing me to share a day in the lives of such magnificent human beings. The amazing people that we met at the Stara rescue orphanage and the work that they are doing to feed, educate and assist the most vulnerable of the children of Kibera left me humbled, grateful for my life, and inspired in ways I cannot fully enunciate at this time. I suspect pictures may do what my words currently cannot."

How Dare He!!!!!!

I want this BIG BROTHER UK houseguest TARRED and FEATHERED!

Discovery Ball 2018 - Indianapolis, IN

Ten days ago, I flew back to Indiana to attend a fundraising gala sponsored by The American Cancer Society Indiana.

It was called Indianapolis Discovery Ball.

My brother sits on the board, so he purchased a table-for-ten, and filled it with my siblings, a niece, his

wife, her daughter, and his daughter.

All of us dressed to the nines and had a BLAST!!!

My brother, younger sister and I made sure to get a photograph together, because in our youth, the three of us were practically inseparable. Especially those two!

We ate, drank, laughed, talked, had winning bids on auction items, and even had a chance to reconnect with Mr. Holbrook Hankinson, an Indianapolis business leader who ran the Center For Leadership Development program when I was a teenager.

I heard our table was the first all-black table ever at this event. Hmm. Well, my brother said we'll be back next year; so Indy, get ready!!!!!!!

My family lost our beloved eldest sister, Deb, to breast cancer in 1990. So, standing up to the wicked disease, and speaking up for those affected by it, will ALWAYS be one of our passions!

Until next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The End?

Nobel Laureate, Mo Yan, sums it up as eloquently and as succinctly as anyone could:

"Where there's life, death is inevitable."

Death has truly been on my mind lately.

No, not my death.

Other people's deaths.

Every day I sign onto Facebook, somebody is telling us about the death of someone they love.

I leave a message on every death notice I see. In fact, I leave so many, all I have to do now is type in the word, "May," and my phone cranks out the rest from memory.

"May his/her soul rest in eternal peace."

I notice that death doesn't frighten me these days the way it used to in my youth. Now, I'm at peace with it. I truly am.

I readily accept that death is indeed a part of life.

A necessary part.

Nothing that has ever lived lasts forever.

 Nothing.

And I'm fine with that.

I know it's our selfishness that compels us to want to keep those we love alive and well until...well...forever.

When my mother died in June 1985, all my fantasies about everlasting life died with her.

From that point on, I told myself: "There will never be another human being I can't live without."

Since her death, I don't believe I've ever truly allowed myself to become wholly emotionally attached to someone else.

I've had numerous infatuations. Some so intense I sometimes acted in ways beneath the man I am.

Ultimately, I always eventually accepted that I could live without the subjects of those infatuations, and life went on.

I'm 54 years blessed. God willing, I'll be 55 in less than two months.

I wish the very best for everybody I encounter. And also to those I don't. I want folks to feel happy to be alive. And to share that happy feeling with those who don't possess it.

I don't believe death should be feared.

I believe it should simply be accepted.

For what it is.

Inevitable.

And when my final breath is exhaled, I hope only my physical body dies.

And that happy memories of me live on.

Forever.