Home

Wherever I go I always have my city on my back and in my heart. But lately it's been on my mind awfully a lot. When I look back on my childhood and teenage years so many great things come to mind: Family, HS, Bud Billiken Parade, The Magnificent Mile, The "L", Harold's, Cottage Grove, balling at Harold Washington park from sun up till hours after the street lights came on (that was before they tore down the rims to only leave the youth to roam the streets after school). But most of all, it's the love. The love is incredible. Despite all the violence that's plaguing my city I still feel the love. The thing is, i'm away at school and I can't help but feel sort of disconnected from my city. Even though it's only 2 and a half hours away (2 if you're in a rush) I still feel a bit removed. I hardly ever watch the news but almost every time I view a post in regards to Chicago while i'm on FB or Twitter it's about violence, more specifically shootings, robberies, brutality and death. What's even worse is that our youth are the victims of violence and committing the crimes. That speaks volume about the way we raise and guide our children, the way we walk with our fellow brothers and sisters. We must do better. If the youth are our future, Chicago's tomorrow is looking ugly. I'm grateful to make it out the city and go on to pursue higher education and accomplish my goals. I wish the same for all of my fellow Chicagoans, not limited to us but also for my people all across the world that's aiming to conquer their endeavors. At the same time I shouldn't have any apprehension about my city, my Home. However, I know this feeling is only temporary. The storm will soon clear, the streets will be much safer, the city will make greater, better efforts to support our underprivileged families, parents/relatives/ friends will be positive role models and raise wonderful children, our teachers will be back in the classrooms and our students will be scholars. It's not a dream, and if it was, it would soon become a reality. Over the last two years I've been gradually working on a very rough blueprint of a organization I would like to form. It's a tutoring/recruiting service aimed to support and help student-athletes become scholar athletes. Enabling them to excel in the classrooms, with their respective sport, and in life. I've been slacking on my plan lately but I'm getting back on track. This semester there will be much progress made. I even started a little piggy bank for it, it's a shoe box (I love sneakers), S/O to Nike! But one thing's for certain, when it's all said and done it will be truly something special, and what better place to start my vision, my creation, than Home...



Much love to Drose, a strong advocate of the city, great baller, and a even better person. Wish you a speedy and healthy recovery. We need you, in more ways than one.

Love.