by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

What happens to a dream deferred? This poem has been on my mind all night. It’s meaning has been plaguing my spirit for some time now. I read some different commentary on it’s meaning but I want to share my own.

The poem does not answer the question but creates a negative visual through more questions and a maybe. And therefore answers the question for me. A dream deferred is going to do something!

It may change it’s form but the awareness does not go away.

When my dream is out in the open for all to see, and I do nothing with it, my spirit hardens and becomes infected with all sorts of maladies.

And a sick spirit is infectious like a sore that runs, so I’m affecting and infecting those around me and my attitude definitely stinks.

And as I let my dream sit, the once complimentary components begin to separate and all that is apparent is the dream no longer appears as attractive or possible.

Most times, it is a heavy load in my life because I see others pursuing their dreams and bringing them to fruition.

I believe the outcome is ambiguous depending on my perspective. The dream deferred either explodes in destruction and I am left with the pieces of what could have been, or,

The dream deferred explodes into existence, breaking through all the barriers and obstacles and thereby becoming even stronger and more resistant to trials.

I am at the explosion point and I refuse to live with the haunting thoughts that I didn’t try my best to pursue my dream.

What I have today is a choice. As a kid I remember taking the “shortcut” to get somewhere and because I practiced that for so long, I still attempt to find “shortcuts”. I’ve learned that there are no shortcuts to success. I will miss a necessary ingredient if I don’t make the choice to be thorough and consistent.

Thanks for reading and sharing in this with me.

Peace.

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I am surrounded by special people but my perspective can be clouded by my prejudice and profiling.

I work in a store and the regulars that frequent the store have seemed to change since I’ve been working there. That’s partially true, but more so, my perspective of them has changed.

The more I interact with them and let go of my preconceived notions, the more I am able to recognize and appreciate their qualities.

I am broadening my life experience by growing through the limitations of my past; most of them self-imposed.

And in doing so, I’m developing new relationships as well as the opportunity to encounter more Don’t Forget Abouts… people.

I wasn’t fully aware of how deeply ingrained my prejudice has been and how quickly I dismiss people based on their features, clothes or how they walked and talked.

Although it’s scary and uncomfortable, each time I embrace an interaction that would not have happened in the past, it is a rewarding experience.

And I am blessed with the opportunity to see how our world is full of Don’t Forget Abouts… people when I take the time and make the effort to acknowledge them as such.

Thanks for reading and sharing in this with me and remember…

Don’t Forget About Don’t Forget Abouts…for the people you will never forget.

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Endurance: the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; esp: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.

Holding on: to maintain a condition or position: persist, to await something desired or requested. (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.)

I’ve been doing these three things for the past couple weeks. I wasn’t sure which one I was doing or when, so I looked them up. Holding on takes some endurance  to get through the pain. But perseverance requires some faith and trust because it involves people and things being against me.

I received a notice that an update was available for Don’t Forget Abouts… so I installed it, and it hasn’t worked until today. This is a project I’ve been working on for some time and to have it shut down was extremely discouraging! And it wasn’t shut down, just a mishap. But it felt like all was lost.

I’m 41 years old and had an adult tantrum. I’m a little too big and old to fall out on the floor screaming (well, we couldn’t do that anyway, at any age), but I have been pouting and having an attitude and just feeling like this situation wasn’t going to change.

Today, I asked for help. I have been periodically checking to see if I could figure out what was wrong, but the fear of REALLY messing it up kept me from trying any “Scott remedies”. I talked to Rick Brock (www.prism-ent.com) and he said he would check it out. He gave me a few suggestions and I did those things but I also started feeling more confident about making some changes. Maybe it was because one of his suggestions was to back up everything and then make some changes! Maybe. (smile)

But most of all it was his presence and willingness to help. He guided me here to the platform this site is built on and like a true guide, helped me through today. And here we are again! Don’t Forget Abouts…for the people you will never forget! Back in motion! Thanks Rick.

Downtown Minneapolis from Lake Calhoun

And for those that thinks it takes a lifetime to develop unforgettable relationships, Rick and I have met once in person, through a mutual friend. Yet he has been an integral part of this website.

All of us have the character, ability and opportunity to be a Don’t Forget Abouts… person. Help somebody out today just because you can. Call someone and let them know you’ve been thinking about them but just haven’t called. The little things we do in life can be life changing! We never know how we unforgettably affect someone’s life with a kind gesture.

So again, Don’t Forget About, Don’t Forget Abouts…for the people you will never forget.

Thanks for reading and sharing in this with me. Peace.

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Being a basketball player myself and a baseball fan, I know how incredible these feats are and the amount of work, endurance, perseverance and training it took to accomplish these things.

But I cannot imagine what type of work, endurance, perseverance and training it takes to be married for 41 years.

Today, two of the most unforgettable people in my life are celebrating 41 years of marriage. Happy Anniversary Mama & Daddy.

Happy 41st Anniversary

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It would be one thing if all that was going through my mind was untrue, but it makes for a daunting morning when there’s some validity to these negative, spirit breaking thoughts.

I DON’T have all the things I want. Nor am I the man that I WANT to be. But I am definitely not the man I used to be. And I have all that I need and more to accomplish the tasks of today.

The only commodity I’m truly lacking is time. I get 24 hours in a day like everyone else on this planet. So lacking time is my perspective.

It’s getting through tough times like these that has helped me grow into the man I am today. So the only way for me to be the man I WANT to be is to be the man that I am!

Use the time I have wisely and be the man that I am.

What helped me this morning was recalling some of those unforgettable people in my life. Past and present.

I say recalling, but what happened was I could hear their voices reciting the foundational information that has helped me continue to strive and persevere through to today.

It was cloudy and cool this morning because the clouds were blocking the sunrise. But the sun has now risen above those clouds and is shining bright.

Those clouds were my thoughts, the sun my spirit and my Don’t Forget Abouts… people the power to keep my spirit rising.

As long as I stay focused, aware and open to grow, I can accept who I am today with confidence and know that’s the only way I will ever be the man I WANT to be.

I’m a Miracle in Motion today!

Don’t forget about Don’t Forget Abouts…
I’ll see you back here soon.

Thanks for reading and sharing in this with me.

Peace.

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for the people we will never forget

At it again, working late, learning and seeking more direction in where to go with this site. I have enough Don’t Forget Abouts… people in my life to post for years. But that would limit the exposure of some wonderful people to only those that have influenced my life.

The past two posts have inspired me to open this up to everyone. Even though one of them was about my cousin, I realize there were people that knew him in a way that I never did. He is unforgettable in my life but also in many others. And I learned some things from other people’s perspective of him. And it has enhanced my outlook on life and desire to grow.

Derrion Albert’s life and death have motivated me in another way. How come it took for him to die to receive such widespread recognition? He was a young man striving to be better. Striving to rise above mediocrity and fitting in with the crowd.

Let’s also honor those that are living and allow their lives and accomplishments to be an inspiration to our lives!

We get an opportunity to see the most popular people in our various forms of media. But what about those that only a few of us may know? It’s time to expose those special people that may be labeled “common folk” to the rest of the world.

So send me your Don’t Forget Abouts…people, to be posted here. Let me know what makes them unforgettable. Share with all of us how this person has contributed to changing your life and others.

In honor of the people you will never forget, send me your Don’t Forget Abouts…people by way of my Contact page. On the subject line please put: My Don’t Forget Abouts person and in Your Message, a brief description of that person. I will reply to you and we will go from there.

It’s my hope to present as many of our Don’t Forget Abouts…people  as possible, living or passed away, so that their accomplishments, generosity, wisdom and overall humanitarianism reach just that many more people.

I look forward to hearing from you all and I’m extremely excited to see how this evolves. I don’t have a structured outline for this to fit into, it will be created and molded as we go and grow!

But like every journey I’ve ever taken, the first step is the most important! Once I take that first step, the next one presents itself.

So join me in recognizing the Don’t Forget Abouts…people of the world! Those we will never forget, and now, neither will anyone else who reads about them!

Thank you for reading and sharing in this with me. Peace.

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Eddie Fuller

This is really hard to do. My cousin Eddie passed away on September 17, 2009. He was only five years older than me. He died of a very rare stomach cancer, I believe my father said two out of a million people get this type of cancer.

I’m rarely at a loss for words, but I’m struggling to share this here. It’s been years since Eddie and I were close. He used to babysit my brother and me. Take us over his girlfriend’s house and we had to sit in the car. And we always threatened to tell on him.

I remember when he got his license and started driving; when he got a motorcycle and when he went to the Air Force. Actually that was one of the hardest times in my life because Eddie was gone. He wrote a couple of times and sent some pictures of his Beamer. But we missed seeing him just about every weekend.

I never realized how much of a role model he was for me. But now I’m realizing why I considered going to the Air Force and why getting a motorcycle has always been such a big deal. And I just got my motorcycle license for the first time.

Eddie had this walk where he kind of swung side to side while swinging his left arm behind him. I wish I could describe it better. Anybody who knew him knows exactly what I’m talking about. Unforgettable!

Eddie is definitely one those Don’t Forget Abouts…people in my life. Thoughts of Eddie bring nothing but smiles. We had this song we made up and only three people knew the lyrics. Eddie, my brother and myself. The last time I saw him, as soon as we saw each other we started singing that song and laughing.

Great memories! A great guy! Eddie was a father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. Please keep our family in your prayers and cherish the times you have with your loved ones.

I wasn’t able to make it to his funeral but I know my family is grieving. And I’ve been avoiding calling because I don’t know what to say. It’s also an attempt to stay in denial but it’s not working.

There are great people that the masses don’t get to meet. Although brief, you got to meet my cousin Eddie Fuller here and I’m grateful that I had this opportunity. He is missed by all who knew him, but his life will continue to put smiles on our faces and bring joy to our hearts. Thank you Eddie.

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The specifics aren’t really important because “hitting a brick wall” was the general theme for the day. No matter how many times I took a break to calm my frustration, get some clarity and come back to the task at hand; there was something else that wouldn’t work quite right.

That’s the most frustrating part, the “quite right”. Just when I got good into it, and I’ll use repairing a computer as an example because that was the most frustrating. My initial plan was to get some other things done while the operating system was installing. Half way through the installation, I get an error. And another, and another.

This was supposed to be a day dedicated to updating this site and several others; go to the post office and some other daily duties. It’s 2am and I still haven’t figured out what’s wrong.

The computer was just one of the issues. There were numerous others. But what I did was find some less difficult tasks that I knew I could complete. Cooked dinner, washed some clothes, called some friends I hadn’t talked to in a while as well as some that could understand and just listen to what was happening today.

In the past, I’ve let one of these days carry over into weeks and even months. But by completing some tasks, I counteracted the general theme of today.

Most importantly, I got a call back with some encouragement to continue. A hug from my wife. And some general conversation with others that helped me not get so frustrated and carry this into tomorrow. Hopefully. (There should be smileys on here – I like using smileys).

I’m grateful for the people that are in my life and that I’ve learned some different techniques to maintain some peace, especially mentally. This was that type of stuff that creates banging headaches and a morning back ache.

I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do today. But those Don’t Forget Abouts… people of mine. Life savers. If you got ‘em, keep ‘em. If you don’t. Find some.

Thanks for reading and sharing in this with me. Peace.

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