Smooth Criminal

Water cooler talk:  The Weather, The Weekend, Father’s Day, Beautiful Women, Children, The Lottery …

Them: “Money can’t make you happy”

Me: “I just want the chance to prove that theory wrong.” I’m just playing, unless I win.

The conversation progresses past my need to be witty, I was trying to hide the fact that I haven’t acquired a taste for this person.

Them: “What would you do with all of that money?”

Me: “Educate myself, travel, take care of my family & do God’s work.”

Deep bows, I’m sorry but I wanted to pull them in. The reason I may have not acquired a taste for this person is because of a recent conversation about “safety” “hood terms” “myths” & “stereotypes.”

*1…2…3…Break* I’m fitna’ {ATL shawty!} get in trouble because I’ve been labeled as “aggressive” {not their word but the best way to describe it} by someone I “Four Letter Word Beginning In L and Ending In E” this is someone who’s approval I desperately seek but seem to vex with some of my observations.

*Blue 21, Blue 21, Hut, Hut, Hut* I’m not an activist, but I am aware of my environment and the effect that it has on me, you, us. Today I coin the phrase “Observationalist” – To make aware and influence by the thoughts and ideas based on social, economic and cultural background. Now … Hip somebody else.

Of Safety, Hood Terms, Myths & Stereotypes

In an effort to not be “that guy” the person with whom I haven’t acquired a taste for tried to assimilate and associate with the masses by speaking negatively of & on what folk perceive as poor neighborhoods. Having lived in most of the neighborhoods in question I felt it was only right to be “that guy” and educate. “They either don’t show, don’t know or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.”

“Those neighborhoods” … yeah they care about property values too. Yeah they care about their community too, yeah they care about empowerment too, yeah they care about opportunities for youth too. *Fast Forward one of their comments was about criminals, criminal activity, to which I sarcastically responded crime effects everyone and no community is immune from it, but I digress … the point in one of my teaching moments was that folk return from jail and are treated unfairly, we take away their right to vote, deny them housing and discriminate against them with regards to employment.

The wrap up: (1) What I would do with the money? Work with the city, county, Sherriff’s department to break the cycle for offenders. Develop youth programs, mentoring programs and scholarships. They gotta eat or they might hit someone over the head. God’s work? (2) Interestingly enough I told the person with whom I haven’t acquired a tatse for that they were criminals, we are all criminals, we have never gotten caught. What if you got caught smoking that ooooo weeee! you serve your time, get released but you couldn’t rent an apartment, you weren't able to vote, and you lost your dream job working the frosty machine at Wendy’s?

Man this is long! I’m freestyling ‘cause I’m at work.

Translation: 8 Weeks of training.

Translation: Google Reader ‘cause they block me from tweet’n and you know how much I love Twitter! Shout out Ms.Nikks! Shout out Buzz Can Tweet!

Oddly enough look what I found a day after the mis-education of someone I haven’t acquired a taste for "I'm a criminal and so are you"

Live Well,

Mr. "That Guy" TramueL

Money Is A Good Servant But A Bad Master

It’s Me … Mr.TramueL! Seems like forever since I left you without a strong post to step to. Bear with me on this one ‘cause I don’t know the point I’m trying to make. Random thoughts around my ex, un-employment and my future.

Of The Job Interview: Interviewed with Bank of America this week (Third interview in as many days) … a little history, I was a victim of “workforce reduction” two years ago this month. The new position to many would be considered a step backwards but hey I gotta eat, baby mama’s want child-support and kids want gifts.

Of The Ex: My ex-wife through all of our years together {total of 14 maybe, married 7 or 8 of them} who really remembers? Don’t answer & don’t judge me … anywho let’s call her “Chica” ‘cause her dad was Dominican and after I took my last name back she decided to use his (used her mama’s maiden name prior) but I digress. Anywho, Chica tends to remember our wedding day and sends text messages saying “Happy Anniversary” I guess you would have to understand her personality to understand why, sure there is some sarcasm there but secretly she still desires me, I mean who wouldn’t? I’m an incredibly sexy man. J/K ☚*Disclaimer just in case she ever reads this, but we all know the truth. Wink. WInk. Blank Stare.*

You have questions: “Mr.TramueL? What does this have to do with the title of your post.” Well I have answers … The recruiter, the interviewers all made a subtle hint at the variance in salary from my previous position with the bank to the max pay for the position applied, my “read”, they wanted some explanation why I wanted to work in their department. So I gave the corporate “build a foundation” speech. I looked over at one of the women during the interview and she was salivating .. I guess it was what she wanted to hear or it could have been my crisp white shirt with my blue tie & my Austin Reed suit. *Shout out to three buttons, back vents & Euro cut*

It resonated with me, the question of money, it seems for the sake of making a living we forget to live. I thought being a good husband meant working like a rant mule so that we could have “things” … the best things in life aren’t things. Chica seemed to want the best of both worlds, She said: “Go pick up that bail of hay negro & afterwards let’s go on a trip to Africa.” I said: (Nothing) But I thought … never allow your sense of self to become associated with your sense of a job. If your job vanishes, your self doesn’t. The happiest time of my life has been during this period of unemployment, I’ve been able to spend more time with my family immediate and extended, been able to reveal some hidden passions and get serious about my health, my relationship with Capital G’dizzle, His Son & their Homie the Holy Ghost. There are plenty of folk whom have found the acquisition of wealth only a change, not an end of miseries. “Mo Money, Mo Problems”

Don’t cry for me Argentina this isn’t a nostalgia piece about my ex or the past but a segway into my future, this is about lessons learned and carrying them forward.

Of My Future: Relaxed in Love.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. Ecclesiastes 5:10 NASB

Mr. “She remembers our anniversary, I remember our divorcesary” TramueL

According to the Official Figures, 43% of All Statistics are Totally Worthless

The labor department reported 85,000 jobs were lost due to the economy in December. I also continue to see record high unemployment rates across the nation, the carve out of unemployed Negro males {'Negro' now a choice on census forms} is higher than any other demographic … Then I realized that I’m a statistic! I’ve heard elected officials and analyst refer to an acceptable level of unemployment. WTF? Really? An "acceptable" level of unemployment means that the government economist to whom it is acceptable still has a job.

May 2010 will make two years for me without a comparable full-time job. I’m employed in a part-time capacity by the very company that laid me off or rather I was rehired, yep after seven years I was treated just like anyone else, background check and the whole nine.

WANTED: A Boss

While I’ve done a fair job at best of maintaining … Did I ever tell ya’ll how much I like using ellipsis? It is time to get back to the business of handling business. I know you’ve either heard or seen this from me “there is no such thing as job security anymore and there are far better ways to make a living than selling yourself into indentured servitude.” But damn! The entrepreneurial spirit isn’t taking off like I thought it would. A brotha’ got big dreams, BIG dreams and it doesn’t involve being filthy rich a weakness for money does not imply power but rather doing something that I enjoy, providing a service that people want and need, strengthening the community, now add the fact that I would be able to support myself … BIG bucks no whammies! A definite plus.

To everyone finding their way in this madness remember there is nothing permanent except change.

Do As I Say Not As I Do

☛ Tend to what needs fixing … don’t leave it all up to fate. Make decisions and act on them decisively.

☛ Dig in your heels. Don’t depend on your talent or take success for granted, hard work is always needed.