I Miss You Daddy!

Today is my Daddy's Birthday...crazy I still call him daddy huh? Well today would have been my fathers 71st birthday! I can't believe its been three years since he has been gone. Its really errie now that I think about it. Growing up my father always used to say.."Jaret I am not always going to be around" or "Jaret don't be afraid of death because each day you live is a day closer to death!" Kinda morbid to tell your child huh? But that was James Edward Parker...by the time I was born he was in his 40's and through raising kids so he raised a little adult in me! My father and my relationship was a tumultious one to say the least...many times I did not like him but always loved him! I remember growign up thinking and questioning "why does he treat me like this?"or "Why does he do that?" "Why can't he see things from my point of view?" But as I reached young adult hood and began doing things on my own and he recognized I was becoming a young man I remember he told me..."I know I don't have to worry about you when you go out on your own!" which meant a lot to me because all my life I was trying to find a way for he and I to connect on a deeper level and I think thats when it began. I just wish he was able to actually see me be the man I am today! I know he was proud of me and is probably watching me now and still proud of mebut I still wish he was here. What makes it even crazier is that I never thought I looked like my father growing up but I guess when I became a full fledged man my fathers genes just took over! I laugh like him, I have mannerisms like him, I look like him, I use the same sayings that he does, I share the same philosphy's as he did, and even went into the same field as he did. Dad wasn't Healthcliff Huxtable but what I do appreciate is that through the rough times in our life he allowed me to 1st hand witness all the struggles and the pain he went through, even if it was too much for a young child to be subjected to. Through those experiences I am able to say that there is NOTHING in my mind that I cannot go through and survive. Some people didn't have a father growing up, my siblings included, but I had my dad for 24 years of my life and thats more than some can say. I am still trying to come to terms with everything although I still seem to block out a lot in fear of having to deal with it 1st hand but on this day I celebrate my father James Edward Parker aka JP to the throves of people who loved him! I miss you daddy and will cherish all the good memories that I had with you.

Don't call it a comeback!

Don't call it a comeback...well maybe it is! Well sooooooooooooooo much has happened since the last blog which was a month of Sunday's ago. Lets see where do I begin? Well lets see since its currently October I will start from my Birthday in March, don't judge me! It was great, from what I remember. My birthday was on a Friday so I began Thursday night with karaoke with my family and friends! I had a blast! Getting older is kind of scary but when you have good people around you it makes it all the better! Since I am regularly cool, calm, and collected I figured that since it was my birthday I would throw all caution to the wind and have a ball! So at 1 p.m. on March 20th the drinking began! And it did not end until about 2:30 a.m. that night...don't judge me! When I say I was drunk by 3 p.m. I was done...but hey how many times do you turn 27! I followed up the Saturday by returning to my childhood by going roller skating...and let me tell you I still got it although my legs were so sore the next day! It was great to see all of my friends, old and new, and their children and my family in one place just having fun. Then the grown folks dropped off their children and we headed to Cloud 9 to end the night! Then it was off to karaoke again on Sunday night to have some more drunken fun! Did it take me a few days to recover from the weekend? Yes! But would I do it all over again? Yes!

Fast forward to May, which was a bitter sweet month. Mothers Day was cool and as usual I spent it with Donna but the cool thing is that one of my best friends Jerome came to visit which was AWESOME! Although my family did endure a HUGE tragedy when my cousin Lawrence was brutally shot in the head and killed! He was an artist and just a very loveable person who will truly be missed! Then I ended the month with a well deserved vacation to Miami with two of my best friends Antwan and Jerome! This particular vacation is probably one of the best I can recall! I have never laughed so hard in my life and just had fun with my boys! No drama and no angry drunken episodes like last year! Don't Judge me! In addition I got to see one of my favorite singers perform...DEBORAH COX! So you already know I acted a pure fool! She gave an amazing performance!

The rest of the summer was sprinkled with various outings with my cousins and friends. My Brooklyn Brother Antwan celebrated his birthday in New York and I definitely had a ball with him as always..although one of his friends made my contact come out my eye and you know I was nto feeling that! The big event of the summer was my Best Friend Giselle's Wedding! This is the first wedding that I have been a part of and it had to be one of the best experiences of my life.There are some major perks to being her best friend because I was the only male allowed to go to the Bachelorette outing, which was salsa dancing and we definitely had a ball! She was a GORGEOUS bride and the ceremony, although long and hot, was wonderful and I had the pleasure of serenading the bride and groom with the assistance of one of the bridesmaids with one of my favorite songs, Spend My Life With You. Then I turned the reception out! It was a wonderful celebration of love and I was proud to be a part of it! Its always a good time when you can come together with friendsthat you have been bonded to since middle school and still be tight to this day. I am so glad that we are able to partake in one anothers lives so heavily and still have the same amount of love for one another.

Now into the fall everything is coasting so far. I have been spending time with my cousins which is always a good time and I went to New York a few times. Now that is always fun and I always visit the Village Underground and it never fails I meet a celebrity or two. I met Lynn Whitfield, Sasha Allen, and Cheryll Pepsii Riley!I also made sure as usual that I spent time with friends just kicking it Not really doing to much but I have been thinking about work. I haven't been satisfied in a while but in these tough economic times I really can't afford to quit my full time or my part time job. I guess I got comfortable but I am definitely ready for a change so I am staying still until God tells me to move and then I am tightening these here laces and I am running out the gate towards the next blessing he has for me.

Well I am going to try to post on a monthly basis because my Harlem Boo Cherayla keeps telling me I suck for not updating more often. LOL I love you too Cherayla!

Until Next time Be Blessed!

Time Sure Does Fly!

Wow it has been IONS since I blogged. A lot has happened since the last post. Damn a whole six months have gone by. Crazy right! Wow so much has changed and so much growth has taken place..where do I begin! Well one of the proudest things that has happened is that MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK! I know you have probably heard every reason in the world why this is such a monumental time in history. For me means that the impossible is tangible! There is nothing that I cannot do from the smallest tasks to the undreamable and having this happen in my lifetime solidfy's that philosphy. Mr. Obama embodies hope and inspiration to me. A black man who is an Ivy Leaguer who came from a similar background similar to so many of us who went from a virtually unknown to the 44th President of the United States of America. For me, a black man coming from a middle class single income Connecticut family who went to a majority Caucasian school, University of Connecticut 86 percent white and not the most cultural/diverse accepting place on earth, and felling like a raisen in a bag full of rice whenever I entered a lecture hall to a working adult and productive member of society still having to overcome obstacles on a daily basis, being able to witness this man, whose presence is intoxicating and captivating, and his journey is like a breathe of life. But moving on because I don't want to sound like everything else you have already heard!

I guess I will give you a little update begining from the last post which was last summer....I know I know. Well I went to Atlanta at the end of the summer and spent some time with my old friend Jerome (James, Jerome, and Jaret(me). I also actually went to a picnic with Jerome and another old Connecticut friend Gary...but that is a whole story in itself! Moving on....I enjoyed myself and needed the little getaway very badly so it served its purpose. Nothing too much happened after that until the holidays. The same work and work and more work. Now everyone knows that I do not like the holidays all tha much but this year was cool. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with my bestfriend James and we were in prime Double Trouble form. His family is so loving, not that mine isn't but we don't do the whole big family gatherings thing anymore since the passing of my grandparents (Louise Petty: Grandma). His parents are like surrogate parents of mine and refer to me as their son and who wouldn't want to be around that kind of love(Thansgiving pictures). Along with James I spent the holidays with my other Best Friend Giselle who came to visit for the holidays with her fiance, Dr. Keith Jones. James and Giselle are like my shadow, going nowhere! The holidays were so awesome just because a lot has happened that many people do not know about because I am not the "woe-is-me" type of person so I am usually internally struggling and externally fine and to be around such wonderful people felt so good. Well in true form her family never lets me down and the liquior was flowing and the lips were loose and good times were had by all! I actually did spend some time with my actual family too! Christmas morning started with my Older cousin Timiki and her son Aquntis, who is more like my younger brother. They are a major support system for me and provide a love that has no requirement! I also spent time with two loves of my life, my God children Aaliyah and Victor. They are so special to me and whenever I think about them I smile. When I asked them what they wanted for Christmas Aaliyah told me that if she could just spend it with me it would be the "Best Christmas Ever,"...insert your "Awwww" here______. Victor on the other hand asked for a PSP...lol Love them to death! In the midst of all this holiday madness I got an addition to my family. My cousin Darlene had a beautiful Baby Girl, London Carter Williams. Unfortunately London's father Lance passed away this summer but I know he is smiling down on his favorite girls! My other cousin Artia is also expecting a baby girl in February so London will have a playmate very soon!

In the midst of all that I managed to spend some quality time with some very special people in my life. I attended Upward Bound when I was in High School at the University of Connecticut and made some life long friendships and we all decided that we wanted to have a little reunion. Due to last minute planning and scheduling conflicts not all that wanted to attend could but we made it happen and Yelitza, Jillian, LaShonda, Kelene and her husband Ty, and myself had a wonderful evening out and recalled our friendships and past events of all of us being hot boxes and caught one another up on what had been going on with our lives. All successful young Black and Hispanic professionals and they said our generation was doomed! Take that!

In addition to that My Good friend Shanika came home from Law School, as if she needs another degree, and she, Ricardo, who is also in Law School in Brooklyn, and I went out to our annual Christmas Break outing, unfortunately Chelsea was in North Carolina with her family but was missed!

Lastly New Years! This update is enough to make me do this regularly because I am at work and clearly should be counseling someone! Ahh Well! LOL I did my annual thing in New York with my Good friend Antwan. Antwan, his rommate Milton, Timmy, and I hit up Manhattan soon after the ball dropped and had a ball! (Milton and that coat!) Although I will say I am getting a little too old to be in someones club until 6 in the morning! This lil tradition has become my way of shedding the nonsense of the previoius year and bringing in the New Year right. Throughout the year I get so caught up with work and responsibilities that I rarely just get AWAY! So this has become my ritual. I had a great time and it was just what the doctor ordered!

Well now that that is over and your mostly caught up there is definitely more to come so stay tuned....for real this time!