TIMED SERVED ix

I COULD JUST REFLECT ENDLESSLY 
EVEN DWELL ON TWO MAJOR CHARACTERS
WHO INFLUENCED ME TO WRITE MEMOIRS.
BOTH GUYS I REMAIN FOREVER IN THEIR DEBT.
I REFER TO THEM IN THAT REMEMBRANCE OFTEN.
KEY FOCUS WILL BE ON THE MOTIVATION TO 
BE POSITIVE WHILE CREATING A HEALTHY CONTEXT.
PARTICULARLY AVOID ANY WAR STORIES OR 
GLORIFYING ANY SORTED PAST.
COMMON THREAD IS TO UPLIFT THE MEMORY OF
BOTH WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THEIR 
SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON MYSELF AND 
THEIR ENCOURAGEMENT THAT  I USE MY TALENT(S)
SKILLS, LEADERSHIP AND OF COURSE THE AUTHORIZED
RIGHT, DUTY EVEN (RITES OF PASSAGE) TO 
MAKE SENSE OF WHAT WE ALL MEANT TO AND CONTINUE
TO MEAN TO EACH OTHER.
WRITING IN BOTH PAST AND PRESENT TENSE SEEMS A CHALLENGE
BUT THAT GOES WITH RETROSPECT AND POINTS OF REFERENCE 
THAT MAY RELATE TIMELESS CHANGES, PROGRESS OR EVENTS.
THESE TWO CHARACTERS WERE SO MANY ALL WRAPPED UP INTO ONE.
EACH ONE I MENTION SEPARATELY ALTHOUGH 
ANYONE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO SEPARATE ANY
ONE OF  US FROM EACH OTHER.
WE HAD FAMILY BONDS THAT CONNECTED US FOR GENERATIONS.
THE LIFESTYLE WE LEAD CHOSE US.
WE ALSO MADE DECISIONS TO BE FRIENDS; 
EXTENDED FAMILY CHOSEN FOR LIFE.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH RUCKUS
WE REPRESENTED TO EACH OTHER AND 
HOW MUCH WE GOT ON EACH OTHERS’ NERVES
AND COULD TRIGGER RAW EMOTIONS 
WE HAD EACH OTHER’S BACK.
WE JUST WERE SWORN TO BE EACH OTHER’S BROTHER’S KEEPER.
ONE OF THESE TWO WOULD SAY 
“ MAN YOU GOTTA WRITE A BOOK AND  PUT US ON THE MAP”
THE OTHER WOULD CHALLENGE ME UPON MY RETURN HOME 
TO REMAIN AGGRESSIVE A TOP EARNER.
LIKE AS THOUGH MATERIAL GAIN; NICE THINGS; POSSESSIONS,
WERE A WAY TO RECLAIM BEING HOME AGAIN.
NOTICEABLE WAYS TO SAY I STILL WAS  CAPABLE OF MAKING MOVES
SIGNALS THAT WE...ME... I WAS DOING WELL.
LIVING THAT OLD WAY WOULD ONLY SERVE TO 
MAKE ME UNHEALTHY SPIRITUALLY.
I APPRECIATE THAT INSIDE MOTIVATION.
ON THE OUTSIDE I WAS TEMPERED AND POISED
TO BE PATIENT AND PRECISE ABOUT HOW 
I REPOSITIONED MYSELF.
I CLEARLY HAD A PRESENCE AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK.
I PROJECTED CONFIDENCE AND THE NEED 
TO BE HUMBLE AND PRACTICAL.
I ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS LET BOTH OF 
MY GUYS KNOW I HAD UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR THEM BOTH.
I KNEW I JUST DIDN’T NEED TO SUBJECT NOR SUSPECT TO THESE
MEAN STREETS ...YEAH THESE SAME STREETS DON’T LOVE NOBODY
IT TAKES A FOOL TO LEARN AND A SMART PERSON TO AVOID BEING
BURNED.
I CLAIMED MY FREEDOM BY BURYING MY PAST 
WELL AS MUCH OF IT AS I COULD STILL TO THIS DAY.
NO HAUNTS NO WORRIES BUT THERE ARE DAYS AND REASONS THAT HURT.
PEACE OF MIND AND CLEAR CONSCIOUS WAS KEY TO BEING 
AN UPSTANDING PERSON PRODUCTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY 
AND SOCIETY AT LARGE.
PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY THAT CLASSIC LINE!
PAYING MY DUES AND  SETTING RULES TO GET AHEAD WAS MORE 
IMPORTANT THAN JUST GOING ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
DIDN’T FIND MYSELF BEING A FOLLOWER IN THAT REGARD
SO I WASN’T ABOUT TO SOUND LIKE THERE WAS A GREAT CHANCE
OF ANY NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE.
I WAS BETTER SERVED BY CLEAR BOUNDARIES THAT I 
REINFORCED AND MAINTAINED EVEN TO THIS DAY NO SURPRISES THERE.
NOW HERE IS THE UPSIDE DOWN PART TO BOTH OF THESE GUYS STORY.
I SPENT QUALITY TIME WITH BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER MY PRISON TERM.
SHARED GOOD LAUGHS.. TOLD STORIES ONLY WE KNEW ABOUT
SUCH AS CHARACTERS; ANTICS, STRANGE REASONS; ATTITUDES
WHO WAS SOBER OR NOT, JUST PLAIN CRAZY PERIODS 
IN A TIME AND SPACE WE SURVIVED.
OFTEN WE COULD SPEAK ABOUT HOW SOME OF THE OTHERS
HAD IT THE SAME, BETTER OR WORSE.
I WOULD HAVE TO HONESTLY SAY 
I SURELY MISS BOTH IN MY OWN WAY.
YES BOTH WERE SETTLED DOWN AND MOVED
FROM RENTED SPACE TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS.
RIGHT THEN THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY.
WOW I AM TOUCHED RIGHT NOW
BEFORE THE INK EVEN HITS THE PAPER
GUESS I WOULD AVOID SMEARING MY WORDS.
SAY I WAS SPEAKING THERE WOULD BE A PAUSE.
SIGH OF RELIEF COMES IN KNOWING 
ONLY WE KNEW HOW MUCH WE REALLY CARED
ABOUT EACH OTHER GROWING UP TO GROWN MEN.
WE WERE AT SOME POINT GROWING FROM BOYS TO MEN.
CORNER BOYS, HOMIES, ROADIES, 
SQUAD FOR LIFE.
LIFE WAS JUST BETTER KNOWING OUR CREW WAS
FROM THE 5500 BBLOCK THAT MADE US MADE MEN.
WE DON’T CONDONE PAST ACTION BUT CERTAINLY 
HAD SO MUCH MUTUAL CONCERN 
PAST HISTORY AND SO MUCH 
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
MANY TIMES THAT FUTURE WAS JUST
TO MAKE IT TO SUNRISE.
WHEN I FIRST DRAFTED THESE WORDS 
SO LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THESE LINES
WOULD DESCRIBE THE PASSING OF SOME OF 
THE MOST ENDEARING LIFELONG FRIENDS
I’LL EVER HONOR AND RESPECT
FOR ALL THE DAYS OF MY  NEW AND OLD LIFE.
SO I PAY HOMAGE TO THE LIFE AND  TIMES
FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET
WE DON’T REGRET
WE DON’T FORGET EACH OTHER
“INSPIRATION IS TO BE INSPIRED” KQS
THANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY  HEART
READ ABOUT THESE GUYS IN ANOTHER TIME 
AND SPACE.
YES ANOTHER BOOK TITLE TO BE NAMED
I KNOW THE NAME NOT TO BE RELEASED YET THOUGH.