Sometimes Being There For Someone, Involves Not Being There

I believe the true beauty of this world lies within the individuals that inhabit it. Growing up, I spent so much time worrying about the feelings of others that I had lost sight of the direction I wanted for my own life. I thought being a good friend was giving my friends money when they needed it, driving them places, taking the blame from them when they f'd around in school, and basically dedicating my life to their happiness. On the surface there is nothing innately wrong with my thoughts on friendship however as I've grown older I have learned a thing or two about what healthy relationships entail.

A healthy friendship should be give and take. It should be so give and take that no one keeps score. When I was younger I would do things for my friends "out of the kindness of my heart" but I would hold those friends whom I had done things for responsible for not having that same level of dedication that I had. I would always feel like I was doing so much for others and would never receive anything in return. This is what happens when you do not show your self as much attention as you show others. It is impossible to give of your heart without expectation of return when you yourself are in need of love. The most elusive lesson that I had eventually learned was that if you want more love in your life whether its friends, family, or significant others... It starts with loving ourselves.

Towards the later stages of my 7 year stint in college I began to grasp this concept. Find things that YOU love and do them! For me, I began to battle rap, I began to write a blog (somewhere tucked away on a flash drive are those very depressing blogs haha), I began to read, and many other little things that made me happy. My 4th year of college I met the kid who I consider to be my best friend. Over the years I have considered him to be the younger brother I never had. He has been a blessing in my life and one of the few friends that I have where the give and take is not based on some imaginary scoreboard but based solely on love. There was a point last year where every couple of weeks I would send him 20 bucks when he would mention being strapped financially. He would get paid a week later and send me 40 and thank me for helping. When we were roommates we would bring each other dinner randomly. We have always had each others backs. He taught me a lot about how friends are supposed to treat each other and I thank him quite often for being such a great brother to me.

OK so I know I'm a bit all over but stay with me, it will all tie together fam, I promise.

So far we have

1. Love yourself before you try to give your heart to others.

2. Relationships/Friendships are all give and take without keeping score

Throughout my life, I have been someone who has let the opinions of others dictate my life. I surrounded myself with people who complimented me or thought I funny because I liked the attention. I loved the facade of love they were showing me. In reality, they were just being nice. None of them thought those nice things they would say to me but they knew I was someone they could take advantage of so they were extra nice to me knowing they would see some return. I was attached to people because of my own insecurities. It got to a point when I finally had realized what was going on and I didn't want anything to do with anyone. This was the point that I needed a real friend. I needed a friend who understood that being there, does not always mean being there.

I needed a friend who understood the first two points I discussed earlier. Someone who was comfortable enough with themselves to give their love without expectation of return and someone that understood that there is not a scoreboard for friendships. My buddy Brandan stepped up huge. He loved me knowing I was not in a position to give him anything in return. He would come by, bring me food, do his homework in my room just to keep me company, all the while I was extremely depressed and not someone anyone would want to be around. At first he would try to get me to go out drinking or to hang out with some of his fraternity brothers but I would always tell him I'd rather be in my room. Instead of pressuring me or telling me that I needed to get out he just let me know that if I needed anything that he would be here for me. He gave me space and he showed me love by just checking in and saying hello. Sometimes we are so focused on trying to solve everyone's problems we forget that a lot of the time what someone really needs is just to know that you are there if you need them and the space to figure things out on there own. This is what I mean by being there doesnt mean BEING THERE. You can support someone without being overbearing or pressuring. Stop trying to solve peoples problems and just love them through their dark times. If they ask for advice defintiely provide but don't try to force your solutions on them. Coming from someone that has been through a lot I can tell you that acting like only pushes them further away.

So in Recap,

Learn to love yourself

Friendships don't have scoreboards

and learn to be there for people, without being there

Love with your whole heart. No fine print. No attachments. LOVE

Chris, The Heir of Slytherin

"I was told the true definition of man was to never cry, work till you're tired, got to provide. Always be the rock for my fam, protect them by all means, and give them the things that they need"- Musiq Soulchild (How to Love)

Live Your Life: The Door

Something that I used to have trouble with was the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone. I honestly think that I was more afraid of my own success than I ever have been of failure. I used to just sit in my room all day and night play xbox and listen to music. I started spreading my wings more in college and I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of doing something that tested my limits. Last night I started Salsa lessons. I have wanted to learn Salsa for a long time but was never able to pull the trigger on it. Thanks to my friend Dennis and a little help from Groupon, I finally made it happen. It was a damn blast! I am going back on Friday to repeat the class I did last night just because I had a genuinely great time! I am planning on doing a podcast with Dennis tonight and although we aren't completely set on topics one thing we want to talk about is the idea that we all have a list of things we want to experience. I will save my list of experiences for the podcast but in my blog today I want to talk about why it is important to stretch your wings.

The Door:

There is a door, well technically it is a double door. The door is three stories tall towering over anyone that stands in front of it. It is very intimidating standing on the other side of that door. The wood is a dark mahogany, darker than any wood Marcus has ever seen as if it is the final barrier between good and evil and is soaking up all of the hate in the world and keeping it trapped behind it.  Across the double doors are multiple iron bars giving even more traction to the idea that on the other side is some form of demon that can not be allowed into the world. Marcus has been told his entire life that there is beauty behind the door and that one day he would be ready to fully understand it. Today is not that day.

Marcus begins his day much like he does most days. He brushes his teeth, washes his face, and then takes a little gel through his hair before he slicks it over to the right creating a part that could have only been straighter had someone drew it with a ruler. Marcus begins to smell two very familiar and very tantalizing smells. The sweet scent of cinnamon intertwining with crisp smell of bacon as it crackles on the stove. As soon as those scents touch his nostrils, Marcus begins to pick up his pace. He runs down the stairs and joins his mother and father in the kitchen. "I made your favorite Marcus, French toast with bacon! Only the best for the birthday boy!" his mother shouts as she dances around the kitchen like she was the star of black swan."It's your 18th birthday Marcus, you ready to finally open the door?" his dad adds with a sarcastic tone. Marcus' father had always been difficult with him. Ever since Marcus decided on his 13th birthday that he was not ready to open the door, his father has been disappointed in just about everything Marcus did.

Marcus lived most of his life misunderstood, scared, and alone. He would pass his days by reading books, listening to his favorite records, and helping his mother take care of the house. He enjoyed reading because it took him to a world outside of the estate, something he has never actually experienced. When he was reading, he felt safe in his house, but was able to mentally travel behind the mahogany door and into the open world. His mother used to read to him when he was a child and now they would both read the same books so they would have more things to talk about.

What his dad did not know, was that Marcus did not want anything more than to move the iron bars from between the mahogany doors and breathe in the world. His dad's attitude towards him definitely did not instill much confidence in Marcus and although his mother was supportive, the negative thoughts still overwhelmed him. What if behind the door there truly was demons hiding among the beauty of the world , sitting, watching, waiting for Marcus to swing the enormous doors open and step out. Marcus also worried that maybe, just maybe, the world he imagined from his books is not as stunning and beautiful as his mind has created it. Once he opens that door, there is no going back. That is what scares Marcus more than anything, he knows once the door opens, his world will change forever.

Marcus excuses himself from dinner, his mother made him lasagna and garlic bread, but Marcus wasn't hungry. Marcus had so much more on his mind. He climbs into bed, pulls the cord to turn on the Edison lamp on his nightstand, and picks up the book he was reading "All the Light We Cannot See". He wanted to read it just merely based on the title. His life was dark and gloomy, beyond those mahogany doors lay a world full of possibilities, but inside the estate he sees no light. The book speaks of a young girl Marie-Laure who has been blind since a very young age. Her father builds models of Paris and teaches her ways to navigate the busy streets with just a cane. Marcus loves the way the author describes Paris. His words create such vivid images of the city that Marcus can feel the breeze as if he is standing in the middle of the rue de Rossiers, with cars driving by, he can smell the cafes, the bakeries, these emotions are why Marcus loves to read. His heart racing, Marcus pulls the comforter off of his chest, flicks on the ceiling light, and begins to search through his closet. He is throwing things all over looking for one thing in particular. Finally, after a few minutes of trashing his room, he finds what he was looking for. It is a red backpack with his name stitched on it. His mother gave him the backpack for his 13th birthday, the day he was supposed to open the door for the first time. He had never even bothered to open it because in his heart, he knew he was not going to remove the iron bars on the doors, not that day, and possibly not ever. Tonight is different, he has finally decided that tonight, his world will change forever. He readies a few of his belongings and he unzips the backpack. Inside he finds a small tin with the words, "For Marcus to be opened on the biggest day of his life". Inside, were 5 year old snickerdoodle cookies, which he was disappointed  he hadn't found sooner, and a letter.

My dearest Marcus,
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The world beyond the doors of this estate is full of beauty and adventure. Your father told me not to write you this, because you shouldn't be "babied" but you will always be my baby Marcus. Your father has been tough on you because he does not see what I see beyond the doors. Your father sees darkness, he sees disease, he sees creatures that can kill a man within minutes. Your father has tried to prepare you the best way he can for the world beyond the doors and my job is to remind you that we all see different things behind the doors. When I open the doors I see life. I see the beauty of the oak trees and the creatures that inhabit it, I enjoy the smell of the forest, the sounds of the birds as they glide through the air together. I don't need you to see what I see and I certainly don't need you to see what your father sees. I want you to experience the world for yourself and I want to let you know that no matter happens beyond the doors.... that I will always ALWAYS love you. I am excited for you to take this step in your life and I have included snickerdoodles so you have something to snack on while you are out and about. I love you son,

-Momma


Marcus begins to use the side of his comforter to clear the tears out of his eyes. He knows what must be done. He grabs his boots, his backpack, and heads downstairs. The estate is dark and quiet the only sound to be heard is Marcus' boots smacking against the hardwood floors of the hallway. He approaches the door. Marcus begins to inspect the door like he never has before. The gigantic doors must be heavy Marcus thinks and he gives it a knock. It may be even more sturdy than he thought. He unlatches the iron bars and carefully lifts them as to not wake his parents. Marcus opens the door and for the first time in his life breathes in the fresh air of the world around him. Tears running down his face, he steps forward. The moons light casting a blue glow to the world around him. It is as beautiful as he read. The smells were everything he had imagined. The world used to be an imaginary place that Marcus would only read about and here he was, standing under the stars. He was always scared of this moment, that he would be greeted with lions and tigers chasing him to his death but instead it was the most spectacular thing he could have ever imagined. He looked back towards the estate, looked at the moon, and walked away from his world and into the beautiful world that he was no longer afraid of.



Stop being afraid of whats beyond the door. We need to be courageous, take chances, and live our life on our terms and not the terms of others. Enjoy this beautiful world kiddos and don't let anyone, even a parent, or loved one, take your peace.



Thank you all for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed it!

Chris, Heir of Slytherin

"Don't worry, about a thing, because every little thing, is gonna be alright" Bob Marley (3 Little Birds)

Define Yourself

Inspiration is a beautiful thing. Inspiration causes ripple effects that individually we can never fully understand. I read my friends blog yesterday and her words inspired this blog. I hope this ripple effect can help more of you understand how important it is to define yourself.

Far too often we are concerned with the opinions of others. We worry that if we dare have a different opinion, a different view of the world, or a different outlook on living that we will be seen as inferior. I have good news and bad news for y'all. Bad news first. Bad news is you've probably spent most of your life feeling alone, feeling like you are so different from others that maybe just maybe you are doing this whole thing wrong. That's really shitty news, I know. The good news is that everyday you can choose to accept your own definition of yourself or others definitions of us.

Why do we choose others? Why do we allow others thoughts define our own? We have a major flaw in logic. We spend more time with us than anyone, why do others opinions effect our happiness? It's because we lack the self confidence to define ourselves. We rely on the words of others to be a boost to us, when in reality we have all of the keys to happiness in our own hearts. You don't have to do what me or my friend are doing, posting a literal definition of ourselves (If you want to that would be really sweet I would love to read some of yalls thoughts on yourselves) but at the very least, grab yourself a notebook and your favorite writing utensil and define yourself.


Here we go:

I am 26 Years old. I have an obsession with music. I feel that all types of music contain a form of beauty. I know, some people just can't grasp how you can find beauty in the lyrical clusterbang of rappers like Young Thug or 2Chainz but me.... I love that type of shit. I love listening to Reggae music, I love Franki Valle and the Four Seasons, I love Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Lil Wayne, Drake, EDM like Griz, Bassnectar, Skrillex, I just love music. I love how different songs can generate various emotions in each and every person. I love writing. I love writing creatively like short stories or my rap battle material. I also enjoy writing things like my blog and letters to close friends and family. I feel that there are so many words in the English language that can describe people, places, or things and we instead use phrases like "today was pretty good" instead of phrases like "today was exceptional, today was incredible, spectacular, splendid, stellar" any of those! I thoroughly enjoy playing video games with my friends, I enjoy binge watching netflix. I love sitting on the beach at night alone or with a close friend, just staring at the night sky while the noise of the dark blue water mixes smoothly with the breeze of that salty air. I love that shit. I have become an avid reader and I believe it has expanded my horizons mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I love God with all of my heart but the way some people of the church treat others in this world really grinds my gears. I believe that because of how differently we all think the most important thing in relationships (friends, significant others, spouses) is communication. Communication of thoughts, ideas, our past, our future, the things that make us tick, and the things that make us tock. I feel that most problems can be solved with calm and honest communication. I am definitely different. I love the smell of fried food, new books, and new video games about equally. I laugh heartily at my own jokes. I used to believe that people would judge me if I allowed them past all of the walls I had put up. Recently, I said fuck the walls. I've spent the past few months getting rid of all of the barriers. As much as I thought they were holding people back from meeting the real me, they were actually holding me back from meeting the real me. I think snickers peanut butter squares are better than regular snickers. I think that sneaking spinach into everything I eat is a genius idea. I once stopped talking to a girl in high school because she was a Yankees fan. When I have a family all of the children will be Eagles fans. I know, my wife will have some say but SPOILER ALERT, if she marries me she understands what the Eagles mean to me soooooo she will be alright. I know how amazing I am. That's not cockiness, that's just factual. I will never let someones opinion of me change my opinion of myself. If you don't agree with my ideologies, that's cool... I want to know why. I want to know about your thoughts, your ideas, your passions. I want to see things from your side.

Everyone has things about them that make them special. Everyone has hobbies they are passionate about that we may never be able to relate to, that's OK. Quite honestly I don't want friends that are 100 percent like me because I feel that I will never be able to grow with them. My life focus is constant growth and progression.



Thank you all for accepting me for who I am and being beacons of light in my life.

Love you all so damn much

Chris, Heir of Slytherin

"I don't fear nothing but God and weddings, at the top of my paper like I'm startin a heading" - Lil Wayne (I Cant Feel My Face)

The Most Beautiful Woman In the World

August 8th,

This was the day where the most beautiful woman in the world was born. My mother, Barbara, grew up in Philadelphia. She joined the Air Force after high school where she met the 2nd most handsome man in the world, my father, Rafael. Years later a legend was born. My mother from the day I was born has been my number one fan. I want to share with you all a few stories about me and my mother.

When I was very very young, crawling around the house, I crawled a little too close to my dad's stereo system and my dads gut reaction was to shout "Buddy! No!!". Upon hearing this, me being the pain in the ass that I am, I held my breath. Literally held my breathe. I turned purple and passed out haha. My mother runs in the room and says "OMG you killed my son" hahahaha. Turns out that after a trip to the doctor what I had done was described as  "perfectly normal". After that, my mother had to warn baby sitters that I may just randomly hold my breath, turn purple, and pass out and that it was "perfectly normal".  My mothers love for me has never wavered and because of it, my mother has always been a rock in my life.

A few years go by and my mothers love for me would be tested again. My sister, who is 5 years older than me, was learning how to do simple math. Her teacher gave her little black beans to help her add and subtract and things of that nature. For me, the black beans meant way more..... They were a way to make my mothers life just a little more complicated haha. I stuck these counting beans up my nose, because that just made a lot of sense at the time haha. My mother took me to the doctor as soon as she realized what had happened. We get to the office and I start playing with all the neat trains in the lobby. I'm having a blast right. Then they call me into the doctors office and remove the beans from my nose. So now that the problem was solved my mom wants to head home but me, I'm not done with those trains. However, I am a child, so my mother brings me home right. The next day, my mother comes out to me and sees black snot coming out of my nose. She asked me what in the world I stuck another bean up my nose for. My response..... "I wanted to play with the toys". Yes ladies and gentlemen, I stuck a black bean up my nose so my mother would have to take me back to the doctor so I could play with the cool ass trains and shit. My mother being the woman she is, took me to the doctor and got the bean removed for the second time haha. She then went back to the house and showed me how much fun I could have with my own toys instead of going to the doctor.

When I was in elementary school my mother was working for the church of the school I was attending. The lunch room was right by her office. Quite often I would go say hello to my mom. Her face would just light up. She was just so excited to see her baby boy. My friends were so surprised by how close me and my mother were and to this day that is a common theme. I am forever thankful for how my mother treated me growing up.

It wouldn't be a post about me and my mother without mentioning the Philadelphia Eagles. Although my dad was the one who got me into football, it was my mothers love for her hometown of Philadelphia that turned me into the football maniac I am today. Me and my mother would watch every game together. We would sing the eagles fight song after every touchdown. Pure joy. I wouldn't trade an eagles game with my mom for anything in the world. Those many Sunday afternoons spent together allowed us to connect even though we are very very different people. On Sundays, we are one in the same, we are Eagles. When I went off to college I had to watch Eagles games without her. So we decided that every time the Eagles would score we would call each other and sing the eagles fight song together. So that's what we did, for 7 years while I was in school. I would be at a bar with my friends and as soon as that green jersey crossed into the end zone I'd grab my phone and we would sing our hearts out. It is really an indescribable feeling, I am so blessed to have a mother like the one that I have.

My Favorite Mom Memory:
2 Years ago, my mother and I took a trip. We went to Philadelphia. My mother arranged a big family reunion with my uncles and cousins and all of her aunts and uncles and cousins. It was absolutely amazing. The next day my mother and I went to mass at a church she went to as a child. That was such a neat experience. We then went to Wawa, got hoagies, and went to our first home Eagles game. The Eagles sucked ass and we got killed by the Bucs of all teams, but let me tell you.... That afternoon was one of the best days of my life. Me and Momma didn't get to sing a whole bunch, but sitting there in the cold weather, drinking, sharing this adventure with the most loving woman I've ever met.... What an experience.

My mother is not just the mother of me, my brother, and my sister. All of friends gravitated towards my family, because of the love. One of my best friends Keith told me that my mother was the first person outside of his family to tell him that she loved him. My mother is everyone's biggest cheerleader. She sees the joy in peoples faces and thrives off it, going out of her way at any chance just to make others happy. My mother loves unconditionally. If I was a complete shithead, my mother would still love me to pieces. I think me being the person that I am has definitely allowed us to get closer, but that person, was sculpted by my mother. All of the positive energy that I try to give to the world, all of the love I show people from all walks of life, all social circles.... thats my moms love.

I have the greatest mother in the world, and I couldn't be more thankful. My mother loves me so much I even convinced her to read Harry Potter (she took the sorting hat quiz too, shes a Gryffindor . She just saw how my eyes lit up when I talked about it with her and she was obliged to read it. She knew how happy it would make me. So she read the first book and we watched the first movie together. That's my mom

Full of love, with a side of philly. My mom is the most beautiful woman in the world and I thank God everyday for blessing me with a mother who not only nurtured me, but taught me so much about how people are supposed to be treated. She has had a ripple effect on thousands of people. We are all thankful Momma

I love you so much Momma

Chris, Heir of Slytherin

"Fly Eagles Fly, on the road to victory. Fly Eagles Fly, score a touchdown 1-2-3! Hit em low, hit em high and watch them Eagles fly! Fly Eagles Fly, on the road to victory!! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES"

Be the light

I tell people quite often to be a light to the people in their lives. It was not until I was texting my friend Lyssa last night that I realized something about light. Far too often we look to guide others with our light. If that's you, although your intentions I'm sure are pure, you are missing the boat. When I tell people to be the light for others, I really mean be the warmth in their life. The world is full of darkness, dampness, and cold individuals. People who every day are so focused on themselves that they are rude to others, damaging to those around them, and worst of all they are people who give off nothing but frigid vibes.

I have met all types of people in this world. Happy people, sad people, intelligent people, people full of life, and people full of hate. I used to think it was my job to guide them through their dark times. I thought that by giving advice on their situation I was able to help them grow as a person. I never once tried to think about what helps me grow or what helps everything grow for that matter. Light. Plants can have all of the rich soil they need to grow, all of the space they need, all of the water that they need...but without light, they will not grow. Without the warm energy from the sun (or greenhouse lighting, thanks technology) the plant will not grow. It might be helpful to be there for people and give advice, that's totally cool. The real challenge, the real way to help someone, is to love them regardless of their situation. The challenge is to give the warmth of light and not just the visual aid that light gives. Love with your whole heart. Tell people how awesome they are. Mention to a coworker how beneficial they are in the work environment. I have a guy who sits next to me, his names Brian. He's a super cool guy and he always tells me that he has no friends because friends suck. So guess what, I am his friend. He makes my days at work fly by with his random outbursts about an assortment of topics and his very caring spirit. He mentions to me how he knows I'm different than most of the people in my building, how he can tell I truly care about people and how he appreciates it. That is what I'm talking about, stop trying to fix peoples flaws and learn to love them for them.

My friend Lyssa has been a huge inspiration to me. She constantly tells me about the people she meets and her interactions with them. She told me she randomly met some kids while she was hiking that were just out of rehab and how most people would judge them immediately after hearing that. She was light to them, she talked to them and showed them genuine care. This is what I want each and everyone reading this to do. Be genuine. Love with an unconditional love. Be the warmth in the world.

I love you all!!!

Lets have a productive Monday shall we?!?

Chris, Heir of Slytherin


"Looking, smelling, feeling like a million bucks" Ludacris (move)

Soul Jumping

Everyday we make choices. Every moment, full of infinite options, an illustrious array of possibilities. Everyday, we wake up and we do our necessary tasks for the day. Afterward, we lay down and go to sleep. Day after day. We begin to fall into a pattern. Instead of being mindful of our daily tasks we become robots. Robots trained to do their tasks for the day and recharge. What happens when we truly devote ourselves to each and every moment? What if our daily tasks were not monotonous but something we truly cherished doing? What if instead of being a robot, we were human? What if we lived our life so fully, that our soul jumped with joy.... what if.....??

Imagine this:

Marcus wakes, as he steps out of bed, the creaking metal in his kneecaps sounding like a sliding door off of its frame. He hops into the shower, which thankfully is WD-40 and gets ready for his day. Marcus, now all oiled up, has a bit of a grin on his metallic face. His metal gums making his LED teeth appear as radiant as the sun on a clear day. He is excited to get to work. Marcus lives for work and he begins his work day by sitting down at his desk lined with all the information he needs to assist his customers. He checks his voicemail, which to Marcus, is just one machine talking to another. He begins to call the humans. Answering all of their questions and being the best bot he can be. Although robots don't eat food, they do need breaks now and then to recharge. Marcus though, being a good bot, never really took the time to take breaks. He was programmed to go without them. He never thought twice about it. His CPU was just not programmed to do anything but work. After a long day Marcus recharges like all of the other bots. The next morning he wakes and heads straight for the shower. His old body moving at the pace of a tortoise and with sound of a mechanic burrowing through his toolbox.  The days go bye. Morning oil, voicemails, calls, and recharges. Years pass and Marcus' once shiny alloy skeleton has now become rusted and decrepit. The morning showers no longer reinvigorate him. He squeaks his way to his desk, the same desk decorated with pamphlets of information to help his clients. He listens to his voicemails from his clients and begins making his normal calls. One call was different. It was different from every other call because of one question that was asked by the woman on the other line. She asked Marcus, what is his favorite part of living. He mentioned how much he enjoys work, mostly because its the only thing he knows. He also mentions the warm WD-40 showers and how when he was younger how much those showers gave him life for the day.As he went on about his very simple life the woman began to ask him. "Have you ever walked through a field full of daisies? Have you ever felt the sea breeze, the kind of sea breeze that has that distinct smell of ocean mixed with the smell of fried foods from the boardwalk? Have you ever taken the hand of someone and felt that at that moment the two of you are becoming one? Have you ever felt the love of a pet? Have you ever appreciated the sand in between your toes? Have you ever been to the top of mountain and at that moment realize you are just a piece of this beautiful world?" As the woman was asking her questions Marcus began to think. His thoughts a exponentially different from any he has ever had. He felt for the first time, a warmth inside of his metallic body. He asked the woman to continue to talk to him about the world. She spoke of huge marketplaces in Marrakesh, coral reefs off of the Australian coast which had more life within itself than you could even imagine, she spoke of pyramids in Egypt that took hundreds of years to build, Canyons in the United States, and  Palaces in India built by kings for their wives. Marcus begins to realize that his rusty skeleton is starting to shine. It is not shining metallic like it once did but something totally different. His body is shining a warm bronze, like a freshly crafted statue that has been polished more than a military lieutenants shoes. He tells the lady that he is terribly sorry but that he has to go. She has one more question for him, "what is your favorite part of living Marcus?"

"I'm not sure Ma'am, but I intend to find out"

Marcus leaves his office.

He never returns.

He is all of a sudden too busy, enjoying a new perspective on life.

We have all been Marcus. We allow our lives to become routine and the routine becomes the task. Don't let the expectations of the world take away your soul. Find the things in your life that truly make your soul jump and do them. Do them to fullest!!!

I love y'all!

Chris, Heir Of Slytherin

"This is how we do it, its Friday night, and I'm feeling right. The parties here on the west side. So I reach for my 40 and I turn it up. Designated driver put the keys in my truck" - This is How We do It (Montell Jordan)