That scarcity taught me to appreciate and maximize everything. I only had a few hours with them. It scared me straight since there was little to no time to waste. It’s almost as if there’s a countdown every weekend. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock… Every conversation mattered. Every choice mattered. Every activity mattered. A little dramatic, I suppose, but it kept us engaged...
My marriage was my best and biggest failure. It sounds so dramatic, but it’s true. Growing up, I always wanted to be married. It’s heavily ingrained in my culture, and I was looking forward to having my own family. My mom was putting a ton of pressure on me to get married. NOW! I was 25 and getting older every year. I was a wee bit desperate. I was clueless about dating and how to be...
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””...
I am the father of two brilliant young ladies. Anyone following me knows this withing 5 minutes. But I get this question fairly often, “Are you working on having a son?” or some variation of it. I am not at all. I’ve never felt that I had to have a son to feel complete. Part of the argument is that a boy will carry my name and my legacy on. I don’t completely believe that...
Small Trips in Time October 2008. Fe (5) and Anastacia (3) I was divorced and working on my side hustle. I became intoxicated with the idea of quitting my job and being more involved in my daughters’ lives. I would be an idiot to quit my steady job. Or would I be a genius? One thing that I’ve always been guilty of is being ok with looking like an idiot, especially for them. These pixelated photos...
Khan Academy Helped My Daughters Through Distance Learning My kids, like everyone else’s, are doing distance-learning. Basically, it’s the idea of learning away from an actual school and mainly online. I was worried about my daughters keeping up with the work and being able to stay on schedule since I’m not there with them to monitor their progress. So, I asked them how they...
The months leading up to 2010 and the new decade were stressful. I had quit my job earlier in the year so you can imagine how I was feeling. I was living in my parent’s garage and it was a huge hit to my ego. I originally left in 1995, assuming I would never go back. I left to build my own life and family. 15 years later, I had to return. Divorce left me in with nothing, which was a...
My girls have become prolific writers, orators, and performers. Yesterday I picked them up from their mothers like I do every year after Christmas and told them I needed their help. I’m working on a new piece for my daddy page and needed some feedback on how to improve it. It’s been something I’ve been staring at for days and told them to be honest with me. As I read it out loud, I...
In today’s episode, we talk to Charles Ogar of NeoKizomba Productions. I first met Charles over 6 years ago. He was one of the first to start teaching kizomba (His style of dance was later renamed to urbankiz.) in the US. This is the dance that virtually took over my life and my imagination. He found himself fired a little later because he was too distracted but he made the best of...
In today’s episode, we talk to Staci Benson of Paradigm Family Health, which is a Direct Care Primary Clinic in Dallas. Basically, I pay her a monthly fee to be my personal doctor and care for my family’s health. She takes no insurance yet I still save a ton of money and feel that I am finally in charge of my own health because insurance has been removed from the equation. Not...
In today’s episode, we talk to Melissa Flores Davis, a former teacher and founder of the non-profit Never Not Learning. Their mission: “Is to provide the kids of Oak Cliff with low-cost or free creative learning experiences that help them build skills, pursue their passions and prepare for 21st Century careers.” Her passion and knowledge are evident once you meet her. I was...
My guest, Marcos Cervantes, and I have known each other since high school. GO SKYLINE RAIDERS! I reached out to him about two weeks ago and asked him if he'd be interested in joining me for my podcast. He said YES right away.
On Fatherhood, Manhood & Becoming Better Ancestors.