Finally...

After about 20 years of carrying around this fictional story in my head, 2013 will finally serve as the year of its release.   

 

Glen Willow - the backdrop behind the growth of two youths; the challenges into maturity; the tragedies of life; the yearning of love; the strength of forgiveness.  We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance. What we do with it is up to us.

Hello 2013 -- A New Day

As I sit here early this New Years morning and reflect a little bit on 2012, I see a heck of a lot of challenges and changes that I encountered throughout the year. Some were expected, some not so expected, and others that blindsided me so swiftly, that they even changed the course of my directions. Yet through it all, at least at this particular moment, I'm still here. 

 

Not only that, but my optimisms and passions still remain in tact. It's called Faith. Although in the coming year of 2013 I know many things that I want to do, I also understand that there's no promise that even those things are going to come through. But that won't stop me from keeping on pushing through. Because if nothing else I've learned in 2012, I was definitely reminded to expect the unexpected. And because of that, I've found that I am 365 times stronger than I was this time last year. Therefore, just like Alfred Morris, if I see any indication of an open hole, I'm dashing through that joint. And with each play I take, each yardage I make will take me closer to the goal. 

 

So farewell 2012... thanks for the lessons and memories. Hello 2013... Kato's coming. Bring it on!!!!

 

FRIENDS... How many of us REALLY have them?

I honestly have to say that the past 10 years have without a doubt been the roughest in my life.  Through break-ups, deaths in my family, deceptions, and other life changing disappointments, I've come to definitely know the meaning of "It's like a jungle sometimes..."

And chances are that by now I should be a Mr. Angry Man, if not for the fact that I've also been blessed to have Friends along the way.  I'm talking about the real ones.  The ones that accept you for your imperfections, and still remain the same.  And through support and inspirations, they have made the road along the way a trip worth taking.  So, I can't complain one bit. As a matter of fact, I don't complain.  What probably would have otherwise become a negative attitude of bitterness, has instead blossomed into expression of appreciation.  It has morphed into further inspiration.  And resulted in a mentality of pay it forwardness.

So in that, I'm a rich man!  A millionaire!  I bling!  A powerful human being!  On my wallet it reads, "BAD MUTHAFUKKA!"

THAT'S how powerful true friendship is.

With great power comes great responsibility. Now watch what powerful things I continue to do with what has been given to me!

Those Doggone Girls of Color

Tonight a sat and watched a movie that to be honest, I had no desire at all of wanting to see.  And to keep the honesty going, the only reason I did watch it was because it was on tv... even though it originally opened up in the theaters a few years ago. The movie was Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls", and it I ended up finding it to be so powerful in all aspects.  This joint had such a powerful cast... and I mean the ENTIRE cast... from the oldest woman to the youngest child.  The movie actually put me in the mind of a movie I watched and liked a whole lot many years ago called "Women of Brewtser Place".

Now... why didn't I originally have any desire to see this movie?  Well... I guess you can that I was very well aware of the "For Colored Girls" play that came out many years ago, and I just wasn't in the mood to sit in the theater and sit through 2 hours of man bashing.  I remembered how, when this play originally came out, it seemed like every female actress I knew did monologs from it... all the damn time.  I think it got to the point where it drove me crazy.  And I basically didn't care to see those monologs again.  Yet... what I found in watching it tonight that I ended up not seeing it at all as a male bashing movie (although there were some seriously fucked up dudes in it).  But instead, I peeped it as a movie about black women and how they dealt with their own demons, fears, insecurities, weaknesses, short comings, victim of betrayal, revelations, deliverance, and strengths.

And truth be told, it was such a pleasure watching the real plights that black woman go through, instead of the bullshit that many of the so-called "reality" tv programs try to make people think.

Just Clearing My Head

As I lay here wide awake in the wee hours of the morning, and my mind just wondering, I find it hard to imagine what my life would be like today if there had not been an invent of the internet. I'm trying to remember some of things that I was doing and some of the things that I wanted to be doing before it even came along.

I do remember that I was doing a lot if writing at the time. A whole lot of it. I would be sitting up at all hours of the night (like I'm doing now) just writing... writing short stories... writing songs... writing poetry... whatever came to mind.

But the internet came along, and the things I was doing slowly but surely started to shift. My fascination of websites just blew me away. I wanted to know everything about them... how are they built... what makes them work... and how far can be reached with them. It was like being able to travel the world without even leaving my living room. And it was totally amazing to me... and I knew that I want be a part if building that... So I self taught myself how. Since the only thing that I really knew about was also a thing that I have been involved with many years prior, I decided to build one based on that exact same subject... Go-Go music and its culture. Hence... TMOTTGoGo.

That was 16 years ago. I had no idea back then how long I would be doing it, and still have no idea today. I just know that over the course of those 16 years it has absorbed every sense if my existence and every core of my soul. And to this day I have no idea if that's a good thing or a bad one... because it varies as each day goes by.

And in that note, I think I'm gonna go ahead and get me some sleep... and clear my head.

Good Night / Good Morning, Y'all.

Last Night I Had A Talk With God

Last night I talked to God.

And I asked, "Lord, how come you placed some many fukk'd up people around me?"

And He said, "Because I wanted to you see what I want you NOT to be."

And I asked, "Well... Geesh... couldn't you have shown it to me in a movie, or put it in a book?"

And He said, "No. Because I wanted you to really look."

And I asked, "Well... when will this bs ever end?"

And He said, "Probably never my friend?"

And I said, "Well... that doesn't seem to be fair. What makes you think that I'll follow through?"

And He said, "Because I've also placed some great ones around you too. And there's no doubt in my mind that you'll know what to do."

-Kato Hammond - 2012

Sister of Soul

Sitting by the window - catching some breeze.

My girly made a drink to set my mind at ease.

She knows how to treat a man with her special touch.

And that's one of the reasons why I love her so much.

She's an Ebony Queen whom I raise to her throne.

I'm where I am today, because she's my back bone.

She's a devastating beauty sister of gold.

When God made this cutie, He broke the mold.

You see, all the times I'm lost, she finds my way.

I feel the way I feel about her every day.

The way I feel about her, no other man will know.

So, I dedicate this time to the sister of soul.

God has created a special treat for us.

So, to the brothers, this mission is a must.

We've gotta keep going - keep our heads to the sky.

Keep the soul flowing - I'm telling you why.

Cause if we start to turn our backs on the sister of soul,

They have no other alternative, but to go

to the other side where they're sure to feel pain.

The brothers with the strength, please help the lame.

We've got to stick together until this mission is done.

One for all, and all for one.

Collectively in a race to survive.

Grab their hand, keep the family alive.

The sister of soul should not be treated like shit.

So, keep it in your mind.  Don't you ever forget.

Share the hopes and let the family grow.

And let's dedicate this time to the sister of soul.

-Kato Hammond
© Copyright 1994