2007 and We're off! ! !

Day one of 2007 has come and gone. What can I say? I am excited to be here. Once more, I am excited to be here.

As I take the time to reflect on my years past, I can only conclude that I am one extremely blessed individual. Over the past month, I got an opportunity to really experience and affirm the love that my family has for me. I guess I did not really know how truly sectioned off from that knowledge I was living in Harlem, however, spending a month in Brooklyn close to my family made me realize that I am thought of often and in high regard. Not only as an important component of the family, not only as the man of the family, but as someone that they are very proud to send out to the world and present as a representation of who we are. I had no idea that would result from my stay, but it did. And let me tell you, it makes me feel. . .makes me feel really. . .really, really. . .blessed.

I got an opportunity to see most of my really close friends. If even for a moment, it was nice to see smiling friendly faces. Faces that tell you that I am happy to see you. Faces that tell you that I am happy to know you. Faces that tell you that you are my friend. And we all know that a glance can tell as many words as a picture is worth. The pictures, the mental snapshots, the recorded voices and words play across my mind like a never-ending story. It is in this way that dreams give visions to love. And I am feeling so very loved right now. I am feeling so loved, that I am capable of giving love.

30 years. It took me 30 years to reach this feeling. Not that I haven’t felt it before, or that I’ll never feel it again. But it feels really great to be in this moment.

2007. 30. India. Family. Friends. Books. Travel. Black. Nappy. Proud. Engaging. Old. New. Beautiful. Peaceful. Reflexive. Enjoyment. Radicalization. Aptitude. Better.

Each word represents a strand of DNA that makes up my moment today. I think you all for sharing in it. If you are reading these words, then you just may be responsible for me feeling the way that I do.

In parting, I’d like to share a list that was forwarded to my team from a colleague in India. This list should serve as a constant reminder that our actions drive our ability to feel one way or the other about ourselves and about our outlook on society, at large. There is always going to be positive and negative energy. There is always going to be positive and negative feelings. The essence of existence is to strive for positivity due to or in spite of your relation to the world at any given moment. No, we will not always succeed by general standards, but sometimes the fight alone can be the measure of your success. Fight for positivity.

I love (insert your name here because I love all of you)


The most destructive habit ~ Worry
The greatest joy ~ Giving
Our greatest natural resource ~ Our youth
The greatest “shot in the arm” ~ Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome ~ Fear
The most effective sleeping pill ~ Peace of mind
The most crippling disease ~ Excuses
The most powerful force in life ~ Love
The most destructive pariah ~ Gossip
The most incredible computer ~ The human brain
The worst thing to be without ~ Hope
The deadliest weapon ~ The tongue
The two most powerful words ~ Can do
The greatest asset ~ Faith
The most worthless emotion ~ Self-pity
The worst thing you can lose ~ Self-respect
The most satisfying work ~ Helping others
The ugliest personality trait ~ Selfishness
The most beautiful attire ~ A smile!
The most prized possession ~ Integrity
The most contagious spirit ~ Enthusiasm
The most powerful communication ~ Prayer

A thought in time

Did anyone ever notice that even though Voltron was a "he," there was a woman as part of his genetic make-up? I didn't realize that until just now while writing something else and I haven't thought up an explanation. The fact just crossed my mind. Interesting.

With A Little Help From My Friends. . .and Family

To all of you that I had the utmost fortunate opportunity to get up with during my visit back home, I owe you a huge gratitude of thanks. I normally would consider myself an introvert and must go inside myself to regenerate and recharge. But I must say that I am feeling so much better than I could have made myself feel and I owe that all to you.

Thank you for the good vibrations, the great conversations, for the hugs and the kisses. Thanks for the handshakes and the words of encouragement that I am doing the right thing. For your support, your guidance and for entrusting me to be someone who can give you support and guidance. Thank you for your unleveling commitment to friendship and your familial touches. For your phone calls and your text messages.

Understand that I take no small gesture for granted and put great weight on those little things you do to let me know you're thinking about me when I'm not even thinking about myself. Those thoughts, in turn, force me to start thinking about myself. And I, in turn, start thinking about ways to help the people around me. So on and so forth and the wheels on the bus go round and round.

Lastly, thank you for allowing me to be Jaramogi Kareem Adams. I am and will always be a work in progress, but it feels good to know and to be proud of myself because I have such wonderful people around me who affirm my belief in myself; it allows me to have faith in what I am capable of giving to you. I am thanking you, right here, right now for what you give to me.

I love you all!! Until. . .

A Letter to my mistress. . .

Dearest Blog,

Please accept my apologies for being away so long. You see, I had to have some alone time, and you and I both know how much you can talk! So I wanted to reconnect with my one-on-one relationships; I don’t get to do that often here in India. Here in India is where I spend most of my time with you. And now that I’m back, I intend to give you the attention you need and require.

The blessed news is I now feel reattached to the world. No, no, no, it’s not like I felt cut off from the world before, I was just a bit cut off from the world I know more intimately. Spending time with close friends and family has a way of creating that greater sense of belonging and necessity. Well, I am happy to report, the people I thought would struggle without me are doing quite well. And perhaps, if I can find the right words and an abstract way to formulate them, I’ll tell you some stories about them that can apply universally.

Until then, happy 2007 to you!! We had a relatively decent run in 2006 and I’m proud of what we accomplished together during that time. You helped me to do something I thought I would never be able to do: maintain a “you.” But, dear Blog, you made it easy. You’re a likeable character and have developed a desire for telling my stories the way I want them to be read. That’s the marksmanship of a true friend. Thank you. I am looking forward to crafting better stories to tell through you this upcoming year.

Yours only,

Jaramogi