I had an article to write last night for Hoops Addict, but I was having a hell of a time getting started. An interview that I had done earlier in the day didn't turn out the way that I wanted, I was sleep from staying up late the night before, and all I really wanted to do was relax and act silly with my lady. I took out my notes and my audio from the previous night's game, but my motivation was minimal. My plan was to check my email one more time before I went to bed, and then shut my laptop down for the evening. But when I checked my email, I saw a blast from the distant past.

I had an email in my inbox from my brother's godfather and a good friend of the family (we'll call him William), who I had neither seen nor spoken to in over 18 years. William went to Columbia with my parents, and he had stayed in touch with both my parents well after college. After my parents starting have problems in 1991 (they officially divorced in 1994), I suspect that he was one of the friends of the family who choose to believe my mother's side of the story and blame my father. This led to me seeing him less and less and eventually not at all. William's parents and niece lived in Hampton while I went to school, and I would see them, but I never was able to reconnect with him, and frankly I never tried. But apparently, he had somehow gotten a hold of the Obama/Wizards I had written, and I guess he was moved enough to contact me.

In the email, William updated me on his wife and now three kids. He apologized for falling out of touch, and he admitted that he had been keeping in touch with my mother, but had fallen out of favor with my dad. He also left his email address and number and asked me to give him a call sometime. I was COMPLETELY blown away, and although I was sad it had taken this long of us to reconnect, I was absolutely grateful to have a shot at making it right 18 years later. I returned his email and promised to call him later on this week, and then instantly I got the very burst of energy that I had been severely lacking at the start of the evening.

I took my notes and my audio back out, I pulled up the blank screen, and I took two hours to write the article. I had my lady read it over and make edits, then I read it over and added some things, and by the time I got in the bed it was damn near 2am. Of course by then my second wind has subsided a bit, but I was still too wound to sleep. I think I finally got to sleep around 3:30 or so, which means I'm sleepwalking today. But it was all worth it. You just never know where inspiration will come from.

Oh and when the article is up on the site, I'll post it up here. Its either really good or really bad given when and how I wrote it.


Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix) - A Tribe Called Quest