Back to the Regularly Scheduled Program...

We're no long in shut down mode... which means were back outside and into the out now... covid is still alive and kicking and seems to be ramping back up... our new normal is wearing mask jus about everywhere, being uber cautious of where we go and whom we're around... it feels weird!!! Each day you wake up, pray for covering and hope that you go home and aren't passing along anything to your loved ones or catching anything yourself... it's been almost 4 months and I'm grateful the Lord's covering has been on me, my family, my 6Fit family and friends... with over 200,000 deaths reported in the US from covid it has been a blessing that we've all been able to remain safe. Where are things headed no one knows but one thing I am certain is that things will never ever be the same... our regularly scheduled program shall not return and this is our new norm and we must accept it and understand it could possibly get worse... I've gotta be smart in all my moves, fincianally can't waste money on unnecessary things that aren't need... I can't waste time on people and things that aren't helping me grow as an all around person... I've gotta be sure to spend more time with God and allow His voice to be heard by me in all my endeavors... it's so easy to get sidetracked by the little things... but I must remain focused and know this norm isn't forever and be ready for whatever may come... 2020 has been different; we anticipated it would be different since we were going into a new year, a new decade but man this is not what any one of us could have thought it would be... this new norm has been different... I wish I could say this is jus a commercial break but it isn't so going back to the regularly scheduled program is completely out of the question... welcome to 2020 where what we thought was normal is no longer normal... we must be watchful and expect the unexpected... because the regularly scheduled program shall never return...

A Day in the Life of Mr...

Each day I'm fortunate to wake up not by my own merits but because God sees it fit that I should still be here... with that blessing I tackle each day... I wake up, not before pressing end on 7 or 8 previous alarms finally on my 9th or 10th alarm; I'm up... it's time to get my butt outta bed... I've got a long day ahead of me... I pray and thank God for granting me another day... Apple Watch on, unplugs phone from the charger... I rush to put my clothes on; glad I had it prepared the day before... it's 4:40am I gotta be at the studio for 5 o'clock... damn where's my socks, found them... rush to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face... as I leave the bathroom I look at the time is it's now 4:47 I got 13 minutes... damn I'm gonna be late... I can't be late, I hate being late... gotta grab some food, I quickly grab a banana, 2 apples and an orange, can't forget to grab my smoothie from the fridge... I head towards the door, slide my feet into my slides and I'm out... beep beep car unarmed, I open the door put my backpack in the back seat... start the car, check the clock it's now 4:49... I peel off, seat belt click, turn on my gospel music... no oncoming cars, bust a right turn... mind keep spacing am I gonna make it on time... I'm not trying to hear my morning crew tell me that I'm late... should I take the highway or should I go local... hmmm it's 4:51am local road it is... fingers crossed that I don't get any lights... I shouldn't have to worry bout any cops they're really out at this... clutch I've been able to get thru every traffic light... mind starts wondering what's my day looking like today... it's Tuesday which means; studio from 5am-12pm; rush to the house to grab some food and be out... hopefully get to the school by 12;30pm to grab the 1st and 2nd graders for gym, upper graders from 1:15 to 2pm... 3rd and 4th graders 2pm to 2:45... rush out and head to the studio hopefully no traffic and get there for 3:10pm the latest... then train/clients from 3 to 7:30pm... but day should be done by then... oh wait I did say it's Tuesday; which means podcast from whatever time West and L get here... I hate that they're rarely ever on time... I guess that I'll give me time to prep what tonight's show will be on... mental air quotes if they get there by 8pm we can bang out an hour show hopefully... if not I'll be there till at least 10/10:30pm... I check the clock again it's now 4:57am... hmm if I speed up here I can def make it on time and turn into the parking lot at 5 O'CLOCK on the DOT... come on come on... why do I always get stuck behind that one slow car on this road... I see Dunkin' I make my left turn into the studio parking lot... check cars CC, Mau, Kita, Matt, Jean, Rena, Chris and Dharry... everyone's here; back into parking spot, clock check 5:00am... I made it, cracks smile to myself... open studio doors, deep breath... lets get this day started... jus like that it's go time... by 8a I've seen 13 clients... with 13 different personalities... my 5am crew def set the tone though... glad they usually show up and put all their efforts out with no complaints... sigh deep breath glad that 3 hours went by fast but damn the day still has jus begun with a lot left to offer... is it Friday yet lol... despite it all I enjoy and love what I do... I love living out my purpose and helping others becoming better versions of themselves, finding their inner beast, helping them release their stress, anxiety and whatever else... cracking jokes, being able to be myself, having open discussions about every and anything... having a safe zone for all to express themselves... for an hour or so a few times a week this is their happy place... thankful and grateful that God has given me the talents to do this... next few hours come and go... it's now 11:30am I got 30 minutes to get my own workout in and release my own stresses away... tick tock tick tock... let me get going I gotta get to the school... I hate being late but I needed that workout... get to crib, quick hi how you doing, kiss on the cheek thank you mom for the to go plate... gonna eat this on my drive, if I'm lucky I can finish it before getting to the school... 12:22pm I got 8 minutes to get to the school... no rushing past these cars, traffic is what it is... if I get there on time ayyyeee if not ce la vie... 12:32pm 2 minutes late not bad... grab the kids lets go... Hi Mr. Ric; hi guys y'all ready, let's go, get in y'all spot... the itis starts to hit, damn its hot down here, eyelids getting heavy... gotta move around to keep awake... man these kids are something else, random questions, random telling on each other, can I go to the bathroom, can I get some water... can I, can I, can I .... checks watch 1:15pm next group... glad it's the upper graders, they already know my expectations and what to do... we'll play kickball since its nice outside today should be fun... time flies with this group, same with my last group... alright guys time class dismissed I'll see ya'll on Thursday... I jus dealt with over 60 plus kids with various moods, personalities... the tween age can be a difficult one to deal with, since they're still learning their bodies and a whole bunch of other things... it's 2:40pm let me get going hopefully I can get to the studio as close 3pm as possible... mind starts thinking bout the rest of the afternoon/evening... I so ready for this day to be over... I've got about 17/18 coming this afternoon if no one cancels last minute... I got this, the day will be over before I know it... 18 more personalities to work through... fingers crossed that no one had a bad day at work and decides to give me their attitude... I want NO PARTS!... afternoon/evening comes and goes no major issues 7:45pm... day is over... check-in with West and L, West will be here in less than 15 minutes... let me call L and let him know West is here so he can get his butt here sooner(I dont know how this dude is forever always late... but I know this we've been boys for 20 plus years its him)... 8:30pm here comes L strolling in with no cares... West & I look at each other and jus chuckle... never fails, L says what'd up and starts eating his plate of food... we discuss weeks events and topics... West & I shoot the s#!t about world events, while I finish up the show rundown... its been 3 years and this podcast is def been a getaway from our everyday lives... our weekly scheduled guys night... welcome to the triple threat podcast this my name is L, this is Ric, and I'm West... lets rundown what we have in-store for tonights show... those hour to 2 hours fly by sometimes we don't even notice... we've had times where it's been past 11pm and we're still at the studio jus talking... these are my brothers I def appreciate them... that's a wrap tune into next weeks show etc. etc. etc... lets go fellas time to be, I gotta get home and get to bed I gotta be back here for 5am... as I drive home and recap the day... man is it Friday yet... I can't wait to hit the bed... Finally I'm home... deep sigh... quick bite to eat if I'm up for it, as I get undressed and plan out tomorrows day... quick shower... man that was needed... ready for bed, as I get in I feel relaxed and jus glad the day is over... this was a long ass day... thank you God for allowing me to make it through another day... I pray I was able to make an impact on someone's life that I came across today... forgive me if I said anything wrong to anyone... I know I didn't mean it and I hope they know that too... tomorrow is another day to be better... as my eyes close I reflect and prepare for the next day... hopefully I didn't forget to do anything major... what a day... good night Mr...

Mamba Out...

There are certain events that happen in life that you'll never forget where you were... I jus left the studio and was driving to ref a basketball game when I get a text from my cousin...

January 26, 2020

2:33pm

West - Yo did Kobe die????

Me - Naw LBJ jus passed him on the scoring list last night

West - I'm not playing bro

Me - Lol I kno, he's been all over the news last night since LBJ passed him so it feels like that

West - I'm being dead ass I think he died in a crash

Me - What you mean

West - Bro the n!$$@ got into an accident

Me - Rewind

West - Helicopter crash

Me - When

I quickly go onto safari open up google search put in Kobe dies in crash... nothing but a random news link I've never heard of... keep refreshing... couple more random outlets with the same news... finally TMZ reports... so you know its gotta be true...

Me - yo this is definitely true fellas

Me - S#!t is crazy

L - S#!t is crazy

so many thoughts came crashing into my head... damn Kobe jus died... this s#!t is crazy... did this jus really happen... naw this jus can't be... not Kobe Bean Bryant... not one of the best ball players in my generation... can't be so, I jus saw and interview with him last night talking bout how honored he is that LeBron jus passed him for 3rd on the all time scoring list... thoughts jus keep racing in... I parked the car, looked thru google again to confirm the news and sure enough at this point every news outlet is reporting the same story... Kobe Bryant dead at 41 years old... gone to damn soon... I walk into the gym and the first person I see... we looked at each and we both started shaking our heads I knew exactly what he was thinking nothing needed to be said... as the game gets ready to start myself and the other ref, the scorekeeper and the young lady doing the books are all commenting and talking about the news... game starts, my Apple Watch keeps buzzing... I so badly wanna see what's being said, how everything went down... I badly wanna read my text messages but I'm working and I can't stop what I'm doing... the game must go on... finally a time-out... I head for my phone only to read that his daughter Gigi has passed away also at the young age of 13... damn that hit even harder... like damn its one thing for Kobe to die but for his daughter to pass also at such a young age with so much damn life to live... wow s#!t is crazy... game starts back up and my mind is legit all over the place thinking bout life and how we take so much for granted... I start thinking bout my kids and wishing I was with them at that moment... even jus to see them and to give them a big ass hug and kiss... 41 and 13 years old... way too young... gone too soon... then it hits me... oh damn that's the same age I'll be in 5 years and damn that's the same age Geni's gonna be in 5 years... dam s#!t is crazy... that jus made things feel even more so real... even more so different... through all these thoughts the game continues... for as with life regardless when we go... life must continue... the game must go on... my heart is heavy for the thought of what Kobe left behind... a wife and 3 daughters... one that's not a even a year old.. she won't even get to remember her dad, she'll only have the pictures the memories that her mom has, that her sisters have... that they'll all share with her... but it won't be the same because it won't be her own personal memories... my thoughts quickly go to me losing my dad and I can relate.. that pain will never leave you... there will always be moments that remind you of that loss... damn Kobe really jus died... I wasn't a big Kobe fan because he played for the Lakers and I'm a diehard Celtics fan but I respected him and his game... he played the game the right way... gave it all he had and left everything on the court... this really hit hard... he was the first true sports icon who's entire career I was able to witness... the first major basketball superstar that's passed that I got to see play from high school all the way thru the pros and now he's gone... life is so short and so precious... we take from granted the days we have... we dwell on things that are unimportant... we hold grudges with friends and love ones for no reason... never knowing when our last breath will come... here today, gone tomorrow... life is too short... his passing is reminder to enjoy life, make the best of everything... hold no grudges... love freely and forgive willingly... smile daily and enjoy life with those that make you happy and that add to your smile... hug and kiss my kids often... laugh and don't take life too seriously... make the best of every opportunity given to me... call and check on those that are dear to me often... so that if they pass I'll have no regrets... the game must go on... never forget Mamba mentality... keep pushing for greatness and live life... Mamba Out...

A Spirit of Fear...

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind - A spirit of fear is what they want us to have, they promote all the negativity, the propaganda, the hate, the injustices, they want us to fear for our lives, they want us to think twice of our importance... but I was created by the Creator of all, who created me perfect in His image; in His image He created me to have a spirit of faith, with that spirit of faith I have hope, confidence, trust, and assurance... I have hope that one day we will be delivered from all these tragedies, I have confidence that only He can guide my steps, I have the trust to know that He will always be by my side, I have the assurance that His return is soon whether while I'm alive or after I leave this world... His Will will always prevail over all... so despite how much they want me to be afraid and to fear leaving my house, to fear driving in these streets, to fear living next door to them, to fear shopping/eating in their establishments, to fear being Black in America; I WILL NOT... because I wasn't created to fear anyone, not even my Creator who's given me free will to choose as I please... I WILL NOT have fear but instead I Will use my power for good and His Glory, I WILL love my fellow man regardless of how they view me, I WILL be smart and of sound mind in my thoughts and actions as to not bring forth any reason to have fear, doubt and despair... Change is more than necessary, will it happen? I pray it does but I will not wait for it to happen... I will live my life in treating others the way Jesus would have; with love and respect and being smart not to allow myself to be taken advantage, disrespected or made to feel inferior because they are no better than I... I am a strong educated Black man who is a child of the Most High and nothing will ever change that... I am beautifully and wonderfully made in His image; in His image was I created therefor whom shall I fear.. NO ONE!

Anticipation...

Anticipation is defined as the action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction. It’s officially been a week since we journeyed on an out of now where interview process... from a simple text sent thru a friend we’re here... To say that I look forward to hearing my phone vibrate and hoping it’s a text from you would be an understatement... this past week I’ve waited patiently anticipating your every text, with every notification that lets me know a message from you as been sent I open eagerly awaiting what is being asked, commented on and jus replied too... it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this and I often wonder if this is way to good to be true... have a I met someone who might be my equal 🤔 With anticipation I pray I’ve found a women who’s looking for the same things I’m looking for... who believes in God and wants to grow with and in God... wants a partner that’s God-fearing to go through life’s difficulties together... who wants to love and be love and everything that comes with it, without jus saying it but wanting to act upon said love... a person who understands that love takes work, is patient and we can endure the trials as long as we’re honest, respectful and willing to work at it... who loves being a Christian Women and everything that comes with being a Christian Women... who doesn’t need a constant break from life but knows when it’s important to take one... who loves what she does and is hardworking... who loves to cook and understands that it’s important for her man to eat and be fed not only physical food, but spiritual food that comes from praying with and for her man... with anticipation I yearn to learn more about you inside and out as you learn my good, bad and ugly ... I look forward to hearing about your past that made you who you currently are in hopes that I get to be there for your future not seeing it from a far but being right by your side... As it says in Hebrews 11:1... Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not yet seen. I have faith that if you are for me and I for you then God will definitely allow things to work for us! With anticipation I look forward to getting to know you more ... to week one and many more hours, days, weeks and years to come prayerfully hopeful... With anticipation...

Where it Began...

You always remember how you met and how everything started with every serious relationship... We met at church, we'd cross paths a few times before at random church events... she barely knew me, I barely knew her... I started going to her church winter 2006/07; as young adults of the church there was a group of us who were single, around the same age and we jus started hanging out every weekend, group dates to random places jus the whole group enjoying each others company... we all were friends on AOL IM(dating myself lol) and would randomly converse from time to time... as time passed we'd strike up random conversations some superficial and jus surface things and other times we'd have deep long conversations... a friendship struck up... she'd come home every so often, a couple times she'd ask me to come grab her from the train station... I randomly asked her to link up for some ice cream, nothing serious jus to chill; a Friday afternoon walk to grab some ice cream turned into a 7 hour walk around the block a few times and the conversation jus flowed, we talked bout our past, love, God, values, music, etc... we stayed up till 3am jus talking in person with no interruptions... but nothing came of it... summer ended and time came for her to get back to school for her senior year of College at St. John's in New York, she boldly pulled me aside and expressed her interest in getting to know me on different level... which took me by surprised, I wasn't expecting any of that... I hesitated in my response but she knew what she wanted and she made it known... that same day she asked me to drop her off at the train station as she was returning to school... the drive was basically us figuring out what getting to know each other on a different level might be...as she left the car nothing was set in stone... I saw her off and started to drive away... 5 minutes into my drive back home I realized she had forgotten her food, normally I would have thought oh well the person will be alright but for some reason I was compelled and determined to get her food to her... I called her and told her I was on my way back to her... so I got off the first highway exit I saw and headed back to the train station... as I got to train station I randomly parked in the drop-off area(illegally at that) ran inside the station, ran all the way to where her bus was and gave her the food... and has most islanders do when saying hello or goodbye I went to kiss her on the cheek and somehow our lips met... it wasn't on purpose but it was quick peck followed by a blush from her and oh my fault on my end... we went our separate ways... she reached NY and I reached home... we didn't talk for the next couple days probably both seeing who'd call first... I finally ended the silence and gave her a call... from that day forward we started talking...

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself...

Finally ... its been over 10 years since I actually wrote... where do I begin, so much has happened from August 2009 to now both personally and the world as we know it... I went from being single to married to divorced... no kids to 3 beautiful kids... working 2 part-time jobs to being an entrepreneur and owning my own business... the world has gone from being snail mail, paper-trail to everything literally everything being digital and at your finger tips... from paper money to electronic funds that's accessible at anytime... nevertheless writing has always been a form of therapy for me to jus release my thoughts and jus let it out... so here we go again sit back and relax and join me as I speak on the various thoughts that run through my mind... my thoughts will focus on God, love, my kids, relationships, my past, my present, my future and jus random happenings that I come across... your thoughts and opinions are much welcomed, so feel free to agree, disagree, argue and voice your thoughts and questions also... by the way I can be very random with my thoughts/post so trying to decipher who, when, why, where, what reason for the thoughts may be a task in and of itself so jus go along for the ride... as we re-enter into the Thoughts of a Complicated Educated Black Man...