June is celebration of ME month so I’m blogging everyday to share something of importance to me or about me. I hope you’re enjoying the journey.

One of my favorite blogs belongs to Max Reddick of soulbrother. He blogs like nobody’s business and I’m not sure where he finds the time between work and family and that whole life thing. I learn and am entertained every time I visit with him.

In his own words, he is “an African American male with a deep & abiding love & respect for the literature, music, and culture of a people growing out of a historical & on-going struggle for change, but who at this time is not quite sure which direction that change is going and what it even means.”

Check him out daily.

This is the tale of a man named James
A man of good report but then also kind of lame
Not lame as a three-legged dog that would hop
But lame is in – he was to write a novel with me but then he just… stopped

Yeah, that’s right. He stopped cold in the middle of starting like this tale no longer rhymes. He asked me to join him during National Novel Writer’s Month and he even took a week off – a whole week to get a nice head start – to get his head right to craft this great tale that he had been building for 10 years. Yeah, that’s what I said. 10 years. Most beautiful outline of a novel that a man would ever want to see this side of glory. And how many chapters were born of this most perfect outline?

James? Can you tell the people how many chapters you’ve written since November? What’s that? One hundred and huh? One? As in one chapter or…? No way. 10 years and the beautiful outline of a novel that a man would ever want to see this side of glory and all you have written is ONE chapter? James? Really?

My most talented and dear friend, James – the developer who is smarter than a Roomba and can do more tricks than a gang of monkeys on a grapevine. The ever gentle James – the man after God’s own heart who seeks to simplify while growing. The multifaceted and multicultured James – the man who can, in appearance, be mistaken as an Italian, a Mexican, and a Isreali unibomber all on the same driver’s license. Dear James – the procrastinator of all procrastinators. I started a novel with you and because of you and you have but one chapter to show for all of my blood, sweat, and ink tears. James, I salute thee.

This was the tale of a man named James
One of my best friends but then still very lame.

Last week, I completed writing and editing my first novel. It think it’s important to mention the editing part because most novels are not really done until they’ve been edited several times over.

The moment I edited that last sentence and put a period on the end of the book, I felt… nothing. No sigh of relief or fanfare or any sort. I was just … done. Shortly after talking to a colleague of mine who has worked in the publishing industry for years in different capacities, I came to the stark realization that I needed an agent. Suddenly, I felt… relief and fanfare. It wasn’t over yet. I could spend a little bit more time with my creation.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the victory of completing a colossal task or crossing that marathon finish line BUT there is something beautiful about being incomplete sometimes.

No, really. Think about it. When you were a kid and you were building something, it was exciting and adventurous. Then you shared your creation with your parent, teacher, and friends and then… that was it. It was complete. Over. Kaput. Sure, you could put your creation on display for all to behold but the adventure was done.

I also think about how I’m a work in progress. It’s easier to accept my flaws and inconsistencies knowing that I’m incomplete and that God is still working on me.

So my novel is incomplete. I have to find an agent that likes it enough to represent it to a publisher who’ll print it and then has to convince the reading public that they want to buy and read it. It’s not all about getting to the destination. It’s about enjoying the journey.

Sadly, most of you have no idea that most of my career I’ve been an illustrator. The last couple of years have found me focusing on my writing while earning my chops as a flash developer. Meanwhile, I’ve been forsaking the very thing that made me. When I determined to write a novel, I decided to put all other projects on hold until it was complete. Well, the novel is complete (more on that later this month) and I am starting my next book – a children’s book.

I have started and stopped this book so many times in the past, it’s not funny. I wrote the story and originally got the interest of a reputable publisher to buy it but then I wanted to draw it myself so I screwed that deal up by sitting on it too long.

Well, I’m back to it. Just as I could write a novel, I can write and finally draw (and complete) a children’s book. I started storyboarding (planning the visual layout) and redesigning the characters yesterday. I’m excited to be back. More soon.

“It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.” It really is.

Familiarity can sometimes lead to complacency if we don’t regard it. I recently had my locs cut. There were practical reasons for doing so but I tend to be a layered guy so there were allegorical reasons as well.

I initially loc’d my hair with the intention of only doing it for 1 year. I wanted to love myself and the me in the mirror – unfettered. It worked. I learned to embrace and love all of the things about me that God made.

4 years later, I can move on. I’m not attached to any material thing and I’m not attached to a look. In 2006, India.Arie said it best when she sang, “I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am a soul that lives within.” In my humble opinion, that is a true mark of maturity.

You know the phrase – “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear.” This is a safety warning that must appear on any convex mirror on a vehicle that is sold in the United States. It’s usually on the passenger side mirror because that mirror must be convex to have a useful field of view to the driver. Therefore, everything seems smaller and further away. If the driver depends on this to determine distance and tries to switch lanes, there’s a great likelihood of a collision. The warning is there to remind the driver of this potential problem.

Life can be like that too. We can take for granted our perception of something and completely make a wreck of a scenario. Too bad there is no label to remind us to be tread more carefully.

The last 3 days, I’ve been reunited with people who I would reserve the term “friend” for. I mean, I genuinely love these people but distance, a disagreement, or stupidity came between us. Ironically, I just finished a novel that is thematically about forgiveness so I can’t help but think about second chances and all.

With second chances, we are often given to more lucid perceptions. Objects (and people) appear as they really are. I want my relationships to be pure and unfettered. I guess this is a start. Again.