Kicking it with James Blog
Thursday, May 14, 2020
While being on lock down for me now going on two months, I am ok with staying home and enjoying my life. I have saved money on gas for my car, haircuts, and lord knows eating out. Enjoying my life like it's golden may not be my theme song, but I am still pleased. I am so happy it gives me time to reflect on my loved ones, and I pick up the phone and call.
I have realized that not only seniors enjoy that friendly check-in, but some of my friends also lost love ones during COVID-19. I know the 2020 class of Seniors are sad due to not having proper graduation. I have enjoyed seeing all the pictures on social media from parents being thrilled about their children getting their diplomas.
Yesterday I read where LeBron James secured former President Barack Obama for his 2020 graduates. Obama is still my President, no matter how the other man in the Oval Office tries to defame his name and creditability.
Great stories during graduation have caught my eyes; I saw where a mother got pregnant at 13, her son dropped out of school at 16 -They both got their Ph.D.'s at the same time. Now that's some accomplishment.
I also read about a family in Hephzibah, Georgia has a lot to celebrate as three people in their family are graduating from school this year. The mother, Debra Jefferson, got her master's, and her two daughters also graduated. One daughter earned a bachelor's from Brenau University, and the other graduated from high school.
One of the favorites I read where Nicholas Johnson made history at one of the most prestigious universities in the world! He became the very first black valedictorian at Princeton University.
If you reminisce about the year you graduated from High School, how excited you were, How you partied all weekend with prom, Cedar Point, and a picnic, whew just had a flashback. I feel sorry that 2020 graduates won't be able to recall these memories ten years from now. In case you don't know it by now, I was a Mighty Fighting Eagle, John F. Kennedy High School.
I loved seeing Rev. Kevin Byous and his wife Tonya being excited for their daughter Kionna graduating from Lutheran East High School. Or my friend Jubilee Jones, who's daughter graduated and celebrated her birthday on the same day. Jaylin Walden and her sister, who also graduated from Lutheran East. Just the flashback of our class having 600 hundred something graduating.
The thrill of this was enormous, even to this day, I still keep in touch with a lot of my classmates from High School, we had an exceptional bond I feel with each other. American Legacy Magazines owner Rodney J. Reynolds and I often have big laughs about our printing teacher Mr. Ken Ragland. He would say, Reynolds, Wade meet me on my turf, but took an extraordinary interest in us and wanted us to exceed far beyond the classroom.
Seniors do something good to be a blessing to someone else. I love Jaylin because she loves to help people; she has helped my friend Donald Graham Jr. and Project Hope. She opens the last Project Hope Concert service with a prayer that had everybody fired up and ready to be ushered into service for the lord. Project Hope also did their LIVE Facebook service at her father's church, due to her involvement. Her father is Bishop Jon Walden; if you don't know him, you need too.
I hope the class of 2020 has some good stories they experience during their senior year. So when they sit around like me thinking of their school, they can smile about the great memories. I remember our Senior Class Advisor, who was a wonderful lady, Mrs. Whitman was the bomb. So many great times for me in Kennedy.
I was fortunate enough to be part of a group of seven brothers who I feel was known throughout the whole East Senate back then, The Fly Brothers. Shout out to Bilal Akram, Brian Hall, Ralph Clifton, Howard Drake Sr., Joe Hogan, Samuel Scruggs, and myself.
This year many are trying to give back to the 2020 class like Honey Bell-Bey on Saturday, May 16 at 3:00 pm will have a virtual Graduation Speech on Facebook
Stephen Midgett, a Photographer, is planning a City-Wide Prom Line Up on May 29, at 4:00 pm. The location to be announced, I will try to let you know as soon as it is published.
Also, WOVU 95.9 is celebrating the 2020 class, you can call in and tell them about your graduate, and they will play it on the air. Try to take advantage of any of these opportunities for the 2020 class.
No matter what school you attended, please have pride in it, us, Eagles, are always proud, my friend Felicia Haney forever standing proud with her Cleveland Heights Tigers.
I have learned a lot of lessons from school and much more valuable ones from home. My mother would share with me; some people come in your life as BLESSINGS; others come in your life as LESSONS.
Remember, whoever is trying to bring you down, is already below you. Rise and be all you can be. Class of 2020, we salute you!!!!!!!
