I am back at it... Well I know for those of you who are close to me, you know I am in a period of transition and despite having tons of time on my hand, I have not had the opportunity (OK who am I kidding) I just haven't felt like blogging, putting myself and my thoughts out there. It still stirs mixed emotions in me when I put my thoughts out there for others to read, for soo many year I have been a very reserved person, usually keeping most of what I am thinking, feeling and experiencing bottled up inside. Somewhere safe, where no one can see. So forgive me, those of you have asked when I was going to be blogging again. Now don't get me wrong, there are a couple things I have written about, which I will share with you soon enough.

So what do I want to talk about today, what do I have on my mind? Well with all this extra time on my hands I have had time to devote to one of my favorite pastimes-reading... I love to read for leisure and find all sorts of books and topics interesting. I have been reading to myself since the age of four, when my parents wanted me to go to sleep, all they had to do was give me a book and soon enough I was off to dreamland... Well having all this free time has given me time to read some books, one of which has inspired me, written by my all time favorite NFL coach Tony Dungy, Quiet Strength, chronicles the life and experiences of the first African American Coach to win the Vince Lombardi trophy. Ironically I finished the book on the same day that Coach Dungy announced his retirement from coaching the Indianapolis Colts. A man of purpose, he overcame and accomplished so much throughout his career and did so with great dignity and integrity. I have always admired Coach Dungy and still to this day cheer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the first team he was Head Coach for back in 1996, the year I moved here and was first truly introduced to the game of American Football (yes I still call it that, everyone else in the rest of the world knows that soccer is really football, duh!!). One quote that stood out for me after reading this book and I have been taking with me since then is, "I don't have the strength or wisdom to get through a single day without guidance and grace from God". Believing in a higher power is something that most of us take for granted, but appreciating the fact that without him, our lives would be no more. A man of deep religious conviction, Tony Dungy lived his life as one that a lot of our young men should try to emulate. Whenever you get a chance, whether you like football or not this book was a great book to read, hopefully they will make this book into a movie someday...

One book that I did read a long time ago, as a pre-teen and which left a great impression on my mind as a young person is Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. This book is another book that all young African American children, especially males should read. I have always had the dream of becoming a Clinical Child Psychologist, and I still plan on achieving that goal someday soon, every time I get discouraged I just remember his story...

The inspiring story of Dr. Ben Carson takes readers into the life of an inner-city youngster who rose above his circumstances to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson, M.D. and Cecil Murphey, which originally released in 1990, is the story of Ben Carson, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds: a broken home, poverty, limited opportunity, and scholastic and behavioral problems. It chronicles the transformation of an angry inner city boy, growing up in Detroit with a violent temper, into a medical genius renowned for his unique surgical skills, innovative medical procedures, and a mild bedside manner.Carson shares the inspiration behind a strong will to reach his potential in life, both personally and professionally. He says his mother "was the earliest, strongest and most impacting force in my life." He also tells of his faith in God, which guides him through complex and delicate surgeries. "Never get too big for God. Never drop God out of your life," Carson said.

In the Gifted Hands TV Tie-in edition by Gregg Lewis (Zonderkidz, February 2009, ISBN: 978-0-310-71894-9, $5.99), kids will read how Ben Carson was able to accomplish his dream through faith and determination. The special movie tie-in print edition inspires young readers with the story of how an angry inner-city boy grew up to become one of the world's greatest neurosurgeons, showing kids that anything is possible with faith and determination. Many had given up on Ben, including himself, but his mother never did. She encouraged him to do better and reach higher for his dreams. There are photographs of Ben and his family throughout the text, with an 8-page color section of movie and behind-the-scene images.


About the TNT Original Movie GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY A frustrated young boy with problems in school overcomes the obstacles in his life to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon in this uplifting and inspirational JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® starring Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and two-time NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters, The Manchurian Candidate). The movie is based on the true story of Dr. Ben Carson, whose lifelong journey led him to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, a best-selling author and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The movie premieres Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on TNT. Movie photos are available for story inclusion. Please contact Lindsey Rodarmer at (616) 698-3332 or lindsey.rodarmer@zondervan.com. About the Authors Dr. Benjamin Carson is a professor of neurosurgery, plastic surgery, oncology, and pediatrics, and the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He won a full scholarship to Yale University and is a graduate from the University of Michigan Medical School. He is the author of three other bestselling books--Gifted Hands, Think Big, and The Big Picture. He serves on the corporate boards of the Kellogg Company, Costco Wholesale Corp., and American's Promise, among others, and is an Emeritus Fellow of the Yale Corporation. Carson earned international recognition in 1987 for his part in the landmark separation of the Binder Siamese twins of Germany, who were joined at the back of the head. That procedure and other hemispherectomy operations are described in his book Gifted Hands. Ben, his wife, and three sons live in Maryland. He and his wife, Candy, are the parents of three grown sons and live in Baltimore County, Maryland. For more information, visit www.drbencarson.com.

Now that one of my favorite books is being made into a TV Movie, I am happy that more young people will be exposed to this story and can find yet another role model with a darker pigmentation, (Love you Pres. Obama!) and who said Detroit can't produce great things, never heard this story obviously. I would encourage you all to watch tomorrow at 8pm on TNT, if you can't, well then there is Tivo, you could probably look at it online and if all else fails hey I know some of you still got your old school VHS-tape it! Happy African American History Month !

On a much lighter note, and I did say I have a wide taste in books, another two books have been made into movies, much to my surprise... especially the one that is being released in movie theatres out today, "Confessions of a Shopaholic", by Sophie Kinsella, a book I happened to own up until recently when I donated most of my books to charity during the transition. A funny book about a young woman who is searching for love and who just happens to be a shopaholic, hmmm... I wonder why I was soo attracted to this book, was it the author's name or the title, or maybe both... anyway I did read this book a couple time, so I was surprised to see that it was made into a movie... I will go see it, if not today, as soon as it gets to the dollar show, and then I might wait till a Monday evening when the tickets are 50 cents a piece when you buy four or more tickets at the Universal 16 in Warren. You might wonder why am I being so cheap, especially when I did like the book, but in my experience I never like the movie better than I did reading the book, for example, "Waiting to Exhale", much better as a book, "The Secret Life of Bees", better as a book, "Shopgirl" definitely better as a book... Don't get me wrong I love movies, but there is something to be said for curling up with a good book...

And of course I could not end this blog without talking about next Friday's release of the single woman's other "bible" as a movie, "He's Just Not That In To You". A book which I have not only read, but own the pocket version and have read and re-read as I was trying to navigate the world of dating years ago... I am not doing that anymore... but it is still a good read, if you are single and have not read it as of yet, I definitely recommend. Anyway, with as many big name stars they could find, Jennifer Anniston, Ben Affleck, Ms. ET herself Drew Barrymore, etc. etc. I am not sure if this movie will really have the same impact that the TV Show turned movie sensation (stay tuned pt. 2 might be headed our way soon) Sex And The City, which was the inspiration for the book will make it into a big moneymaker... Usually when we have that many egos, oops my bad, big name stars in a movie, it is usually a flop. Not wishing it bad, but that has happened in the past, so we will see next week...

Anyway I think I have said a whole lot today, more than made up for my silence I think, if not don't worry I won't be gone too long, see ya!