Category: General

“Love is a gift, not a reward for service!”

-Jack Winter

I was quite impressed with the airport in Singapore! Free Internet access stations inside and outside the gate areas and in lounge areas. There was an abundance of cool and comfortable seating with specific areas set up with a plasma on a designated channel – so there was cartoon channel area, a ESPN channel area, a BBC channel area, etc. Not to mention the restuarants, bars, multi-lingual information booths, and laptop drop stations with power and ethernet drops for easy access to the Internet. The whole experience was quite positive and if I was going to get stuck in an airport – this would be my preferred choice. Amsterdam’s airport isn’t bad either and is pretty straightforward to get through. I made my way through customs and caught a train to the city center easily and got back with no issues in time to catch my connecting flight.

The people in Malaysia seemed pretty nice towards me and I had some laughs with locals and other guests of Malaysia along the way. I didn’t really get to experience much of Singapore outside of the airport but what I did see I liked. I’m thinking a return trip to this area will likely happen somewhere down the road. My experience in Austria however is generally speaking, quite different. It could be the language barrier but I’m more prone to say that it’s not. And after sitting in conversation with a Thailand citizen in Graz, I’ve gained just that much more insight into impressions of Black people generally in Austria. I think it’s going to be topic of my first book if it isn’t an all-inclusive autobiography.

The drive from Vienna to Graz is always fun with the winding turns and fast pace of the Autobahn through the mountains. Even in a Peaugot 206 diesel, I enjoyed the drive and was impressed with the car. I’d love to have one back home considering it had a great sound system, 6 airbags, seated 5, and had some basic trunk space.

This is repost from my friend Kisha’s blog I recently saw I thought I’d post here.

We are meant to live a life of love. However, no matter how successful some are in other aspects of their lives, they wonder if it’s possible to have the same success in love. Although things may start out wonderfully in the beginning, there is always the fear that it won’t last, that difficulties will arise, feelings will start to change. Then when things alter, as they naturally must, many have the mistaken idea that the love is disappearing. . They wonder what went wrong.

Nothing went wrong. Change is natural and inevitable. It does not mean that the love has gone away. That is a mistaken idea of what love is. We simply have to know what love is, and how to keep it growing, through all the ups and downs.

The Perfect Partner
When we initially fall in love, we feel we have found “the perfect person.” A tremendous excitement takes over. We project many wonderful qualities upon our partner and block out any faults. Then we feel that we, too, must be so wonderful to have a partner who is so ideal. For many there is the feeling that they have finally discovered someone who will be able to give them all the love, approval and inspiration they have sought all their lives.

This is a huge demand to make upon another person, but it happens anyway. When this demand is not fulfilled, a deep disappointment can arise. It seems as though the partner has failed us, but in truth it is the unrealistic demands we have made that is causing pain.

Guide 1: Take a close look at what you are expecting from your partner.
Is it possible? Are you setting yourself up for a fall?

Realize that no one can make up for years of upset. No one can give you all you need to feel whole. You must learn to love, grow and become whole on your own. You must become your own best friend, and also learn to be a friend to the other.

After a period of time, when we feel more secure in the relationship, it is inevitable that reality starts to set in. Different qualities in our partner become obvious. It’s hard to keep pretending that the person matches all our dreams. It is at this point that questions and doubts start to surface. Perhaps there is a desire to “change” the other to meet our image, or a feeling that if they loved us enough, they would naturally change.

Both stop a moment and think carefully. Another person does not exist to meet all of your needs and dreams. This is not love. It is using anotheras an object to meet our needs. This desire itself cause our pain.

Guide 2: No one has to change for you to love them. Nor do you have to change to be worthy of love. You can never change enough to please another person. The work of love is to be able to love the other just as they are, and to also love yourself.

The work of love is the work of learning to accept the other person, and also to accept yourself. Love is not a feeling that stays the same all the time. Love is a verb. It grows as we face change and difficulty. Love grows through actions we take, through understanding and through developing the ability to really know who the other is and to really become their friend.

“A feeling that is here one minute and gone the next cannot be called love.”

It’s been a while since I’ve really sat down and put some quality time into my blog. I want to take a moment to simply thank all of you who I’ve come to know who visit this site and take time to share your thoughts and care about what’s up with me. I appreciate you and love you for it.

For the last 3 months or so now I’ve been living all over the Detroit metro area while waiting for my new place to be completed 3 months behind schedule. It’s been quite a challenge not having a place of my own and having to depend on others in a way I’ve never particularly wanted to do. The people who have so graciously let me stay with them temporarily have been a blessing and I’m thankful for their hospitality. The past 6 months or so have really led me to a point of feeling the need to revitalize several aspects of my life. In a nutshell, I’ve been burned out on work, love, and my tireless pursuit to be the best I can be. The relationships I had in the past, the expectations of the future, and other things had simply become heavy weights around my ankles that only somewhat now am I beginning to unsheath. It sounds worse that what it may actually have been, because nevertheless I love my life and love living it. It’s just been a challenging time lately while I grow, mature, and become a better man.

I’m focused now on being the Sam that I enjoy being and shedding things that bring me down. I’m educating myself again. I’m refocusing my business efforts. I’m forming new relationships and taking new risks that will lead me to bigger and better things. It’s all a work in progress but just know that things are changing for me now in a more positive manner and I’m working harder to keep things that way even more than they’ve been in the past.

Stay tuned for what’s in store 😉