Does America Still Have A Problem with Race?

I know, I know... you ask am I kidding, right? I've been pondering this for a few weeks and this is my take on it.

Barack Obama is slightly ahead of John McCain in the polls at this time. Doesn't it worry any of you that it's only a single digit lead? I'm willing to say that if Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or hell... even Mike Gravel had won the Democratic nomination, with the shape this country is in right now, they would have triple digit leads over John McCain. So, why is the Obama lead so close?

They have not yet discovered any skeletons in his closet... no affairs, no love children, no theft of public funds, and no secret text messages to woman (check it out, Kwame). They have found absolutely nothing! About all the McCain campaign can hit him with is the fact that he is young and inexperienced. You can only beat that drum for so long before people start tuning it out because, as I said before, if the present state of affairs in this country shows "experience", then give me the "inexperience" of the junior senator from Illinois any day of the week.

So, I ask again... What is it? Why is this race so close when Obama, who has charisma, good looks, and the wholesome all American family, should be so far ahead that John McCain shouldn't even be a footnote in this election. It's got to be that 500 pound gorilla that has been in America's living room since the first Africans stepped off the boat at Jamestown.

A certain amount of Americans who are melanin-challenged, still feel a little uneasy about a black man sitting in the "White" House. Even a black man who's mother was just as white as they are and from the Heartland to boot. He's still half black and that's one half too much to be in the reigns of power.

If I took their idea, I would have even less of a reason to vote for a white candidate... he or she might have ancestors that owned my ancestors. Yet, I and every black person who has ever voted, has voted for white candidates our entire lives without thought to any of that.

America just might get over its racial hump and elect a black president in a few months... and, if it does, that will mean that all Americans have come a long way. In my dreams, I don't want it to end there... let's elect a Latino president, an Asian president, a Native American president, and a woman president.

It's not that far-fetched, if you really think about it!

Kwame, Not Again Man!

Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick

The Mayor of Motown is in the news again. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is in jail! He was in the spotlight last year when it was found that he sent several salacious texts to a woman (not his wife) who worked for him. Yes, that's right... the mayor is now in jail!

Mayor Kilpatrick has been charged with perjury and a slew of other felonies for his testimony in a civil trial. He was ordered to jail this past Thursday because he violated his bond by taking a quick road trip to Canada without notifying the proper authorities. You know me... I would've said to the arresting officers, "I'm grown! What are YOU talking about?" Just for the sake of a laugh, I wonder if that's what he DID say-lol? I digress...

Mayor Kilpatrick apologized and acknowledged that he made a mistake when he visited Windsor, Ontario (Any strip clubs there? Just asking!) which is only minutes away from Detroit. The mayor said that he was in Ontario on "city business" last month. He also pondered that, if had been anyone else like say, "Joe six pack", he wouldn't have been arrested, let alone put in jail and humiliated.

He's right. I never heard of a sitting mayor being put in jail before. We had a city councilman here in Philly who was given a traffic ticket and then, it was discovered that he never owned a drivers license in life! He had been driving city owned vehicles for close to twenty years... but, he was not arrested or charged with any crime. In fact, he was on television laughing about it and was issued his first drivers license the next day! However, he wasn't an African American, like Mayor Kilpatrick.

Mr. Mayor, handle your business. Please, handle your business!

R.I.P. Isaac Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr.

aka "The Black Moses"

1942-2008

You will be missed!

"I stand accused of loving you all these years
and I never can (will) say goodbye..."

- Mrs. Keith

Second Coming

Senator John R. Edwards

When the presidential race began, I told my wife that I was 90% certain that John Edwards, the fair-haired southern senator from North Carolina, would easily win this year's Democratic nomination. After all, I reasoned, isn't he the type of guy that most Americans seem to go for, anyway? He is young, handsome, liberal, WHITE, and he has (what they say is) a sexy southern drawl. He reminded me of another young somewhat liberal governor from the state of Arkansas, who seemingly came out of nowhere and won the presidency in 1992... Bill Clinton.

I had all but anointed John Edwards, when the unthinkable occurred. Hillary Clinton (who I didn't feel had a chance at the time) emerged as the front runner, and another young, somewhat liberal and handsome junior senator from Illinois named Barack Obama overtook everybody and made the presidential race something it hasn't been since Bill Clinton was running... interesting!

I was surprised when Edwards, who hadn't won a primary, dropped out of the race back in January. I still thought he had a chance to gain some ground a little later but, when he failed to win even his own state, (I guess for him) the writing was on the wall. Then, I (like every other black person that I know) threw all of my support behind Barack Obama. By the time Obama finally was declared the likely Democratic nominee, I found a lot of my co-workers, associates, and friends saying that an Obama-Clinton ticket would be a sure winner. I couldn't really see that... not after the sometimes bitter campaign that they ran against each other. I said that John Edwards would be the perfect vice-presidential candidate.

Recent events have now scuttled all of that... As you know, he's admitted to having an extra-marital affair with a woman but, stopped short of saying that he fathered her child. The woman is refusing to have the child's DNA tested for proof of paternity. This is the type of non-sense that always seems to dog Democratic candidates right around this time. John Edwards IS beginning to look a lot like Bill Clinton, more and more.

Don't Republicans cheat on their wives? Do they have sex at all? Or, do they just get caught in off election years? Hey Barack, I'm available if you need a running mate. I have no criminal record, I haven't cheated on my wife, I have no outside kids, I'm a family man, I about the same age (give or take three years) and a life-long Democrat so, give me a call!

R.I.P. Bernie Mac

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough
aka "The Mac Man"
1957- 2008
You Will Be Missed!

BLOGZILLA

This is one of those posts that I hope will get a lot of feedback. This one is written for all of my fellow bloggers because I am curious... Just when do you blog and what do you do while blogging?

It's hard to believe that my wife had to practically beg me to set up a blog about a year ago. It was the same as when you keep promising to take the trash out. You know that you will eventually get to it but, you don't really want to do it so, you keep SAYING that you'll do it. Well, that's how it was for me. She knows how much I like to write and that I stopped writing for a while (6 years to be exact). She kept telling me about this medium in which I could write my thoughts and opinions about all of the things that I talked with her about. I would bend her ear a lot about politics, sports, and all kinds of subjects that she only had a moderate interest in (at best) but, I was really passionate about (she humored me a lot).

My wife had already been maintaining a blog for our grandson for one-and-a-half years... an electronic baby book (so to speak) to record the early years of his life that he would never remember. Finally, on the day after Christmas 2007, we sat down at the computer together, came up with a blog name, determined the web address, picked out a Blogger template and thus, "Keith's Space" was born... but, I didn't actually write my first post until New Years Day.

I started out slow... writing a post or two a week. I would usually post at work... then, I would call my wife and tell her that I wrote something so she could edit it and find a nice photo or graphic to match it. The system worked for a time, until I gradually began to post nearly everyday. I quickly realized that I couldn't do it at work anymore so, I started posting at home, usually after dinner. We have two computers in the house so while I was writing a post, my wife could edit and add the photos or graphics to another post.

Then, in late June I got the crazy idea (from Mizrepresent, kinda sorta) to start another blog. While I was reading a post on her "Write For Life" blog, I noticed that she had another blog called "Wildflower II". I read her great poetry and was floored. I kept saying to myself, "This is what I wanted to do in the first place! How about doing a blog like Miz's that is just for my poetry and fiction?" I already had two or three books of poetry that I had written over the years but, had never been seen by the general public... plus, I had all of these ideas for short stories in my head that I was gonna eventually get around to writing but, never did.

So, I approached my wife with the idea for the second blog and she looked at me like I was crazy. She really didn't want to do it but, after a couple of weeks she gave in and helped me set it up. I came up with the idea for how I wanted the blog to look. This time, we searched for a template at Pyzam and I found one that I thought would be just right. So, on July 17th I launched my second blog, "Escapades", for my poetry and fiction.

Because I now have to manage two blogs, there is NO WAY that I can post at work anymore. So, I have developed a routine... after dinner, I write the posts for both blogs. Now, my wife can do the editing, photos, or graphics right there on the spot and I can just "schedule" them for the day and time I want them to appear on the blog (a little trick I learned from the Original Glamazon, who scheduled a couple of her posts while she was away in Houston).

For instance, tonight I wrote a short story called "The Tell-Tale Condom" for my Escapades blog. (And no, it didn't happen to me or anybody I know... I got the idea from one of those "what if" conversations with a group of friends.) While I worked on that post, my partner in crime was on the other computer "lurking" on other blogs and reading comments. I can't believe it. I have gone from someone who just had a casual interest in blogging to a BLOGZILLA... a person who is addicted to blogging. And, I wasn't satisfied with just one... I had to have two blogs!

So, here are some questions for all of my fellow bloggers...When do you write your posts... during the day or night, at home or work, etc.? Do you eat or drink while you blog? (I know that there is someone out there who blogs in the nude... but, that's okay. I don't need to know who-tmi... I just know that someone does-lol!)

Comments please...

Keith's Favorite Quotes

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click here to create your own motivator poster.

Haterade

One of my African American sisters got promoted to a management position within my department recently. If any of you have wondered just what it is I do when I'm not blogging, I am part of the fund raising and development department of a major university. We talk to donors, alumni, and basically, people with ca$h and persuade them through various ways to fund the many university projects.

I walked around to the sister's office, hugged her, and told her congratulations. There are only 3 black managers in my entire 82 member department. I know how hard it is for a black person to get to that position so, I tried to be supportive. All three of the black managers in my department are females... that says something too but, that's another post for another day.

I wasn't out of her office a hot minute before my phone started ringing. It was a friend of mine, another black woman from across campus. I'll call her D. and her ear is always to the ground. She asked me, "Keith, is it true what I'm hearing?" I sighed and said, "What are you hearing?" She said, "I heard that T.J. got promoted to manager in your department." I said, "No grass grows under your feet D. That's right, she starts today." Then, she said, "That's a damn shame. How did they promote HER? She's not even that knowledgeable." I sighed again and said, "Well, somebody thought so... they gave her the position." She replied, "I can't believe they promoted her... she's not that bright, you know."

Why do we as black people do that to each other? Why can't we be supportive of each other rather than tear each other down? The woman that got promoted is going to have enough eyes and stress on her from the white faculty members. Isn't that enough without having scorn from one of her own?

You should know that D. has applied for several jobs at the university. She says she is at a point where she needs to "run something." She's not worried about money... she just wants to run a department, be a manager, and have a title. In the past year, she has applied for three positions and has been turned down for each one of them. The interviewers said that she was pushy, brash, and her writing skills weren't up to par. Some of that is true but, a lot of it is b.s.

There are several pushy white women (and men) in a lot of high positions. Justifiably, D. feels slighted and the victim of racial prejudice. She may well be but, she's turned a lot of her disappointment inward to the point that, when somebody black gets a position, she always tears into them and questions their capabilities.

She drank a big bottle of Haterade and it's just got to stop. We've got to be more righteous with each other. "We" are all we've got and if we can't celebrate each other's success in this dog-eat-dog world then, who will?

Come on folks. Stop the hate!

"Jump Offs" Ain't Sexy

(Disclaimer to ALL my readers: It is my hope that you will not take offense to this post. I do not know any of you well enough to accuse you of conducting yourself in any type of way so, there is no need to take this as a "personal attack". I have the utmost respect for all you and what I'm looking for is simple... whether or not you feel this is good, sound advice.)

Everyday of my life, I'm glad that I am married and out of the dating game. "Mrs. Keith" and I have been together so long now that, if I had to enter the dating game again, I don't think I'd know what to do or say. On the other hand, I might not have to be so knowledgeable at all because it seems as though a man coming up today can do, say, and get away with damn near anything and everything.

Case in point... a man I know once told his girlfriend (who he has been living with in her house for three years) that he cheated on her over the Memorial Day weekend. He told her that, when he was missing for three days, he was not "in the hospital with no memory" as he originally told her (What? Huh?). He said he was, in fact, with another girl he knew before, getting his swerve on. He then said, "At least you didn't have to find it out in the street... I came to you and told you." Apparently, this was good enough for her and they are still together. And, I'm not talking about a twenty-something here... I'm talking about a 50 year old woman and a 43 year old man (and I'm using the word "man" loosely here).

The woman in my previous three-part (July) post, Blowin' In The Wind, had two children by a man and watched him marry three women, have children by two of them and more by another woman, and is still running around with him, talking about the two of them as if they are still a "couple". He is presently going through a divorce from wife number three while living with another woman. He told her that "they have an understanding". Here we go with labels and ridiculous terms again. (O.G., I'm not jackin' your topic but, it does comes to mind.)

I recently read on one blog where a woman said, "...these stupid women make it hard for other women to have any standards because they will go for anything." She's right and I really didn't want to do a post on this subject because I feel that others such as O.G., Miz, Dreamy, The Karrie B., and EB the Celeb can do it more justice than I can but, I felt as if I had to speak out on this subject.

Ladies... Stop the madness, stop bein' played, and stop allowing yourselves to be disrespected. I'm a male and after a while, I get disgusted when I watch you all fall for some of the most ridiculous lines and moves I've ever seen or heard. I'm ol' skool... I was a young man when Run DMC, Public Enemy, Al B. Sure, and Boyz II Men, were hot. Back then, a man had to put in some time with a woman, take her out, visit a couple of times, send some roses, and have some "game". He also had to have a little bit of "work ethic". Those days are all but non-existent now.

I'm not hatin' on today's brothers and I don't begrudge them because, it's not completely their fault. If you don't make them respect you and you carry yourselves in a way that allows them to walk all over you, tell you anything, treat you bad, and still lay their heads down next to you at night (or whenever the hell they feel like it) then, why should they treat you any other way? What is the incentive to treat you good? Why are you complaining to your girlfriends that there are no decent men?

Truth be told, you don't really want the "decent guy"... at least, not right now at this time in your life. He's going to bore you and let you run all over him. You're not going to respect that type of man. You really like the drama and you love the noise that the "bad boy" brings so, don't complain. Just deal with it.

But, here is another truth...The older you get, the harder it is to find somebody decent and you will have less time and patience with the bad boy and the b.s. that he brings with him. By the time you are ready to appreciate a decent man and really, really NEED to have someone to hold you, be your companion, and have your back, he's going to be married, in a serious relationship, living with someone, or so "off the market" that it's not going to be funny. Put a quarter in the meter, park right here, and check it out...

You have to set a standard from the door. You have to carry yourself in a way that men will know who you are, what you will and will not stand for, and you can't believe any ol' thing that men tell you. I'm a man... I was a predator once... and I would say whatever it took to get what I wanted so, I know! Now days, men don't even try to be slick. They don't have to because they can tell you the "truth" and they know that you'll still hold on to them because "having a man is better than having self respect." Some woman actually had the nerve to utter these words to me... "Self respect can't hold you at night." She's without a man as I speak so, good luck with that school of thought.

Being played is not sexy... appearing dumb is not sexy either. There are women that men will screw around with and mess over... and then, there are women who he will "take home" to meet his Mom. The one that he's running a game on and is being run through by all his boys, is not the one he takes to the fancy bistro, Virginia Beach, or to his family reunion. No, that's going to be his woman, the one he respects.

Now, which one do you want to be... his woman or his "jump off"?

The Mystery Of The Anthrax Man

Dr. Bruce E. Ivins

MSNBC NEWS: DNA LED AGENTS TO ANTHRAX SUSPECT

In those horrifying days after the September 11th terrorist attacks, strange letters began appearing randomly at the homes of people, offices, and a television station. The letters contained a deadly biological agent known as "anthrax". Five people died, several more got sick, and a nationwide panic began.

We had just been attacked by Muslim fundamentalist terrorists the week before and many people thought that this was part two of the attack so, the FBI launched a massive investigation. Weeks passed and then, nothing... the newspapers and the media at large stopped covering the story.

This case was the basis of a sly and covert suggestion that "Iraqi agents" had been involved. I believe in my soul that people were thinking about this case when President George W. Bush made his case before the U.N. that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he was a danger to all that was holy and had to be stopped before he launched even more attacks, like the mysterious Anthrax letters.

Last week, this troubling case came to light again when Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, a U.S. government research scientist committed suicide when he learned that the FBI was about to arrest him on five counts of first degree murder. It seems as though Ivins, who oversaw the highly specific type of germ, anthrax, in a U.S. Army laboratory was no "Iraqi agent"... just a "mad scientist" and American citizen bent on taking over the world. Where is Superman or Will Smith when you need them?

Using new genome technology to identify the type of Ames strain anthrax used in the attacks, the FBI began to focus on Bruce Ivins as a suspect more than a year ago. This had to do with very specific characteristics in the DNA found in the saliva on the letters, plus the knowledge of that very strain of anthrax in Bruce Ivins' labs. These were the cultures for which he was responsible.

The new technology that was used to track him down wasn't available in 2001 but, became available around 2005. The hunt was on but, the mystery man has taken his life and in so doing, has taken his secrets to the grave with him.

Did he act alone? Who put him up to it? Was it Iraqi spies? Was it some rogue elements in the Bush administration? Hmmmm... I'll leave it to the conspiracy theorists to answer those questions... or agents Mulder and Scully (X-Files). Take your pick!

Weekend Update

Soul Food Hangover 9:30am

Okay, it's Saturday morning... I went out last night and didn't imbibe in any alcohol so, why do I feel as if I have a hangover? I went to a nice little spot with a few of my co-workers, all of whom are 35-42 years old. There was a DJ there and he was playing straight hip-hop... Little Wayne, Young Jeezy, T.I., sprinkled with a little Usher, Wale, Roots, and Jill Scott. He was pretty good but, it was so loud in there that I couldn't hear myself think and conversation was pointless. But, that was okay... it was Friday night... who needs to talk?

Down the street, there was a live Jazz band and they sounded pretty good... so, I left my co-workers and walked over to where the band was playing. Inside a scruffy little place with cheezy neon lights, the smell of soul food filled the air where people were sitting and watching the band play... fried chicken, fried fish (which I can't eat), collard greens, macaroni & cheese, candied yams, and potato salad. I have to cut down on this type of food for health reasons but, I just couldn't help myself. I loaded up my plate with everything mentioned (except the fish). I also helped myself to a jar of sweet ice tea and enjoyed the feast while the band finished their set.

A DJ came on while they took their break and began playing cuts from Al Green's new CD (which was partially produced by Questlove), Mint Condition, Ashanti, Usher, Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson. It was a good time... no drama, no gunplay, no foolishness. I enjoyed myself fully.

Now, here I am... stuffed and feeling like I'm hung over... hung over from good music and good eatin'.

The Duel 11:00am

At what point, does a man finally bury the boy in him? After you read this story, tell me if what I did was the boy in me, the Aries in me, or the fool in me...

I was taking my grandson to breakfast this morning (Seems like I'll never learn, will I?) and I said to him, "Come on, little man lets go someplace nice." So, I hit Lincoln Drive and headed for the Germantown section of town. I was going to take him to another one of our favorite places, The Trolley Car Diner. It has great food and great service... the only thing is, I couldn't get to it. They are doing construction from Germantown Avenue to Chestnut Hill and the part of the road that leads to the diner is blocked off! (It must be killing their business right now.) I didn't feel like driving around in circles all morning so, I headed back to Lincoln Drive. This drive is known for its monstrous curves and is considered hazardous. I was once told that my father would go out of his way to avoid driving on it... which is part of the reason I love it!

While I was on the drive, I saw this really cool Mustang GT convertible in front of me and it had an Omega Psi Phi license plate on it. The man driving it looked to be about my father's age. He was one of those real cool old men that never seem to age. (They tell me that I'm gonna be like that too-lol!) He was wearing a white Panama hat, white shirt, and white shorts. He had a woman sitting next to him who appeared to be in her late 40's. I pulled along side of them and slowly moved in front of them. I know that he saw the Kappa Alpha Psi cane and fishing hat sitting in the back window of my car, as well as my frat license plate holder. So, the duel was on...

We were going at it in both lanes, making those wicked turns. I was conscious that my little man was in the child seat, in the back (Did you hear that Nancy Grace?) so, I drove with as much caution as I could. This guy whipped between 2 or 3 cars and slipped into the lane beside me. Then, he looked at me, winked, and pulled off. (Oh no, he doesn't wanna take it there, does he?). I bided my time and waited until we got to City Avenue... an SUV with out of state plates cut him off and I shifted to the other lane. Now, it's my turn to look at him and wink. Then, I smiled and when the light turned green, off I went... laughing like The Joker! I said to my little man, "Did you just see your Pop-Pop! How do ya like me now?" My grandson said, "Brrrrrrrrr, whoooooooooo!" and clapped with approval but, it was short lived. The old playa drove up beside me again, laughed, and pulled off three or four cars ahead of me. (I guess he didn't get that old by NOT knowing how to drive.)

Finally, when I got to 54th and City Avenue, I glared over at him. We both watched for the light to change and this time, I got the upper hand and kept it until we got to 63rd Street. I put my signal on and went into the turning lane, signaling that our little duel was over. We nodded to each other... the nod of two worthy opponents who respected each other. He drove straight and I made my turn onto 63rd street.

Now, I ask you... was it the boy in me, the Aries in me, or the damn fool in me?

Adventures in Brunch 12:00pm

My little man and I finally found another great place to eat... The Empire Diner. We got good, speedy service and a waitress that understood a man by himself with a two year old! I've got only high praise for this place. There were no incidents and no crazy stories to tell. All in all, breakfast was a success THIS Saturday.

Obama & The Hecklers 1:30pm

I saw a snippet of Barack Obama at a rally yesterday. If you didn't see it, check out CNN or Fox News... I'm sure they are showing it. Didn't he handle that heckler? I think Fox News planted him there, myself.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everybody!

Better In Heaven

This day marks ten years that he's been dead. (I'll call him V.) When I began serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, V. was my first supervisor. He was a Staff Sergeant and four years my senior. I came to the base fresh from boot camp with a wild crew... we were all in our early to mid 20's and none of us had any stripes; therefore, we had no fear and no responsibility. V. understood us... he and his crew had all been what we were... the young terrors on the base. These guys were now in the midst of changing because they were starting to get promoted and had a little responsibility. The same would happen to us in a few years too.

V. and I became fast friends. We were both raised in the same part of West Philadelphia, had a penchant for the ladies, and had been burned by love. It would take a book to talk about our many adventures and mishaps in the Air Force and I don't intend to talk about them all here. I'll just go over the basics.

V. met me at a time in my life when I was going through a change... I was 26 years old, starting to think about my future, and beginning to tone down all of the wildness of the years before. I had finally listened to my mother and started socking away some money. I already met the woman I was going to marry and my entire attitude had changed. In effect, I was no longer any fun... I stopped drinking, cut down on the partying and staying up late, and I was starting to move up the ranks in the military. Me and two other guys (I'll call them E. and S.) eventually equaled V. in rank and were no longer his "charges" but rather, his contemporaries.

My fun came from living vicariously through V. He had gotten divorced before I met him and had just married wife number two. He was constantly battling wife number one over issues of child support. Then, he and wife number two had a baby. While we were all over in Europe, she neglected to pay any of the bills for the house they rented and subsequently, they all got evicted. V. and his new family had to live at his mother's house, which was around the corner from my aunt's house.

When we went back to Europe, V. got involved with a beautiful woman whose father was an African American G.I. and mother was a German civilian. The entire time we were there, he stayed at her home in Amsterdam. E. and I covered for him when he didn't show up for work. The woman wrote him a beautiful letter, put perfume all over it, a lipstick smudge, and mailed it to his home in PHILADELPHIA. The letter beat him home and his son from his first marriage opened the letter and showed it to his step-mom!!! Well, that pretty much ended marriage number two.

V., E., and I went to San Antonio, TX a few years later and V. got involved with a much older woman (she was 50 years old). Mind you, we were by then in our late 30's. Her husband had been some kind of "negro first" something or other in Texas, died, and left her a pile of money. She bought V. clothes, let him drive her cars (I did say cars... she had a black Jaguar and a white Mercedes Benz), and she gave him money. V. would come to the base, pick us up, and we would go out on the town and have a high time.

One time, we met these girls from Philly who were visiting for a few days and they wanted to party. I was married by then and in a rare moment of good judgment, I elected not to go with them to the party. Just as I was getting out the car (the Benz), his woman drove up in the Jaguar! She yelled, "Get them b-----s outta mah car, nigguh!" E. Looked at me and I motioned for him to come with me. He did and we both went back to the barracks.

Later that night, V. knocked on my door... his clothes were torn and he was a bloody mess!!! The woman made him get in her car, they quarreled, and she drove at speeds of 80 and 90 miles an hour while screaming, "If I can't have all of you then, I'm taking us both to the grave! V. leaped out of the car and she drove the car into an embankment. I know this wasn't funny, but I had to walk into another room to keep him from seeing me laugh... the woman wound up in the hospital and all of us returned to Philadelphia.

Right after that, V. realized that he needed a change in his life so, he married a church-going girl. He even got saved himself and he left the Air Force. He got a good civilian job and he and his new wife moved into a small home in the Mt. Airy section of Philly. I went to Italy that summer and returned to Philly in August. One day, I was walking down the street towards my block and saw V. with his wife. He had on a very nicely tailored suit and was all smiles. We embraced and I talked about my trip to Italy. He told me that he and a friend were going to go partying the next night and he asked me if I wanted to come. I declined but told him I would drop by his house and see him in a few days. Unfortunately, that was the last time I would ever see him alive. I never knew who the "friend" was that went with V. to the party but apparently, they went out and got an "8 ball" of coke (not the soft drink) to get high. V. subsequently went into cardiac arrest and died. He was only two weeks shy of his 44th birthday.

I had just turned 40 years old a couple of months before this happened and, it felt so weird attending his funeral. Every guy I had known throughout my Air Force career was there. It was like a reunion of sorts... guys I hadn't seen in years, guys who had retired, transferred, etc. And women!!! All three of his wives were there, his four children, and past girlfriends. It was like a rock star's funeral and V. WAS a rock star. Everybody had a funny story to tell about V.(celebrating his life). As I walked by his coffin and looked at him in his full military garb, I couldn't cry... in fact, I smiled because I remembered all of his misadventures with the women (and there were a lot more than the two I talked about here). Then, I silently said to my friend... "I hope the action is better for you in Heaven."