My Old Man (When he wasn't old)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIRT!!!!

     Hello, WORLD!!! If you truly know me, then you know I pride myself on being a lot less emotional than other people. It’s true; I can’t remember the last time I cried over anything. This week, I don’t expect that to change, but it may still be a rough week for me. I don’t know how I didn’t realize this til this year but two of my parent’s anniversaries occur this week so both of my parents will be on my mind for different reasons. Both have passed away over the past 10 years, my moms in 2003 followed by my father at the beginning of 2008. But this post is about my Pa, celebrating him. Moms will have to take a back seat to him for a change (if she was here, she’d a read this and swiftly popped me upside the head!). 

      Anyway, I feel like the man I am today is definitely due more to my Moms than my father but his influence is felt regardless. Anthony Hardy has been part of my life every since I was young but I can’t say he was a father in that Heathcliff Huxtable sense because he wasn’t around like that. It wasn’t a nuclear family environment I was raised in, know what I mean? But he was very much a part of my life. I seen him at least once a month, which is more than a lot of kids these days or those days, for that matter, so I don’t feel bad. He was more of a father in a sense that he showed up right when I need him most. He was more of a father in the sense that he always told me the truth no matter what. He was more of a father in a sense that the things he did, like never forget my birthday or Christmas regardless if he had money or not, is what drives me to be a better father to my own children. He did a great job, considering I don’t think I’m a bad person, but he could have definitely done better, which is what I want to show him (whereever he is, I know he’s watching The Smokke Bizzee Show, LOL!). But I also know that while I never forgot he was my father, I always knew he was my friend. #Truth.

         Anthony Hardy, or Red, because of his reddish-brown hair, as the people on Chicago’s Low End would call him, or Burger, for his love of a great burger (that I know is something I definitely inherited from him) as his family would call him,  or Dirt, for his love of marijuana which was also inherited by… No,I can’t say that I inherited that from him. I can say I smoked my first joint ever with him at age 10 so that’s not inherited, that’s a 2 handed shove into the open arms of Mary Jane. I haven’t left her grip since. But, in his defense, it was my fault! I use to always smell that smell on him and I wanted to smell just like that and he finally got tired of me asking him what it was. “here, D, taste this and calm your ass down!”, lol!  Shit, if I knew it made you feel as good as it smelled, I would have pushed this issue with him a lot harder.

       There wasn’t nothing I couldn’t talk to him about. In fact, I never really knew what kinda of nut he was until I got older and actually let him talk instead of asking a million questions. I probably didn’t need to ask one and would probably still have everything I wanted to know answered. He never had to discipline me, although I am ashamed to admit we did have an altercation when I was grown. We quickly went back to being best friends after that. All of my friends loved him though. His wild stories would have everybody in stitches. The one area that usually turned him into something less than his jolly, normal self was my moms. He never got over how she broke up with him. That story I’ll probably save for 12/01, the anniversary of my mom’s passing back in ‘03.

       I do feel guilty though. When my mom passed, I was barely there for her. I hadn’t even known she was in the hospital until I visited a girl who worked in the same building I worked in with my mom. At the time, I had just quit working there a year… I’ll finish this story on 12/01 too. But the thing is, when she passed I wasn’t there for her as much as I could have been and this woman had me from birth to 16. Dirt wasn’t exactly the best father in the WORLD, WORLD, but he was my father and I guess when he got diagnosed with cancer back in November 07, I was spending time with him to make up for both of my parents. And I still wasn’t there as much as I could have been. But I know he knows how I felt, how I feel. Love ya, Dirt, wherever you are now. Happy Birthday, Old Man. That’s what I started calling him when I was old enough to get away with it. That’s it for now WORLD. Be sure to catch my post Jeanette’s Song on 12/01/10 for more on both of them. 

The Reason

Hello, WORLD!!!! I guess you wondering where I been, right? I been here in sense. I haven't done much writing because, truthly, I don't know. I have plenty to write and plenty of stuff to catch up on. This blog is about my life and my life is just crazy right now; I certainly can write about that. I also got a movie blog, Smokkee's WORLD Favorite's, and I've seen about a few dozen or more new movies since my last post. I've been going to the movies more this year than any other year except maybe 1987 & 2001 when i went at least once a week. I also got a blog aout my 101 goal's (Smokkee's WORLD 101) and while I do have all 101 goals written down, I have not explained them in detail yet. Procrastinating will get you nowhere, I once was told. Now, the real reason I haven't been blogging...well, I'll tell you later. LOL! I'm back, WORLD!!! You've been warned.

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How To Butcher the Isley Brothers

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A WORLD Exclusive, LOL!

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My Fridays

Hello, WORLD!! If you lived in Chicago a few years back, you knew where you were going every Friday night. If you were like me and my people, that was probably everywhere. To be fair, when I was just turning 21, I was just getting back to Chicago after selling USAdvantage, an all purpose cleaner, door to door in Anaheim, California but before then, I was doing the stay at home dad thing since 16. So when I did actually start going out I might have been over doing it a bit, with regular nightspots like the 24 Hour Club and "gentlemen clubs" like Cowboys. Friday nights were the shit!!!! A lot of clubs extending there hours; some nights, we wouldnt hear the last Last Call till 4am. Plus people just getting paid, feeling themselves more than usual. Almost every night was decent but it was just something bout Fridays. I was out at least 4 nights of the week in those days...but that was then. These days I still have hot dates on Friday, but they wanna ignore me for my own phone, listening to my music stunting and shit. Its good though; I still get the urge to go out but I wouldn't change this "boring" Friday nights for nothing in the WORLD! Well, since the kids are sleep it's time to get drunk like those Fridays. At least I still got that!

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The Future

Hello, WORLD!! It was said once that no one knows what the future holds. Yeah, aight. Nobody knows what the future holds for those who dont see what direction the present is pointing! I'm looking forward in the direction my present is guiding me to look. If you been reading my Blog, then you know about my view toward a few coworkers I had. Had. As of this writing, three of the laziest people I ever worked with are no longer with the company I've come to think of as my 5th family (Yeah, I got that many!). In the end, what was there downfall? Lack. Of. Wanting to work. LOW, if you will, and lo & behold what it got them. Unemployment for at least 2 years. Thats the future they were headed when I first met them & thats exactly where they are now. Mind you, I didnt dislike any of them; 1 of them,Grant, was almost like an older brother to me & he even writes sports post on my SMOKKEE'S WORLD OF SPORTS blog for extra money. Since I gave him that option, he's made my blog $3.00 off of 2 posts about something that he usually writes about for free. SMH. I tried to warn him that the end was nigh; jump aboard with me in this endeavor and let's write our own future. "Sure", he said, apparently half heartedly based on his output. I see some people are content let the future take whatever shape it would on its on. I on the other hand, would like nothing better to tell you I'm gonna be a success in a certain field but I have no way of knowing that field right now. What I do know is if I plant enough seeds in all kinda fields, I'm bound to get some kinda growth from a few of them seeds that were planted. Know that! Know this too: as hard as it is to get a job (this too is arguable, my girl Tara keeps multiple jobs and keeps getting better ones when she feels like it; also, the Chicago Red Eye ran a story a few months back about people who flip jobs like pancakes.), if you got one and you're not a hustler, AT LEAST show some hustle skills to keep your job. In this down economy, why would you want to wait on a government check to pay your bills when 9 outta 9, it isnt even half of what you are worth a week, much less a month? #JustSaying. That's it for now WORLD but its never enough so I keep at it! #Truth

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