let me set the stage for you. 6th grade @ granada hills baptist. graduation practice. prob 2 weeks before i graduate. 1:45PM. i heard my name being called out from the graduation practice. i was surprised because i knew my name wasn't the next one in order. i could feel something uneasy in my stomach from that moment on. i remember my teacher calling me outside to "talk". now this is a graduation that had 10 students in my 6th grade class (incuding ms. britney olson). so i walk outside ready to get yelled at for talking or something...thats what always got me in trouble in those elemtary school years, and my teacher, i think her name was ms. davis put her arm on my shoulder and from that instant i knew my world had been changed. she said something to the effect of "i dont know how to say this, but your mom called and told us that your daddy has passed away". immediately the dam of waterworks let go. rightfully so. she hugged me pretty caringly. what was i thinking next. i honestly can't tell you. maybe something like what does this really mean, will i really never talk to him again, will i never have him coach my teams anymore, surley my mom wassn't going to smoke a cigar and race grannies on haskell, all while teaching their most of the major 4 letter "bad" words. next thing i knew my mom was there, running to sweep my off my feet with the biggest, most loved hug ever. we both kneeled there and cried for minutes, not sure what to say to the woman i loved the most who had just had the world ripped from under her. all i said was I LOVE YOU. probably the 3 most important words i can ever say to her.
so here we are today. 2007. a decade since we became a 4 person household. i've been through countless cars, 3 schools, had some of the best girlfriends ever, tried moving out for 5 months, went to the city all star game for football in high school, blah blah blah. but out of all of that i miss chillin with the "pops". i cant explain how many times i drive by a dad and his little boy playing catch in the park or interviewed at a sports game, and just wish i could have that for one second. but hey thats what dreaming is for.
as for dreams, there has been ONe person (make that tHRee but im just going to talk about the main one) throughout these ten years who has been there every step of the way. proud of my accomplishments, always excited for whatever new adventure i am going to take her on, curious about what i have to teach her (where do i begin text messaging, the Internet, you name it)...even if it is impossible for her to comprehend what im actually saying because she is after all, from the 60's. that person i am proud to say has been my mom. back then i only knew of my mom as the dedicated housewife and mother that she was. little did i know that she was a entrepreneur, a woman with millions of ideas and thousands of thoughts, someone who could tackle more shit in one day than some do all year, someone almost as funny as my dad, someone who would shape me to be the man i am today. little did i know what would become what i have with her today. its unreal to me how close i am today to GABIE, the lady i will always call my mom, one of my best friends. but i guess thats just one of the positive things that have come out of this whole situation. i kinda take pride in the fact that i'm a "mama's boy" (no homo). its gotten me a lot farther with girls if not for anything else good.
i'm sure there will be plenty more...including some pics of dad. until than...dont take anything for granted, you never know when it all can be taken right from you. thanks to all the people who have helped me get through these past ten years. it's a miracle i haven't had to see a shrink yet. i guarantee 99% of you won't see this but i deep down love each and every one of you in that own special way. all the good times we had wont be forgotten, but ever since that day 10 years ago, i've had to put one person in priority...referring to myself, and if that got in the way of us i'm truly sorry. i was just looking out for that one person and did what was best for them. it may not have always been the right move, but it was the one i choose at the time. so in the mist of david charles pearson, who we will always love and remember, who i want to be exactly like everyday more than anyone...here's to you!!!
