What do you think?

What are some of your thoughts on this image?? Please leave feedback or hit me up on twitter @Stretchd

Whats Your Thoughts?

give me some feedback on what this means to you!!

Great Unsigned Talent

These are a couple of artist's that have some really great music. Please check them out. I listen too all of these guys on the regular.

@PushOnDemand
http://www.PUSHonDEMAND.com

@itseddiecaine
aqua 8's & heartaches... http://bit.ly/x8pdZO.

@gleamsatm
http://www.datpiff.com/Gleams-The-Cast-mixtape.316422.html

There's a couple for now. If im missing any please let me know. Thanks. Stay blessed.

Tough Times

First and foremost I would like to apologize for my lapse in no writing. Times have been pretty tough lately. I recently just lost my father on December 26^th of 2011. This was probably the worst day of my life. Not probably, it was. For those who don't know me, my father was my role model. He taught me everything I ever needed to know about how to be a man. Showed me how to raise a family and always do whats best for the family and not just for me. When I got that phone call from my brother, that my father had passed, the world stopped. I remember my seven year old son was standing there while I was on the phone calling my fiance and telling her to leave work because my father is gone. He had this puzzled look on his face. A look that I'll never forget. After I went over to my fathers house and the ambulance left and everyone went home. I remember just going to my house and sitting on the driveway and asking God why he had to take my father. All the people in the world that don't deserve to be here, that treat people horribly, that have no care for anything in the world, why my father? The next morning was the worst. I had to sit down and tell my kids that their Pop Pop would no longer be coming by to take them to their sporting events. Will no longer be able to come by and just hang out and laugh with them. This was tougher then anything I had ever had to do. I was so scared in how they would react and how I would react. Then, my youngest son, hit me off with such hope. He told me all the good things that he would miss about my father. All the things that I had forgotten about. The trips to the shore, the long rides to no where just so we could kick the bobo, and all the fun stuff that my father and him had done. Its been 2 months now and a day that my father has been gone. It doesn't really get any easier to be honest with you. But I have learned quite a bit in this past 61 days. I know that God's plan is always right. God just needed my father up there more then we needed him down here. I have learned to just look at life in a whole new way now. You really never know when God will call upon you and need you home. You have to live every day like its your last. Enjoy life on its own terms. My will and Gods will rarely ever match up. I just try to stay on the right path. I also realized that some people will never meet their father. Some people have their father and don't want anything to do with him. I can proudly say that I have had 29 great years with my father. Great memories are what I think of on any given day. When it all boils down, and I really just sit and think about it, I was truly blessed to have the father that I had. The only man I have ever met. Just remember to always stay positive and focused on your goals and dreams. If you keep up the hard work, it all pays off in the end. Miss ya pops. Enjoy life today. Stay blessed.

Give a Gift..

When everyone thinks of the holidays they always think about material gifts. Whats the new electronic device out? Whats the nicest pair of shoes/boots? Whats this? Whats that? How do I know this? Well, because I'm one of them! Haha! This year is different though. Instead of spending all my money on gifts for all relatives and people I know. I told them that their gift will be a favor. It doesn't have to be now or tomorrow. It doesn't even have to be this year. But when ever you need a hand with anything. I'm there. Of course this doesn't work with my kids, because that's what fathers are for any way. My kids have been blessed every year during the holidays and as long as God allows it, they will continue too. This year, before the year ends, I would like to get to a shelter of some kind and help out. Even a local YMCA and help out with any needs they need. A gift doesn't have to be anything materialistic to mean something. A gift is something you give from the heart. Something that you sat down and thought about it. Something that when you give it to that person, they will have that look on their face. You know the look I'm talking about. The look that cancels all your bad feelings you might be going through. All the feelings of doubt you might have for that day. A gift can be anything. One of my favorite gifts is writing a list of gratitude towards a special someone. Telling them how much they truly mean to me. I wrote my fiance a poem last year, and also got her something, but the poem is what struck her as awesome. So, this year, before its over, do something for someone. Give someone a gift that you can't buy at a store. Go out of your way for someone. Make someone feel that they are number one in your book. Let me know some of the Gifts you will be giving. Thanks! Stay blessed.

No Values At All

This morning as I walked into the Wawa, as I always do every morning. I got to the door the same time a mother and her son got to the door. Out of force of habit and how I was raised, I opened the door for them. The mother looked at me and said thank you and then the son walked in before the mother. He then went to the next set of doors and opened them just enough for him to be able to squeeze through. I was amazed at this. The mother didn't say a single thing. She almost looked like it was of the norm. Is this how it is now a days? No values at all? No morals? If my father ever saw me do that, a swift smack to the back of the head would follow. I was raised to always say please and thank you and to always be grateful for what I had and not what I needed! Well, back to this kid. He was wearing a set of headphones and all he had in his hands was a Gatorade. While his mom had the gallon of milk, eggs, and was juggling her purse to get the money out. She was able to get the gallon of milk on the counter but the eggs didn't quite make it. She was embarrassed and completely red. This is what really got me pissed. Her son then looked around at her, and under his breath, “you such a clumsy person mom!” I am a very timid guy. It takes a lot for me to get upset and to the point where I feel that I need to say something. I tapped the kid on the shoulder, maybe 13-14 years old, and asked him in a calm and cool manner, “your just gonna stand there while your mother is struggling with this”? “Yea, she dropped em”. I was blown away. Unreal. How in the world did this kid get this way? Can someone please tell me is this the normal thing to do? I wouldn’t even dare to THINK that growing up. I proceeded to help the woman clean the mess up and I went over and got her a new thing of eggs. The whole time this cat just stood there looking. I really wanted to smack some sense into him but I don’t think it would of helped. I just don’t understand anymore people. I am raising my children to be respectful to everyone. Right from wrong. Morals. Manners. The whole 9. I do my best to go out of my way most days to make sure I open the door for a female or help someone get there groceries in their car. Please leave me some feedback and let me know if you would feel the same way. Also, if you have a story like this, let me know. Thanks for reading. Stay blessed.

A Shot of Gratitude

Every day I wake up I am grateful. Some people don't get that chance to enjoy a morning sun rise. Every night I lay my head down on the pillow, a sense of gratitude comes over me. Even if the day was full of problems and a lot of aggravation. I am still grateful that I was able to live another day. Just recently my oldest son became ill. He kept complaining about his stomach. That it was a sharp pain. I had thought that maybe he pulled a muscle from coughing. It wasn't. The phone rang at work and it was my better half telling me that I need to get to the hospital quick because my son was being emitted. As I sped to the hospital every thought and feeling was bad. What was wrong with him? Is there anything I could of done? What am I going to do? I got to the hospital just at the doctor was walking in to tell us the news. My son had appendicitis. I was filled with fear. Everyone told me that it was such a simple procedure and there was no need to worry. But it was my son laying there. Not theirs. We were shipped out to CHOP in Philadelphia for a emergency surgery. Here is the gratitude hit. We were sitting there in the room and the doctor just explained how the anesthesia works. My fiance had to leave to the room to move the car. I explained to my son that he was just going to be put to sleep for a little bit so he wouldn't feel anything. My son then grabbed my hand and said, “Dad, you're going to be here when I wake up right?” I looked at him with tears in my eyes and told him, “Absolutely pal, I am not going anywhere”. The feeling of gratitude that I felt at that moment could not of been measured. It was like I finally found what I was looking for. Hard to explain that feeling to people, but if you have kids then maybe you will understand. All the fear was filled with faith right then and there. My son, going into surgery, had made my day. More like my life right there. Gratitude is a verb to me today not a noun. You have to express it. Its just like wrapping a gift and not giving it away. Oh yea, my sons surgery went well. Thanks again for all the prayers too. Stay blessed.