Caring, Blessings, & Bliss

They say good things come to those who wait.  They also say good things happen to people who do good things for others.  I guess I got the chance to experience that this past weekend of September 18 - 19, 2010 because, there is no way these things could have been orchestrated.  This was one of the most blessed weekends ever shawty.  I got the opportunity to bless someone else's life and my life was blessed as well. 

It started when one of my homegirls from college flew into town on Thursday evening to spend the weekend with a guy she was talking to.  Saturday as I was getting my swagger together for a day party at the Glenn Hotel, I get a phone call from her asking me questions like..."if a woman came into town to spend the weekend with you, wouldn't you have the weekend planned for her?"  "Wouldn't you take her out to eat, show her around the city, etc.?"  "Would your ideal weekend with her be sitting in the house saying to her things like "you came to see me why do we need to go out?" or taking her to strip clubs?"  My immediate response to her was..."where did you meet this lame?" lol.  Subsequently I told her, "yes, I would have had everything planned."  At this point, my homegirl was ready to leave Atlanta (which was her very first visit to my city might I add).  So I told her look here, "I'll come get you and you can go to this party with me because I want you to have a good time while you're here."  She responds, "that won't be appropriate to ask you to come to this guys house."  I respond, "No...what's not appropriate is him not treating you like a woman.  Besides, tell him I'm your cousin...he doesn't know me."  So, I end up going to get her, taking her to the party where she had so much fun, took her to some of Atlanta's greatest attractions.  While on this tour, our last stop before going back to get something to eat was the Martin Luther King Jr. museum.  As we were walking back to my whip, there was a video being shot right across the street and the director of the video yelled, "yo do y'all want a cameo in this video we're shooting featuring Slick Pulla from Jeezy's label CTE?"  I yell back, "sure why not?!"  So, we were given our role in the video and knocked it out the park.  Everyone in the video noticed what I was wearing and asked me where did I get it from (I guess they liked it because they wanted to wear it in the video) and I was then invited to come out to day 2 of the shoot the next day and bring some ladies I know.  Skipping ahead, me and my homegirl went out to eat and then we went out to the club where we ended our fun at 4:30am.   

The very next day, I was able to get into contact with one of my other homegirls (who I have a strong adoration for) and found out she was just about to get on the road because she was moving out of town.  I was kind of devastated to hear the news because although she knew how I felt about her from the time we spent working together and hanging out, she didn't know how deep my adoration for her was; I'm a man that puts the ball in a woman's court, but I don't put myself ALL the way out there.  If she picks it up and dribbles, that's when I take her on the elevator ride of romance with me that doesn't have a down button.  So, she postponed her trip to be in the video with me.  We got the chance to spend a little time out together before going to the shoot (time I'd say I will definitely cherish).  We did the shoot, had fun, and the BCE brand was all over the place in it.  Its almost 10pm when she and I left the set so I could take her back to her point of departure.  We're laughing, talking, and listening to music (something we both love to do when we kick it because our musical taste is a lot similar).  We arrive at her departure point and give our normal hug to one another, kiss on the cheek, laugh a little bit more, and say bye; you know the normal awkward stuff lol.  I wanted to kiss her, but I always take the gentleman approach when it comes to women (in my opinion that always get you further with a woman; at least it has always gotten me further nevertheless lol).  On my way back to the crib, it hits me..."damn I can't let this girl leave like that shawty."  So I send her a text and here is how the convo went lol...

• Me - Damn!
• Her - What??
• Me - I wanted to kiss your lips and the feeling I get every time I see you; its like life starts all over again and I have an entire lifetime to know you
• Her - WOW! All I gotta say is you shoulda went for it. I wouldn't have mind it at all
• Me - Bussin a U right now
• Her - LOL. You are one of a kind
• Me - I never got the opportunity to hold you tight in my arms and let you feel my heart beat for you.  I can't let you leave without that
• Her - OMG CJ stop!
• Me - I honestly wish I could stop

So, as I bussed the U-turn, Bobby Valentino's - Knock Knock track from 2009 comes on.  It seemed like the perfect song for the scenario so I put it on repeat lol.  The only difference was there was no knocking involved.  I pulled up, parked, walked around to the front of my automobile, and leaned on the hood.  Someone tells her I'm outside and it was like something out of a movie because here comes this beautiful angel running towards me.  She grabs my face with both hands, thereafter our faces connect briefly and we exchange the biggest hug I had ever given anyone in a while.  I had to make the best out of my friend being disappointed, my vision for my company, and the departure of an admired angel.  All I can say is, I love God, I love my friends, and I love making the ladies smile ;-).  And to top it all off this was one of the best weekends for the BCE brand; GREATNESS really was achieved this weekend. 

BCE...a Fashion Line for the Bold, Confident, & Excellent
Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™
http://www.bceapparel.com/

Nobody Remembers a Quitter

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
    - Langston Hughes

Destitute communities.  Homeless shelters.  The roof of an automobile sheltering us from the rain and sometimes attacks from mom's abusive boyfriend.  These types of events chronicled my childhood.  According to "society" which often stares down the bridge of its nose, those that come from a background or familial harships such as these are not equipped with the tools to impactfully contribute to American culture.  But still, I rise. 

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
       - Maya Angelou

You see, GREATNESS can be achieved by anyone.  GREATNESS is not racist.  It is not prejudiced.  It is not judgemental, and it does not deal in the act of showing favoritism.  GREATNESS is however, a mentality.  It is attainable.  It is humble.  It is giving.  GREATNESS is patient, it is kind.  GREATNESS does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  GREATNESS is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  GREATNESS does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  GREATNESS always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  GREATNESS never fails.  Hence, GREATNESS is 1 Corinthians 13...LOVE.

As an adolescent boy, I made up my mind to never forget the aforementioned trials.  I chose not to forget them because this is my history; and if I forget where I come from, how will I ever know where I am headed?  Life has not always been GREAT, but GREATNESS has always lived within me.  It was those trials, hardships (or whatever adjective you choose), that awakened the resting DRUM MAJOR instinct that lived in me even before I was born.  Is it beneficial to anyone else for me to keep my history to myself?  NOT AT ALL.  You see, many people can relate to my story and I aim to uplift and inspire because, two things I do know is we all want to Achieve GREATNESS in some shape, form, or fashion, and roses do and will continue to...grow from concrete.

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.
     - Tupac Shakur

BCE...a Fashion Line for the Bold, Confident, & Excellent
Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™
http://www.bceapparel.com/

You are what You Think; You are what You Wear

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.  Proverbs 23:7 KJV

In following this scripture, I've lived my adolescent and adult life repeatedly saying to myself..."THINK GREAT AND YOU'LL BE GREAT.  This is the key to rising above the life I was born into."  A life of which much detail doesn't have to be divulged because most of you reading this can relate.  If not, perhaps you'll get my drift if I put it this way.  Like many, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but the human mind naturally causes us to thirst for and fight for more than what we had.  Despite this fact of my life which I had no control over, I knew I could and would ACHIEVE GREATNESS because I was born with an innate desire to be someone GREAT, and a mind that wouldn't allow me to think anything less than GREAT. 

Just like everything else in life, wanting to be GREAT also comes at a price.  A price that is paid through your actions, your diligence, your character, the way you walk, the way you talk, and all the way down to the way you dress.  Emphatically, I stress all of these things, but my profession causes me to expound upon the price that is paid for GREATNESS through how we dress.  We live in a world of choices, and I have the utmost respect for the choices people choose to make for themselves because, I am not in the business of criticism or being the judge of one's actions.  I hold a strong belief that what you wear speaks volumes about who you are or what you represent, and directly impacts your attitude and the performance of your daily tasks.  It is for this reason, the BCE brand of clothing was created.  Created because, being in fashion is about being me; I wanted to wear clothing that represents who I am, what I believe, and where I am headed in life.  I wear nothing that isn't representative of me.  For example, skulls and cross bones, which I've always associated with death or poison.  I am a leader, I believe I can and will ACHIEVE GREATNESS, and GREATNESS is where I am headed and where the remainder of my life will reside. 

"The drum major instinct is a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first.  It is something that runs a whole gamut of life.  Before we condemn those that have these desires, let us see that we all have the drum major instinct.  We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade." ~Dr. Martin Luther King - Final Speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church - A Drum Major for Justice

THINK GREAT * DRESS GREAT * BE GREAT

**The YouTube video below of Dr. King's 'A Drum Major for Justice' speech is a magnification of the symbolism behind the drum major.

BCE...a Fashion Line for the Bold, Confident, & Excellent
Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™
http://www.bceapparel.com/

This Is Why I See Fireworks

I am Barack Obama.  I am John F. Kennedy.  I am Dr. Martin Luther King.  I am Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I am Oprah Winfrey.  I am William H. Gates III.  I am John D. Rockefeller.  I am Wilma Rudolph.   

Why is it that I refer to myself as these individuals and individuals like them?  Because they possess or possessed a gene that I discovered I too possess.  A gene that creates a desire for you to achieve GREATNESS.  A gene that causes you to achieve GREATNESS and fight for something greater for yourself...the name of this gene is BCE (Bold, Confident, & Excellent).

To be BOLD is to be courageous (like Dr. Kings' fight for civil rights or Bill Gates' decision to discontinue his undergraduate Harvard education to pursue his passion that became Microsoft)...To be CONFIDENT is to think highly of yourself and the same of others (like John F. Kennedy and his domestic and foreign policies or President Obama when he responded, "I KNOW I can win" when asked, "Do you THINK you can win the presidency?")...To be EXCELLENT is to not be inferior (like Wilma Rudolph who was born inferior with the polio disease and died a superior international track star, or Ralph Waldo Emerson and his collection of philosophical essays, or John D. Rockefeller and his astute business tactics).

The study of these individuals indicates, Bold, Confident, & Excellent are three things you have to be in order to achieve GREATNESS, and in my world I envision a society where everyone achieves whatever it is they are progressing towards.  GREATNESS first starts on the inside and before one can realize such achievement, there is a requirement to first be proud of who you are, where you come from, and certain of where you're headed.

As it is for many people, music was (and still is) one particular medium I use to cope with daily life.  Ever since the age of 12, when I first began to incorporate the request for GREATNESS into my daily prayers, I vividly remember dreaming in wake about the person I someday wanted to be.  In the midst of the fireworks, I saw myself; I saw a leader; I saw a drum major.  Why a drum major (you may wonder)?  Not only because I was a member of my middle school band at the time, but because the drum major represents leadership, authority, power, and direction.  But, that's not all...it represented me; a young boy with progressive thoughts, progressive dreams, and progressive actions.  

Do you dream of being someone GREAT?  Do you work each day to be better than you were and do better than you did the day before?  Do you dream of living a life far more superior than the one you've been leading or birthed into?  To be the host of the BCE gene qualifies you for the desire and reality to live the life of luxury.  Be BOLD, be CONFIDENT, be EXCELLENT, and achieve something GREATER for yourself. 

This is Why I See Fireworks
www.bceapparel.com

To be BOLD, CONFIDENT, & EXCELLENT

FROM THE NEVER-RESTING MIND OF MR. BCE 'OWNER & FOUNDER of THIS DISTINGUISHED CLOTHING BRAND'

"To be BOLD is to be courageous...

To be CONFIDENT is to think highly of yourself and the same of others...

To be EXCELLENT is to not be inferior."

BCE...a fashion line for the Bold, Confident, & Excellent.  

Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™ www.bceapparel.com

Mr. BCE

Identify Yourself with GREATNESS

"BCE is not in the business of simply selling clothing.  The BCE brand is beyond that.  Instead, we sell you a vision, a dream, an aspiration of achieving greatness.  I know many people who want to achieve GREATNESS and refuse to settle for mediocrity; these are the very people the BCE brand was created for."  ~Mr. BCE Owner & Founder of BCE Apparel Co.
  
Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™  
www.bceapparel.com

Are You a BCE Man/Woman?

Do you consider yourself progressive?  Consider yourself having the goal and intent to improve yourself via forward advancement to the next level of your life, career, etc.  Or even put another way...you work each day to be better than you were the day before?

The BCE clothing line was created for those that consider themselves Bold, Confident, and Excellent; three things you have to be in order to achieve anything you are progressing towards in your life.  If you look at any great person in the history of mankind, that person embodied these three attributes.  This individual was bold enough to take risks for what they believe in no matter what any opposing parties had to say or think.  This individual also possessed the confidence in themself of absolute certainty that they would and could achieve their dream.  Lastly, this individual that you have resting in your cerebellum as you read this post, did everything to achieve their dream with excellence (not second-rate, but with excellence).

In my world, I envision a society where everyone achieves whatever it is they are progressing towards in life, but in order to realize such achievement one has to be proud of who they are, where they come from, and certain of where they are headed.  Now take a look at the BCE logo.  It is a drum major in the action of marching, but he is not marching in place...he is marching forward; he is progressing!  During my college years, the band to me and many others was the voice of pride for the school.  I always remembered that drum major; he was bold enough to be the first to step out onto the field at half-time, he had a level of confidence that he is the one that will get the show kicked off right, and he did his job with such excellence.  Like Ralph Lauren's polo horse (which is something that is so near and dear to him that he made it the symbol of his clothing brand), I found something that is near and dear to me to serve as the symbol of my clothing brand.  Over one year ago when God planted this vision in my heart, it tied together so perfectly and even moreso when we defined the type of people the BCE fashion line caters to...and that is people who are motivated by achievement and progression.  Who wants to stay in the same position they were in the day before?  Definitely not I or any of the people I most frequently associate myself with.
Established on the principles of Pride, Style, and Swagger (three additional things I possess as do most of you), BCE can't say it any better than this...

• If you possess PRIDE for who you are, a STYLE unique to none other, and a SWAGGER so admirable it needs a bodyguard...you are a BCE man...you are a BCE woman.  Bold, Confident, & Excellent. 

BCE...a fashion line for the Bold, Confident, & Excellent.   
Identify Yourself with GREATNESS™
www.bceapparel.com