It was all a dream.....

Sometimes you have to step outside of your current situation and evaluate/re-evaluate your dreams, aspirations and objectives. In this case I had no choice, I consider it a blessing in disguise.

OKAY. I went to jail twice in 14 days(for a total of 5 days) for 11 outstanding tickets. I was incarcerated in Dallas and went back to jail a week and a half after my first incarceration, this time in Kaufman County(an adjoining county to Dallas County) due to a database glitch/error. How and why I got pulled over is another post all together, see below.

While I was in jail the first time I did a lot of soul searching, for some reason I didn't think my life was on the right path. It seemed like every other day I was facing some sort of adversity, the paramount of my problems being my incarceration for outstanding warrants. I posted bonds, when I got out I was so happy to get back to my life....a sense of normalcy.

While in jail the second time I did some more soul searching, this time I prayed and made a promise to my Lord and Savior to step my game up when I got out. Without a doubt, I knew I was becoming comfortable and somewhat complacent with my life. I wasn't being challenged mentally and did enough work to satisfy my life's ambitions. On top of that the business relationships I had established were becoming a burden due to various reasons I would prefer not to mention. Anyway, I post bail and I am back on the streets....nothing will be the same.

That night and into the next week I updated my resume(sick credentials if I do say so myself) and blast er'ybody who's anybody in the real estate industry in Dallas, TX. I know I sent close to 200 emails/resume attached to partners, principals, regional managers, CEO, CIO and COO's. My emphasis was executives in commercial real estate and commercial real estate appraisal. Now peep this, a week after I sent all these emails I started getting responses. Some of the responses were surprisingly positive, but others were just rude. One exec said I was obnoxious and questioned my audacity to contact them in such a manner. My closest friends even told me that I would never get a gig by emailing company heads without going through a headhunter or HR. I didn't care what anyone thought, I had consulted with G O D on this issue.

Two weeks later I received an email from a managing partner with a highly reputable valuation firm. THE EMAIL FOLLOWS...


We do strictly commercial work; we're on track to do over 800 appraisals this year out of our Dallas office. Even though Drake has 8 other offices across the country, we travel nationwide to accommodate our clients, which typically request 2-3 week delivery. We've got appraisers currently working in CA, FA, GA, SC, MS, etc. I've even got an assignment in Honolulu. The typical appraiser in my office works 60+ hours per week, with some of us averaging 80 hours. There is typically someone hear at 7:00AM and some don't leave until midnight. The appraisers are on graduated splits, with incomes in the $100K to $250K range. If you've got the energy and desire to work under these circumstances, please forward me a couple of your commercial assignments so that I can take a look at the reports.

thanks,
Bart


FAST FORWARD 20 DAYS>>>>>>>>>>

To make a long story short, I am now a commercial real estate appraiser/consultant.

The dude ART is like Morpheus(cold) in the Matrix...you guessed it, I am Neal "THE ONE". ~kidding

It is safe to say that going to jail change my life for the better. I would have never thought a trip to jail could be so valuable.

WE MAJOR NOW!!


Personal soundtrack: You Can't See Me, Tupac Shakur "The blind stares of a million pairs of eyes, lookin' hard but won't realize that they will never see...I've seen money, but baby I got to gets mo'"

WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER. I'll drink to that.

I worked 65 +/- hours this past week. Is this the AMERICAN DREAM realized? The verdict is still out. If it were not for the fact that I love what I do I would have been indigent along time ago.

Beyond work, I am currently(right now as I type) sitting in a mandatory continuing education course that requires me to be present FRI 5-10, SAT 1-6 and SUN 1-6 for 4 weekends in a row. I have to take the classes to renew my licenses(real estate broker license and real estate appraiser license) annually, each license has individual requirements that rarely supplement one another. Who new I would still be attending classes after going to college for forever and a day? The whole idea of paying for my licenses every year and then the continuing education that goes along with it is disheartening at this stage in my career. My operating expense and overall income is slightly marginal, yielding a minor profit.

This reality leads me to my homie Kelvin's crib last night breaking in a bottle of Captain Morgan's Spice RUM before we hit the streets for the night. I don't know about you and your peers, but it is an unwritten rule that me and a few of my frat brothers/homies are furiously competitive about our career ambitions. We chatted about our individual hustles(tax law and real estate). I am proud to say my partner is a corporate taxation attorney, nih makes paper, less his monumental student loans. I think he has like 125K in student loans, amazing right? How do you live under 125K of debt.....he has to make 115K +/- a year. I know his student loans run 4K +/- a month easy. In my opinion, the idea of owing 125K to anyone let alone the government is depressing. On a more positive note, K is getting married next year in Jamaica. Before we left for the bar/club he showed me a 2 karat diamond ring last night. I think the room dropped five degrees when he pulled it out. One word "BLING".

FAST FORWARD>>>>>>>>We went to Maxwell's of Addison, TX last night @ 10:30PM-ish. I don't get out much, because the club scene in Dallas, Tx is lackluster. Surprisingly, I must say there was some "talent"(attractive chicks) in the building along with a nice crowd. I think I was 4 CROWN & COKES down before I lost my vocabularies......at this point I plead the 5th on grounds I may incriminate myself.

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE

What's in my pocket? A knot, business cards acquired, one a day vitamin, cell phone and pack of gum.

Personal soundtrack: WHEN I'M IN THE CLUB/SLIM THUG "WHEN I'm in the club all the hoes show me love....In the VIP with the CHICKS and the DRUGS" I was in rare form last night, like a pimp.

BABY pick cotton, now she's lying in state?

LYING IN STATE, can you imagine impacting and contributing to humanity on a level that a nation would honor your existance? How great is that? I can't put my thoughts/mind around it.

CONGRESS has approved a resolution allowing ROSA PARKS to lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. CAPITOL, an honor usually reserved for presidents, members of Congress and military commanders.

ROSA PARKS' body is being viewed in Montgomery, Alabama today flown to WASHINGTON, D.C. tomorrow to be viewed Saturday and Monday, then it will be flown to DETROIT, MICHIGAN where she will have her funeral services and be buried.

ROSA PARKS grew up when black Americans were referred to and recognized as "niggars". She live during a time in American history when blacks were delegated to picking cotton and subject to being lynched, now she's lying in state at our nations Capitol.


Can you see the irony?


What's in my pocket? One a day vitamin, a hot $20 dollar bill, bank card and my cell phone.

Personal soundtrack: ROSA PARKS, Outkast ......."WAh ha, hush that fuss/Everybody move to the back of the bus/Do you wanna bump and slump with us/We the type of people make the club get crunk."
What did you expect?

_________________________________________________

I included an insert from Wikipedia Encyclopedia. _________________________________________________

Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country. While practice differs between countries, a viewing in a location that is not the principle government building is referred to as lying in repose.

United States

Lying in state takes place underneath the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. The first leader to receive this honor was statesman Henry Clay in 1852. Since then the honor has been extended to 10 U.S. presidents, including the four who were assassinated, but is not limited to them. Including the most recent person to receive this honor, Rosa Parks, a total of 29 people have lain in state in the Capitol since 1852.

Do you know you have multiple warrants sir, throughout various counties?

OK, I have received 11 traffic tickets in the past TWO YEARS. I didn't even know it was ELEVEN. I knew it was a lot, but eleven? Two of them are for speeding, the rest miscellaneous and random Class C Misdemeanors for no seat belt, driving without a driver's license, expired inspection and registration and failure to appear were abundant. All but two, non-moving violations.

I didn't pay my tickets, with that said I had 11 warrants. Thursday at noon on my way to a business appointment/appraisal inspection I get pulled over by a Dallas Constable. FAST FORWARD> > > > > > > > > > My car was impounded and I ended up in Lew Sterrett Justice Center(City Jail) for TWO DAYS. It was a surreal experience, it kind of put some things into perspective for me. I mean.... true I went to jail, but I knew I was getting out. More importantly, I wanted to get out and never return to that COLD pissy grimey INHUMANE bullshit (BET I PAY MY TICKETS FROM NOW ON).

Some cats seem to have adapted to the system of temporary incarceration. I sat there zoned out listening to stories of robbery, drug addiction, homelessness, parole violations and domestic violence all the while thinking, "DAMN, MY LIFE IS NOT SO BAD". At one point some of the confessions captured my attention to a level of entertainment, in return the time went by faster. I am not saying it was enjoyable, I was in JAIL and there is nothing COOL about JAIL. Please believe I counted damn near every minute until I got out.....I mean minimum sleep, the joint was so grimey I couldn't.

FAST FORWARD> > > > > > > >I was released Saturday afternoon from Richardson City Jail after being transferred Saturday morning from "THE LEW" in Dallas.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the 6 balogna sandwiches/no cheese I had to eat. That's all I have to say about that and my whole JAIL fiasco. Let's just say some things are best kept unsaid.


On a lighter note....

The funniest thought kept reocurring in my mind, AMISTAD the movie. "GIVE US, US FREE!!" It was hysterically funny to me, my "CELLMATES" thought I was crazy I'm sure. After like 12 hours in a holding cell without saying much I bust out laughing and couldn't stop. I'm thinking to myself, "Shit I want to go home. I am sleeping on a concrete bench when I have a CALI-KING at the crib...this is Un-American, I pay taxes." When the correction officers walked by my cell I wanted to bang on the double paned glass and yell ...."GIVE US, US FREE". Situational irony is something I find humorous and under the circumstances I couldn't help but make light of the situation.


What's in my pocket? A couple hundred bucks for my whip, auto pound business card, traffic tickets, receipts and my cell phone.

Personal soundtrack: WE MAJOR.....Kanye West. It's back to business as usual.

To blog, or not to blog.... that is the question.

I have been struggling with the idea of exposing my sacred inner feelings and thoughts with the world? What are my reservations, lets see? Maybe I fear that at some point or another this innocent attempt to express the things I struggle with on a day to day basis; love, aspirations, habits, vices may be misconstrued and come back and haunt me at an inopportune time. I have major insecurities when it comes to vulnerability. The internet is a tricky thing, it's so amazing and then at the same time it is horrible. As much as I would like to affiliate myself with the amazing I fear and despise the horrible isht that it is capable of. With that said, I will attempt to walk a fine line between my personal life and things I hold dear to me and share my perception, feelings and opinions on life as I know it.

Where shall I begin..... It's 2005, right? I have been pulled over at least 8 times in the past four months. Needless, to say I have my share of warrants. This may be directly related to my occupation, I am a real estate broker and appraiser. My job requires me to perform valuations on real estate properties throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolis. I 'm not racist, but there has to be a direct correlation between my skin color and the number of times I get pulled over within a given time period...please keep in mind I have not been pulled over for speeding once, all but one are non-moving violations. The infractions range from an expired inspection to crossing a solid white line. I'd say half the time I am released without a citation being issued. So, you tell me am I a victim of ::cough:cough:: RACIAL PROFILING? Maybe not, but it sure is ironic.

What's in my pocket? Business cards, $4 and change, bank card, Presidential, cell phone.

Personal soundtrack: Young Bloodz featuring Lil Jon, George Bush...."What we ride? Big rims." That isht works better than strong black coffee with sugar at six in the morning. KRUNK MUSIC!!!

Can you see me now?