Who Am I

I am a 33 year old man that's working on becoming a better person everyday of my life. Am I a good person? I think so. Have I made mistakes in my past? Yes I have, who hasn't. Am I perfect? Far from it. Learning is all a part of life that we all go through as we grow.

I was raised in a two parent household along with my brother. My parents are still married and this year just celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. My father was and still is a complete gentleman to my mother. That's where I received my romantic side, and received my generosity, kind heart, and personality from my mother. i wasn't a bad kid at all, never been suspended from school or got in trouble in school accept failing 9th grade English which I had a very hard teacher. Can you imagine bringing a report card that said all A's a couple of B's and one F? I was so ashamed. Going to summer school was an embarrassment for me because I knew I was a good student. Never went to summer school again after that year.

Went to college the non traditional way, freshman and sophomore year stayed on campus and jr. and senior year worked full time and went to school at night. I can tell you i really appreciated college more after these years because I knew how hard it was going to school and working. I honestly took school more serious and my grades were proof. I never took anything like that for granted again.

Graduation day from undergrad was amazing, having all my love ones there and when my name was called, i can hear my love ones cheering and it almost made me cry. Being as though I worked for the school, it was weird having the president handing me my degree and shaking my hand and i have been in his office talking to him about work stuff. Very funny feeling. To this day most expensive piece of paper I own. I gave my degree to my mother being as though graduation was around mothers day and that was my gift. Looking into my parents eyes right after the ceremony and seeing how proud they were of me is something I will never forget. It meant so much to me.

During these times I gained new friends and lost them as well including one of best friends deciding to end his life. I had a couple of relationships with females ending and starting a brand new one. To this day, the longest relationship I have ever had. Although that relationship ended, I learned so much from that experience and realized that we both made mistakes and I have grown from it. I decided to go to grad school and get my MBA in 2009. Hard work is an understatement on how difficult it was working full time and going to school in grad school. Totally different from undergrad. There were many times when I want to give up, saying that I was beat and I didn't have the energy to on. Thanks to my mom and dad and my new born niece was my motivation to keep going. I love to learn so that was motivation as well. I wanted to fulfill a promise made in high school to my father and grandmother that I would obtain a master's degree. As I sit back and realize the support system I had, It made me do even better. I can honestly say that I really didn't have a social life for two years but I think in the long run, it will pay off. Walking across that stage and being hooded after they called my name, I felt like cloud 9. Nothing could take that feeling away. I almost think I was addicted to it because I had the same feeling during my undergrad graduation. I gave my grad school degree to my father being as though I walked in June, it was his fathers day present. I really don't feel the need to have my degrees because I know i graduated. I always wanted to give them to my parents.

Growing up, my dad taught me how to play sports. We would play catch with the football, baseball and he taught me how to shoot a jumpshot in basketball. I knew I was going to be a sports junkie because I always wanted to do everything he did. I can remember since I was two, sitting next to my dad watching sports. Phillies winning the world series, eagles loosing to the raiders in the superbowl and the sixers winning the finals in 1983. Philadelphia sports is in my blood and is a huge part of me. Sunday's in the Jones residence during the fall, we glued to the tv watching the Eagles, no matter how bad they were during those time. Even my brother, although he is a 49ers fan. My brother was the weird one 49ers, lakers, yankees, were his teams. Shaking my head!

I am a man that loves romantic things, movies, writing poetry, learning new things, sports fanatic, loves to drive anywhere, and enjoys the beach. All of these things became a part of me while I was growing up. Do you know who you are?