Monday, May 23, 2016

This morning I arrived at toastmasters at 7 a.m. The first speaker was Daniel C. who spoke on the topic “Why Start a Business.” It was an interesting and informative speech. Kudos Daniel! Justin W. was next up and he entertained us with a story about feeding his little brother mud pies! Everyone had a good laugh.
Later I headed over to computer lab where once again Jerry G. and Pat I. had to help me with the computer. I really wouldn’t be able to do anything without those two helping me out. I found some pretty good stuff on the market research files about my business idea.

I sat around most of the afternoon with the new Phase I guys. So far it looks like a pretty good class. As today is Monday there’s not the normal excitement as a Tuesday or Thursday when we have class. Overall it was a good day.
Keep your chins up, my brothers, and stay the course. Graduation is right around the corner. Until next time, this is Go Head Go signing off. Love y’all.

Robert H. (a.k.a. Go Head Go)

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Well guys, I packed up my stuff and now I can’t sleep! Even though I know I am finally six months to getting out, I wish I could stay so I could finish this with you. A lot of things are going through my mind right now but the most prominent is that I already miss you and have not even left yet.

I’ve never had a friend who was my friend just because of who I am and who I want to become! Now I have over a hundred more-than-friends, people I’ve chosen to be my brothers. I thank you for accepting me, choosing me. We’ve been through a lot together. It doesn’t seem like much but looking back through it: authentic manhood, leadership academy, testimonies, toastmasters, endless study, hard tests and massive homework just to prove we want it and the constant battle every day to rise up and prove that we are good men. We are good men!

A volunteer at Kairos told me something this past week that struck me as I was telling him all that we’ve done. He told me something that I will never forget, “A good man will always get punished.” I was shocked and he could see it. He said, “As a business owner when you find a good man, you punish him. You stack him up with work, and he becomes loyal and dependable. You can count on him. You give him so much work and responsibility that he thinks he is going to break but then he gets tougher and you punish him more. The same thing applies in life with family and in church, because there will be the day that being a good man pays off!” Those were his words. I look up to that old guy, he is here every week.

We are all good men. We have all done something that we are not proud of. But at our core, the essence of our being, we feel the weight of the wrong we have done and are doing all we can to make up for it. None of us are the same as when we started. What started as hope, dreams and visions are becoming reality. You can tell by our walk. You can tell by our talk. You can tell by the presence that is felt when we enter a room. We are real men! Good men! – and we are getting better every single day.

This is not a good bye. This is a see-ya-later. I will rejoin you as soon as I can and I will complete this “out there.” Remember as you get stacked up with work, it is because you are loyal; it is because you are dependable. It is because you are tough and can handle it. It is because you are good men! Who are we? PEP! I love you all!

Daryl H. (a.k.a. Sweet Minion)

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

So, today we are going to try something different. Usually the journals are written in the perspective of the current class participants. Let’s see it from a graduate perspective.
The class is doing well tugging along and fighting through the trenches together. You can see the unity that has developed as the class is progressing along. Of course things are not perfect, but hey, what in this world is? I do not remember who said, “Perfection is unattainable but in the pursuit of perfection you can achieve greatness.” The point is that the guys are on their way to greatness. This is a golden opportunity for the guys to prove what they are made of. The majority are using this chance to prove to their families that this time it is different. No longer are they just talking the talk now they are walking the walk! Believe me it is not easy, but it is also not impossible.

I have a feeling that the guys also believe as I do when we say that quitting is not an option. There is just too much on the line for them. Imagine this: spending the night studying to be ready for the Entrepreneurship chapter test for the week while also reading a chapter ahead to be ready in case there is a pop quiz, studying an associated press writing style guide, Microsoft word hot keys, and Excel worksheets just in case they get tested. Rough. My hat goes off to the guys for stepping up to the challenge. Wednesday is computer lab time for them. There are many different assignments that are performed through their computer lab time. For example, there are lessons on Microsoft Word to make sure that they at least know basic computer skills. Everything nowadays is about technology, so it only makes sense to get the guys ready for it. Some have not seen nevermind touched a computer in so long – a quick lesson is good to shake the rust off. They’re doing an exceptional job but the journey is far from over. In reality the journey is never over because there is always room for improvement.

Edgar R. (a.k.a. Sweet Esqueleto)

Thursday, May 26, 2016

As I entered the PEP room it was filled with low playing music and smiling faces. As everyone was shaking hands and giving each other hugs you could hear the constant asking under everyone’s breath. “Are you ready for the test?” It came from every direction of the room. Yes, today’s test day and we will all be testing over EOUs, which by the way, the whole class had been spending last week getting ready for. EOU stands for “Economics of One Unit.” It teaches us how to list and calculate a business price per unit, cost of goods sold, gross profit and break-even point. As everyone located their assigned seats we all stood and joined hands for a morning pray in honoring our Father and Savior Jesus Christ. As we said AMEN, showed each other some love, and took our seats, Servant Leader and facilitator James H. raised the microphone and spoke the words we’d all been waiting for: “Place everything under your chair – it is now test time.”
Finally time to get it over with … well not quite yet, as this was not the EOU test but an unexpected pop quiz. While the test was being handed out, you could hear the groans from my fellow PEP brothers who were unprepared. After completing the pop quiz it still was not time to relax, because James H. announced once again to please remain quiet and to leave things under our chairs because it was still test time. This is where our regular schedule came into play and they passed out the EOU test. We were given 50 minutes to complete the test, and after all was said and done we could all breathe easy. By the look of everybody’s faces and body language, everybody felt pretty good about the test. Our day ended with our “professor” Brian T. guiding us on establishing a financial foundation. This was a day in the life of a PEP participant.

Tywin J. (a.k.a. Sweet Shadow Black)