brandonlongwood

arrgh...its been a crazy day. had to do my monthly visit for cooties testing in preparation for my trip to vegas (baby) in just 13 days (countin them bitches down). i normally use my personal physician but since i will be bumping uglies with a bunch of west coast industry types, i have to use the test that is commony used in the industry and conducted by these guys. the only problem is, the closest draw station is 3 hours away. meh. so today was just a preliminary checkup and next week i make the trip down to norfok va to get pricked with a needle and pee in a cup. nice.

but enough about that...its time to get back to the roots and school you suckers on day three of kwanzaaa. if you missed days one and two, you might wanna read up before proceeding.

today's principle is ujima (ooh-jee-mah) which means collective work and responsibity. this is where the "it takes a village" concept comes from (hell no, hillary didnt come up with that shit on her own). when we practice ujima, then your problems are my problems and my success is your gain. there is no I in team (even though some smartasses will point out that there is an M and an E...grow up) and so we all pull together to advance as a people...a race...a species.

anyone who knows me can tell you how much i believe in family and collaborative efforts. maybe its because i grew up without any sibliings and didnt have the kinds of familial relationships i wanted when i was a youth. who can say? regardless, with anything i do, i strive to work with others and include them in the process while also learning from their wisdom.

ive never been one to buy into the "dog eat dog" mentality and i dont intend to start anytime soon. so as i proceed into the next year, i will continue to identify and develop mutually beneficial partnerships that give those around me an equal chance to learn, grow and succeed.

'nuff said.