This story was revised to answer the two public comments, and the revision was completed on 09/20/09.
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Have you ever been in a situation where you have wished for something so much so that it comes true? Or do you believe in the idea of positive thinking, and putting your hopes, wants and dreams up into the atmosphere?
Well I have been a person to do just that, and considering I hadn't dated, or even been close with a woman in a number of years, I just prayed for what I wanted, and wrote on a small slip of paper, four words, that weren't so simple, but I knew I would know when I found what I was looking for.
Faith
Spirit
Love
Hope
I never knew back in 2004 when I wrote those words that I would not need them for so long, and even forget about them.
Over the years, the list would be added to, but in the back of my mind, I tried to keep the top four items on the list, and then somehow my entire world changed when I read some information about an upcoming Jazz festival in New Jersey which I wanted to go to.
Growing up in the inner city, Jazz had been an escape for me, because I saw things I wanted to hide from people who I was close to.
Sex, drugs, guns in school, and Jazz was just a way for me to get away from it all. Having a strong family background help me keep myself centered and focused on my goals to get my education, , but it was also being intelligent enough to know that I needed more help to go further than the inner city.
I was a Black guy looking for a way out back then, and going to school was a way to rise up and showcase my skills, so that I could network enough to be able to move out of the inner city.