welcome home

HOME - the place in which one's domestic affections are centered. By this definition, home is where you make it. They say that HOME is where the heart is. And that is so true. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit HOME. Not the city where I was born...Newark, NJ. Not the city where I grew up...Florence, SC Not the city where I have lived for the past 15 yrs...Atlanta, GA I went HOME to Orangeburg, SC. More specifically...my alma mater, South Carolina State University. It was our homecoming weekend so I went back to enjoy the festivities. I had not been there in 5 yrs. To say that I had fun would be an understatement. I had a ball. More importantly, being back on the campus reminded me of who I am and who I was in the fall of 1991. I have often said that the years at that school were the best years of my life. The best 5 1/2 years of my life!! LOL. Yes, it took me that long to graduate. The School of Business was no joke! But I had fun. I learned so much about myself. I didn't step on the campus in search of who I was. I knew who Kyle was and where he was headed. I learned how to struggle. I don't think you could ever be THAT broke and have THAT much fun. I learned how to push myself and overcome challenges. Anybody can quit when you get knocked down. It's all about how you bounce back when you get knocked down. These were some of life's lessons that I carry with me to this day.

I left all of my blood, sweat, and tears in this stadium. Football was always my first love. When I came to play football for South Carolina State, I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I'm glad that I played there. I wore the Garnet & Blue with pride. Playing football is one thing...playing for a HBCU is something else. Truly a beautiful experience. Walking into that stadium gives me goosebumps because I know that I left it all on the field. More importantly, I bonded with some great young men who have become true staples in my life (more about that in a future blog) One great thing about going back to Homecoming is seeing old friends. You are reminded of the bonds that were created years ago that is still strong to this day. I learned alot about women when I was at SC State. LOL. It's interesting that people come to me about relationship advice now. Back in the day, my track record with relationships was horrible. It wasn't that I couldn't get a woman. That wasn't the problem...I just couldn't keep em. LOL. Was it my fault? That depends on who you ask. Sometimes it was. Nevertheless, by the time I left school I had met my future wife. Lastly, Homecoming reminds me of personal growth and the growth around me. It's about seeing your boys go from 18 yr old young - beer drinking warriors...to grown successful men. It's about seeing that female friend go from being shy and unassuming to running a Fortune 500 company. It's about seeing the look in the eyes of the professors smile at you knowing that they had a part of your success. It's about one big family. This was Skyler's first trip to Homecoming. As you can see, she was chillin. LOL

Life changing experiences during a 5 1/2 years span that mold you into who you are. Time flies and people change. One thing always remains consistent...HOME!!

Can't wait to go back.