wishes

It's now the end of 2004 and I find that I'm well into this 2000-era decade and don't really feel "defined". I can look back to the 90's and remember what I was doing in '93, '94, there were landmarks there. Better yet, I feel like I have to make an account for what I've done with the last five years. This decade is already 5 years old, but most recent things have been eclipsed by the last major landmark in my life, which I suppose was my grandfather's death in 1999. But it'd like to highlight just for my own sake, some worthwhile things that have happened from 2000 to date:


2000:

• Did Speaking of Sarah, Forty Save One, Darrell Mansfield Blues Band, and Zealous album covers for Micah Records
• Discovered Napster
• Amel Larrieux released Infinite Possibilities
• Continued as Tonex's webmaster for TonexWorld.com
• Crystal Lewis released Fearless.
• Earthsuit released Kaleidoscope Superior.
• Moved in with the Alb fam in summer of 2000
• Recorded "Hallelujah" with Scott Blackwell
• Recorded "Come In With Your Hands Up" with AJ Mora
• Saw Crystal Lewis and Out Of Eden live in Anaheim on the Fearless World Tour on September 29th.
• Cut off my dredlocks for the first time in October
• Moved into my own room in on Gresham Street for $400/month
• Began commuting back and forth to Bakersfield to play at Compassion Christian Center

2001:

• Bought my first copy of Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life on vinyl
• Landlord evicted us all from the Gresham Street house so he could move in after his wife passed away
• Laid off from Micah Media Group
• Directed in prayer to move back to Bakersfield, CA
• Received a new computer from my mother
• August 25, 2001 - Aaliyah's death
• Sepember 11, 2001 - World Trade Center attacked
• Spent a miserable winter working for the Housing Authority in Oildale, CA.
• December, bought Sonic Foundry Remixer's Kit and began learning ACID software.

2002:

• Moved back to Los Angeles in January
• Lived in the vocal booth of the recording studio in the backyard of Scott Blackwell's house in February
• Took job at Castle Peak Escrow in April as an escrow assistant. Had no idea what an escrow was.
• Moved into my current place in Los Angeles in April.
• Borrowed keyboard from a friend and began recording You Are Here in May/June.
• The '89 Pontiac Sunbird named "Bucket"that my grandfather bought in '98 died of a blown gasket on the 405 freeway in July.
• Bought a brand new [to me] used car in August with the help of my mom and my Uncle David.
• I took english literature and philosophy courses at CSUN. Got A's in both.
• Reunited with old friends Aaron and Darnell.
• Met Charles and Andrea Humphrey and began attending H.O.P.E. Fellowship bible study.
• Saw Chaka Khan live in concert for the first time ever in Bakersfield on October 3rd.
• Started my dredlocks November 20th in preparation to audition for American Idol, but didn't make the auditions due to my sister's sudden illness that weekend.
• Took Spanish class at night and Saturday morning art class at CSUN in the fall & met good friend and future design business partner "Komei".
• Met "Nefertiti" through Darnell and began dating in the fall.

2003:

• Went to Big Bear retreat with H.O.P.E.'s House fam in January.
• Stopped dating Nef in early February. She was not happy.
• Took Anthropology class at Pierce College in Spring.
• Performed "Don't Worry (Gotcha)" for the first time with 3 backup dancers at the first annual Gospel Jam Concert in April.
• Had it up to here and quit Castle Peak Escrow job in May.
• Started dating Peach in May.
• Got to meet and hang out with Terry Lewis in June.
• Took cruise to Mexico with Dre, Chuck, & H.O.P.E.'s House crew in July.
• Met Kenbo at church in August.
• Had first H.O.P.E.'s House service on September 7, 2004.
• Broke up with Peach in October.
• Had You Are Here mastered and sent it to manufacturing October 31, 2003.

2004:

• Met friend Hakim while taking history and political science classes at Pierce College in Spring.
• Performed medley of songs from You Are Here with Tonee, Desiree, and London as backup dancers in the 2nd annual Gospel Jamfest (Andre couldn't make it).
• Took part-time job at Jewish organization in May.
• Web design business took off in the summer time.
• Celebrated one-year anniversary of H.O.P.E.'s House on September 5th.
• In October, got a cell phone again for the first time in 3 years.
• Took first guitar lesson on December 21st.

"With a little luck will I find you
And if I do
Is it you who'll make my dreams come true
Just a little bit of happiness
Is all that I wish
And I hope that you can grant me this"
- Nathan Morris, "Wishes"

I think when I look at it, more went down than I thought. There's been a lot of happiness and of course, there were times peppered with drama and trouble, but I'm sure the best is yet to come. I have to say, as exciting as recent times have been, they haven't quite gone as I would have liked them to. So I wanted to paint a more idealized picture of what I'd like this year to be like.


2005:

• Have a great time on Big Bear getaway weekend in January.
• Read All You Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald Passman and organize the business side of my music aspirations.
• Finally get to return to CSUN in the Spring and take at least 12 units of classes with A's in them all.
• Do websites for at least 3 major label recording artists.
• Record a new independent album and sell at least 500 copies of it.
• Take a few hip-hop dance classes.
• Best friend Aaron moves to Texas successfully and gets his life together.
• Get good enough at playing the guitar to use it to accompany myself at church and even do acoustic dates at coffee shops and what not.
• Start caring about being early or punctual to places.
• Get a better grip on webdesign and learn how to use the nuances of the software I have.
• Pay off at least one of my credit cards.
• Pay down the rest of them.
• Accumulate at least a $1,000 cushion in a saving account for no reason at all.

Conspicuously missing are spiritual goals for the year. I don't really have any. The spiritual leaps I've been able to make in 2004 have been so far beyond what I would have imagined, that I'm perfectly comfortable entrusting that regiment to God. If I notice anything worth bringing up, I'll submit the request midstream. But that's the future. For right now, I'm just really hopeful for what 2005 will bring, so... happy new year!