Birthday Love

Hello Funkynations around the world, it's time to celebrate!

You: What are we celebrating?

Funkyman: How about that this is the 176th post of TAOF!

You: O . . . K . . . yaaayyy? I'm sorry, that's not that exciting.

Funkyman: OK, how about the fact that I'm on Spring Break!

You: Again, not amazing.

Funkyman: OK, how about the fact that next week I'll be on tour with the Tufts University Third Day Gospel Choir in New Orleans, LA - being featured on WWL's (CBS) morning show!

You: Well, that's cool, is that what you're celebrating?

Funkyman: NO!

You: OK, I give up.

Funkyman: I think the best way to tell you is with a creative poem.

I excel
Excel I
X-cel I
X-L-I
XLI
41
I am 41
I am excelling

You: You're celebrating YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!

Funkyman: O . . . K . . . how long did it really take you to figure that out?

That's right folks, today is the first day of my 42nd year of life - 41 years behind me and I'm not looking back.

Well, maybe I'll look back a little. That's right, today I will list a few of my favorite things. Nothing serious today. It's a party.

I LOVE TEACHING
My students - from the Grade K-5 students at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, to the Grade 6-12 at the Dana Hall School, to the undergraduate and graduate students at Tufts University - it is through my interaction with you that I truly stay young. The more I teach, the more I learn, the better I teach, the better I learn. It's a neverending cycle of elevation. Thank you all, from David, Mr. Coleman, Professor Coleman, Funkyman. OK, no one calls me Funkyman in school, but I can dream.


I LOVE GOOD WRITING
I would like to think people enjoy reading TAOF blog posts because I spend time crafting essays on various topics of human concern. I am an OK writer, but I am a fan of GREAT writing. Here are some selected favorites:

Comic Books - Y: The Last Man, The Walking Dead
Television - The Wire, Lost
Movies - Seven, Pulp Fiction
Books - Speak Memory (Nabukov), The Lives of a Cell


I LOVE GOOD FOOD
Yes, many of you know that I eliminated white flour and white sugar from my diet in 2007. I lost 140 lbs., and I'm keeping it off - one . . . day . . . at . . . a . . . time. However, because I don't eat bread, pasta, and pretty much anything resembling cake, pie, cookies or dessert in general, people think I have a lousy eating life. Well, sink your teeth into THIS:

Hot Italian Sausage - Yum!
Any Salad with pecans, walnuts, cranberries or cherries - Yay!
A GOOD cheese omelette - Hello!
Steak - Of course!
Ribs - H to the ell Yes!
and did somebody say Butternut Squash or Sweet Potatoes? Holla!


I LOVE MY FAMILY
If you're a regular reader of TAOF, no need to elaborate. Here are links in case you missed how big a deal my family is to me:

Aimée
Dad
Mom
Fadie
Wisdom
Anthony


I LOVE MUSIC
In my song, "Funkyman" I say that I play classical, jazz, funk, R&B, gospel, and rock 'n roll. I listen to all of these styles and more. Here's what I'm listening to right now:

Soul Khan (underground rap genius - LOVE THIS GUY NOW!)
Legally Blonde (London Cast Recording - get ready Dana Hall)
Schumann Piano Concerto (my 1st piano concerto as a kid - ah, memories)
Doobie Powell (The best gospel musician you don't know)
Sex Bob-Omb (From Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - if you've heard it, you know it's so good)


I LOVE GOD
"I made a list of all of my priorities
A special list of everything important to me
My family, my friends were all in my top ten
When I got to the top of the list, Lord, you were
The One." - David F. Coleman

Though I'm often on stage attempting to unite people of different faiths through music and helping to bridge the gaps caused by the polarization of relgiion, I am blessed to be able to stand on that very same stage and proudly profess that I am a Christian - with no fear of being judged or persecuted. God bless America. While my current CD and campaign centers around my life and the Adventures of Funkyman, next year, when I drop The Jesus is the Man Project, the world will also know who the inspiration and motivation in my life is. Thank you Jesus!


I LOVE MYSELF
Speaking of Jesus, do you know what Jesus said was the greatest commandment? To love God with all your heart and mind. The second however, is key - Love your neighbor as yourself.

You want to know my theory on why the world is deficient in care and understanding for the poor, the hungry, the uneducated, the persecuted, the unrepresented, those with different genders, different religions, different sexual orientations, and different "races"? Why we can't seem to love our neighbor?

Because we don't love ourselves. A lot of us think we do, but we don't.

Well, my friends, if that sounds like something you grapple with, please know you're not alone. Loving yourself sounds so easy and yet when you examine all of the factors that go into that feat - namely the relationships you have with family, spouses, children, and yes, God - it's easy to find things about yourself that you don't love. Yet, that's what our job is today.

I promised not to get too serious, so I'll stop there, but please know that I am grateful to be alive, and I love my health, my strength, my family, and my faith. I will try hard this day to love myself as well.

41 years. Hmmm . . . yeah, I've decided. It's awesome.

- Funkyman