Hotep,
Any legacy worth acknowledging should possess
intrigue-worthy events, which offer lessons within their message. This is my reason behind writing the memoir,
“Mannkind: A conversation with Deuce.”
The content of this particular work is a
history lesson of my miseducation, deception and philandering. All from the perspective of a G-dad having a
conversation with his only grandson.
Why, you might ask? Well, I feel
it is important for me to share some of the potholes within the path of our
legacy, The Mann legacy.
All too often our elders mislead us with the best part of
the story, or the inevitable happy ending.
My beginnings do not parallel a story of a young prince inheriting a
vast land with the world at his feet.
My
present is not the all-American tale of the big house, white picket fence, and
all of my days filled with more happiness than I know how to express. The life of this Mann does not possess the
elements of a fairytale. However, you
are the beginning of my happy ending, Deuce.
The furtherance of my ancestry comes in the form of a 6 year
old, beautiful, Cali-bred little boy.
Deuce is my first grandseed. It is no coincidence these words came
together on the second anniversary of his baby sister’s nativity
(7/20). I love my bloodline. It is rich with creativity and the surefire
spirit of go-getters. Word is bond!
Some parents/grandparents may wait far too long to tell
their offspring why they adore their very existence. Others may never get the chance to do
so. Here and now, I can proudly say: I
don’t qualify as either. Son of my son;
in celebration of your 6th year, here are 6 reasons why I love the
mere thought of you:
1. Your dad is the flesh of my flesh, and I
love him dearly. I’m so proud of the
father, husband and Mann he has become. He
is a part of me that brought you into existence, which brings a very high value
of meaning into my own.
2. At my loneliest moments, I can
lean on the reality of caring for someone that promotes my being by waking up
and just being a Mann.
3. People come…and people go…but
our union resonates a loyalty worth the separation we currently endure. When the long-awaited day comes for the two
of us to immerse ourselves in a familial embrace, these words will be
prophetic.
4. The final three months of 2008
was an upbeat experience that started with your birth. September 24th preceded the historical change
of command, most people my age or older, in this country, did not think they
would live to see. I believe in being born with a purpose. I do not believe in coincidence. Feel me?
5. The charisma of a Lil’
Mann. Nothing short of hereditary. Ya
heard?
6. You are the seed of a
Mann. My blood. My heart. My future.
These words may be beyond your understanding, for now. Nonetheless, you will always know that your
G-dad may have been forced to love you from afar, but the distance made me love
you no less. You are the embodiment of
everything good about being a Mann.
Happy Birthday, Son of my Son!!
Much Love,
G-dad
Copyright © 2014 by Leroy Elwood Mann
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