I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning..to the end. He noted that first came her date of birth And spoke the following date with tears, 1964-1994 But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth.. And now only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own; The cars..the house..the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you”d like to change? For you never know how much time is left, That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what’’s true and real, And always try to understand The way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we”ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect, And more often wear a smile.. Remembering that this special dash Might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy’’s being read With your life’’s actions to rehash.. Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your dash? I LOVE THIS POEM!!!! Not to mention it is 100% ACCURATE for this man....Jocko was the epitome of a father, friend, leader, and mentor. His legace will live on FOREVER in the hearts of thousands because he touched so many!!!!!!!!! Always kind and helpful, humble and gentle, understanding and positive are just a few things to name this mans character. As a Brownsville resident I thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only what you did for the Plaza but for Brownsville as a whole! You touched so many lives, you helped so many people, and you saved so many lives....Thats how you spent your dash! And you can rest peacefully knowing that we ALL appreciate and love you.

Now you'll KNOW I'm a REAL TALK GIVER ALL DAY!!!! Including to myself.....I watched the first Oprah's LifeClass and Iyanla Vanzant said a statement that stuck with me..., STATE THE FACTS AND TELL THE TRUTH!!! That's the REALEST sh*t I've heard in my life!!!!!! So me being me I had to find a situation to use it for to make sure it works....I used the situation I was having with my EX Pumpkin.....HE KEEPS SAYING HE LOVES ME! I'm not too sure of that so I did exactly what Iyanla Vanzant said....I stated the FACTS.....He hasn't taken me anywhere, hasn't done anything special with or for me (unless I initiated it) and he hasn't introduced me to anyone SPECIAL in his life as somebody special in his life......Now I have to tell the TRUTH....KHADIJAH THAT BOY DOES NOT LOVE YOU!!!!! He might enjoy f*cking you and all the other benefits that come with dealing with you but he does NOT love you and the facts blatanly support that! Although it was a HARD pill to swallow, its REAL and I respect it! Why don't you guys try it with me........STATE YOUR FACTS AND THEN TELL YOUR TRUTH ABOUT A SITUATION YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH IN YOUR LIFE....I guarantee you not only is it THERAPEUTIC but very much NEEDED!