To be fair, I should introduce myself and give you a little bit of my background. In case you haven't picked up on it, my name is Kendrick Kelley and am a little apprehensive about exposing myself to the entire internet world due to the fact that there are apparently some people out there who are not happy until they have made your life as miserable as theirs is. I guess that you could go dig yourself a hole in the ground, crawl in and cover yourself with a 4x8 sheet of plywood and call that living. Doesn't sound too appealing to me. I'd rather take my chances and at least get some sunshine on my face and feel the rain run down my arms and neck. True enough, you will never have to worry about people giving you much grief when you decide to be a recluse, but then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
My parents moved my 4 siblings and I from Oklahoma to Texas when we were very young and I have seen this part of the country go from blowing dust night and day for 2 weeks straight, to a very livable, friendly , full of growth potential city. My father worked his rear-end off, as most of our parents have done, my mother being the eternal optimist from England, keeping us clean, fed and healthy and between us 5 kids, we grew up with chores around the house (without being paid an allowance) and everyone having to pitch in to keep everything on an even keel.
During all this time of growing up and learning to get along out of necessity, my parents taught me several things. They taught me a work ethic that I will keep food on the table, a roof over my head, clothes on my back and a safe place to sleep at night no matter what. I have come to realize that the focus and tenacity I learned while working alongside my father, while he was never known for being much of a fun guy and was totally immersed in doing everything the right way and would not accept anything less than my best, has shaped and molded my entire personality. I do not know how to do anything outside of those parameters. I must believe totally in what I am doing or I am most miserable attempting to fake it.
I am sharing with you part of my background so that when you read what you read on this website, you will know without a doubt that I will be writing from my innermost being those things which I am most passionate about. As we progress, I am hoping that you will get to know me a little better and it will be reciprocated by you, the reader of this website. It is a little nerve wracking to put yourself up there as a potential target to be pinged at willy-nillly by any and all, but it would be even more nerve wracking to know that you have something to share with others, but being too much of a girly-man you never attempt it for fear of failure. I'd rather give it a go and find out I couldn't, than drive myself crazy playing the mental game of "what if". Some of you out there know exactly what I am talking about. You are the ones I am looking for.
Comments or thoughts? Send your email to: kk@oneeightydegrees.org
