And at Christmas, You Tell the Truth

The Ghost of Christmas Future: never look back and think what could have been

We at SBPDL wish every reader a warm and very Merry Christmas! Especially a Happy Christmas to those who read Stuff Black People Don't Like and deplore what is written here; we don't just celebrate diversity at SBPDL, we have no problem noticing it either!

Apologies to all as time constraints pushed the release of Stuff Black People Don't Like: 365Black Days of Judging of Content of Character to early next year. We want this to be the best possible and we are still waiting on a few endorsements and edits to be finalized. To all those who have donated: your books will be mailed just as soon as this book is ready. It's going to be something special.

And when I write "we," it should really read "me."

Thanks to every reader who has helped turn this site into something more than just a joke, but to push me in other directions that have taken SBPDL down a much different road then it was ever intended.

It's been a strange year. What started as a joke, turned into something that almost derailed my career. Perhaps that should have been the end of Stuff Black People Don't Like, but it wasn't. This site has grown because of a dedication by the readers to help make it something else, and that's the reason I didn't quit. That's the reason I didn't stop.

About two years ago ( about six months into the SBPDL experiment), a reader -- Mencken -- volunteered to edit every piece. It was this generous offer (and investment on his part into a product that would return him no monetary return) that initially made me realize SBPDL was something important.

It was this past summer when I realized how important this site is to a lot of you. You'll never know how thankful I am to those who believed in me then. Each day, as this site continues to grow, please know it's because of that tumultuous month and the outpouring of support from people I'll never meet that SBPDL endured.

There were a few entries I wanted to post before Christmas, but they'll just have to wait. Please, do one thing for yourself this Christmas: sign off of the Internet, and go be with your family; call that old friend you haven't spoken to in years and just say "hello"; if there's some girl you always wanted to tell how you felt, go do it.

Because at Christmas, you tell the truth.

Don't sit in front of the computer on this wonderful day. If you haven't spoken to a family member in years, call them. Reach out to them. Go spend time with your children and your family.

But more importantly, if there's some girl you've always had a crush on or wanted to reconnect with, make it happen. No one else will, but you.

I live by one rule: no regrets. In this life, I've made mistakes and I can only learn from them. Starting SBPDL is not among them. It's something I'm very proud of.

Life passes us by in a hurry, and if we don't stop to blink every now and then, it will be gone. So, do yourself this one thing on Christmas 2011, and sign off your Apple or Dell, and go spend time with your family.

Know this: 2012 will be the year of SBPDL. That's my promise to all of you readers (and those who will soon be reading, joining the ranks of Those Who Can See in the process).

But on this day -- on Christmas Eve -- go spend time with your family. If your a young guy still hoping to chase tail and play the game, stop. Go call that ex-girl friend you still think about and let her know how you feel. There's more important things then just scoring in life; when you start your family, you'll realize what that is.

Years from now, we'll look back upon these times -- and the dark ones ahead -- and smile; courage, truth, and will is all it is going to take to end this madness. And it will happen.

But for now, let me wish you a very Merry Christmas. Now, get off the Internet and spend it with your family. Or reconnect with that old flame or friend you haven't spoken to in years.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is just that; The Ghost of Christmas Present is right now, so make the best of it; The Ghost of Christmas Future, well, what happens next in your life is all up to you.

So thanks again for reading. Merry Christmas.