Bucket List

February 18, 2014

My Bucket List:

When this nightmare is over, and I hope it to be soon, there are things I want to do.  The first thing I’m going to do is hug and kiss my family, and thank those who assisted us in overturning this nightmare.  After that, I’m going to visit my mother’s grave and talk to her.  Talk to her about the values of courage and perseverance that she instilled in me, and the greatest gift she ever gave me was the gift of responsibility.  Then, I’m going to tell my daughters and my wife how much I missed them, and that their love is what kept me going. The women in our family have always been strong, and I’m not ashamed to say it was from them I’ve garnered my strength throughout my lifetime.  Now, the things that I want to do….

I want to take batting practice and field grounders at 3rd base with the Washington Nationals, so Ryan Zimmerman had better look out.

I want to have a three point shooting contest against the Wizards John Wall.

I want to go to Omaha, Nebraska to the Berkshire Hathaway annual stockholders meeting. 

I want to take one more airborne jump from a plane.

I want to shake the hand of Captain George Nichols, PGPD homicide div, retired Lt Charles Walls PGPD, William Gleason….. David Jordan, volunteer firefighter…. Charles Key retired police officer…. William Bruchey…. Lt Darren Livingston, PGPD; and countless other individuals who informed the State’s attorney’s of the evidence and that I was innocent.  I applaud their integrity and their courage, but mostly, I applaud them for being the men they’re supposed to be. 

I want to take my wife to California to see the giant redwoods, her desire since she was a child and read books about them. 

I want to run in the Boston marathon (one time).

I want to see my youngest daughter play soccer.

I want to visit the gravesite of my mentor, the great George Stanley Lewis.  A noble and honorable man who taught many young college men, including myself, what was expected of us as fraternity members of Omega Psi Phi.  He taught us the value of public service, selflessness, generosity, and responsibility.  I want to tell him thank you, for finding me to be worthy of his teachings.  (Brother Lewis, like my mother, was not one for excuses.)  He was a great son of Grambling State University and I will always remember him dearly.

I want to learn how to make apps.

I want to volunteer at Bethesda Naval Hospital helping the wounded warriors coming home. 

This is part of my bucket list; the bucket is not even half filled.