Cel @ Reception (Photo credit: jazzijava)

Fathers Day June 17th 2012 has me remembering how lucky I was while a child, teenager. Raised in urban New York I had a natural father who was a good man with little formal education. A hard worker who always got well paying jobs. He made more money than most college grads for that period in America. The last one was longshoremen, Brooklyn New York Docks. He stress one thing become “educated to the world, understand how it function, be a good American. Do not let being Black American get in your way. ” He was very proud as I represented my graduating class as Class President in High School. It was team action that gave me that position. My godfather was not Italian he was New York City Police Officer who protected The Brown Bomber, the late great Joe Louis. “If my behavior got out of hand my mother would use the name Johnny Jenkins, a sense of  fear would develop which would change my lack of respect immediately”. Now my father figure was a Italian from the old the country. We shared a three family house from one week old until age ten. He taught me to just behave, “be a gooda boy, a gooda catholic. Life will be good to you, you will find your way.”  There was a step-father  in my life a very smart man who would not use his education and background. He would take low paying safe jobs so he did not have to fight the good fight. The fight that is conducted  each day people go to work, “standing their ground.” He fathered two-step brothers. I am a father also, however due to elements in our government I was unable to raise my son, after he was five years old I only saw him once as a teenager. I even went on national TV during a Fathers Day program to seek him out. Your asking right about now what elements could keep a citizen from raising his child? The courts for one,we must save that story for another time. A father is a leader in the greater community they come in all forms the imagine of father is different for many people. I loved all my fathers they gave me wisdom, skills, and the power to want to live a life base on God, Country and family. Happy Fathers Day everyday.

English: New York City Police Department headquarters Español: La sede del Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Portrait of boxer Joe Louis (Photo credit: Wikipedand continue good luck.