Vision Beyond The Lens by -J.J. McQueen-

Every now and then professionals take time out to capture things that are important to them. This weekend I did just that. Unfortunately, it was about 17 degrees when I decided to do it, lol. Nevertheless I'd like to share this one with all of you who want to move to the next level with whatever you're planning to do in 2009. In 1982 I was five years old innocent and untainted. At that age you're incapable of knowing about love or at least the levels of it. One day I was introduced to this thing, this girl, this object. I remember the day I spotted her. She was trimmed in white, highlighted in green and about five hundred people stood around her cheering as she withstood the pressure of the crowd. She was confident and unmoved by the crowds roar. I remember asking my dad if I could make her a permanent fixture in my life. He said, "only if you're committed". I was pumped because I knew then that I wanted to give her all of me. That was the day I fell in...

By popular request I grabbed a shot of the moon on Friday night.  For those of you that didn't know it was only 221,000 miles away from earth.  Lol, I know real close right.  Enjoy!

Usually I would post a photo as a visual reference with each story but this one will be a little different.  Recently, I've been in the shadows of a story about little Elijah Johnson.  Elijah was born in November of 2004.  A few days following his birth, Elijah's parents realized that his behavior was a little strange and he spiked a fever.  Like any good parents they took the ever so dreaded trip to the ER. The diagnosis was,  Salmonella Meningitis . Salmonella Meningitis ? From what I've learned it's contracted from exotic animals (lizard, snakes & turtles to name a few), children and the elderly are very susceptible to the deadly menace. Fast forward to December 2008, Elijah's story has become a lot more complex as he clings to life, but his parents position remains the same.  In my conversation with Elijah's father Jackson "J.J." Johnson he stressed to me that he and his wife Meredith wanted to make people aware of the dangers and risk of h...

In 1993 I was introduced to a community youth organization by the name of, BOTSO .  My friends and I used to meet with the group's advisers at the old 4th street YMCA in High Point, NC.  As one can imagine like most community youth organizations it sounds as if it was established for the at risk youth in our area.  It's a leadership program designed for young men.  Mr. Hank Wall and the founding members of BOTSO recognized that the young men in our community needed more than just a gym.  They understood that young men like myself that derived from stable environments could benefit as much as our peers that were less privileged.  They had the for site to establish a social and educational extension of our schools and home lives. I remember our advisors from the past and present always treating every youth as if we were at risk. Self-improvement was always right now.   Fast forward to 2008, fifteen years later BOTSO is stronger than ever. Many of us in the class of 93' ha...