The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

I believe it was in 2002 that I took a trip down to Frankfort, Kentucky, to visit Michelle’s father and family. This was my first trip to a what I thought would be a hostile territory. As a black man who grew up in “The North”, Kentucky held a certain ambiguity for me. I wasn’t sure if I should be afraid or not but my curiosity eventually won out over whatever fears I had and I commenced to driving around photographing the region. There were many beautiful horse farms in the area. I had a chance to walk up to a few and take a couple of shots. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Fuji Neopan 400 ISO. Hand-held.

Retrospective?

Self-portrait at 35. What grey hairs? Here’s what 34 looked like.

Brother Cooke’s voice has given me so much comfort at a time in my life where I’ve never felt so much pain. Pain enough to make one question one’s beliefs [in my case, question but not change ]. Thank you, Sam Cooke. God rest your soul.

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I’ve been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It’s been too hard living but I’m afraid to die
Cause I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown
somebody keep telling me don’t hang around
It’s been a long, a long time coming

But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knocking me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh…..

There been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long
But now I think I’m able to carry on
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

That was the name of the procedure I had done this weekend at the University of Pennsylvania hospital. My many thanks to all of you who left comments or sent emails wishing me well. I have a recovery time of anywhere between 8-12 weeks, of which at least four of which will be spent at home. Feel free to drop a line and my many thanks again for all the du’ahs and prayers.

I just wanted to inform all of you that I will be taking a short hiatus from the blog in order to go forth with a surgical procedure to fix the herniated disc and pinched nerve in my back this Friday. I have not been able to work for the better part of two weeks as well as previous spots before the new year. I just spent the better part of the weekend in the ER for pain treatment and decided that enough was enough. I most likely will not return to work before the procedure so you may still contact my by email. I greatly appreciate the kind words of support. As you may or may not know, I have been dealing with sciatica [the nerve pinched/trapped by the disc] since October 2007. It has simply become too painful to “work through” any longer. I hope to be out for only a short respit and then back to the task at hand. For those who have it, my office line has been forwarded to my cell so you my contact me at either my cell or my office number, which are listed below. I also have access to email on my phone [c’mon, I work in IT - whaddayaexpect?].  I do not know what room I’ll be in yet but I’ll follow up with that as soon as I know more. I hope to see all of you soon, and please keep me in your du’ahs/prayer lists.

I will joining fellow bloggers Tariq and Umar this Saturday, God willing if my back holds out, on 900AM, WURD, for the Living Islam Show. The info’s below.

Please join us Saturday February 9th, 2008, with host Nafis Bouie on the Living Islam show, 5-6 p.m. (E.S.T.), on 900amWURD, your information station committed to solutions.

Nafis will have Marc Manley, Umar Lee, and Tariq Nelson as guests. All three brothers have developed blogs on the web that focus on varying issues that specifies concerns of the American Muslim community. Their links are below, check them out before the show and become part of the discussion.

Marc Manley

Tariq Nelson

Umar Lee

Calls are welcomed at 215-634-8065, toll free 866-361-0900. You can also listen on the net www.900amwurd.com, 5-6 p.m. (e.s.t.)

For information about advertisements, please contact our executive producer Abdul Kareem Salahuddin at 215-990-9242 or allworld2u@yahoo.com.

Thank you Wa salaam Nafis Bouie 215-439-8725 bouiebus@msn.com The Living Islam Show, a presentation of the Threshold Media Group.