Epsi and My's Adventures

Many of you know one of my two best friends. One of the two men who are like brothers to me. One of them is a fellow blogger. Gary aka Epsilonicus and I have known each other for nearly eleven years. We went to the same middle school. Imagine this, some sixty-five or so boys mostly black but with a few Hispanic, Native American, and Caucasian faces sprinkled throughout, coming together in search of one thing, a quality education. It was billed as an opportunity for us to gain academic enrichment as well as life skills. Our common bond, we were all and most of us are to this day intelligent, ambitious, driven, responsible, passionate, and focused. We came from low-income, disadvantaged, poor families however you want to call it.

What connected us and our lives was that together with our families sometimes mothers and fathers, mostly mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and extended families committed to do what it took for us to elevate ourselves and our lives. We were determined to give ourselves an opportunity to benefit from an education which would allow us to surpass the offerings of our troubled public schools. It started with Saturday enrichment classes for about three hours on Saturday morning's from January until April. This I still remember it consisted of waking up getting dressed, eating breakfast, a drive by my granddad, or a bus ride with my mom to the Academy. This was literally a way of improving our skills, but also a way of testing us to see if we could make it at St. I. Then those who survived were offered spots in a month long summer program in July. This was that second test to see if you could make it at the Academy.

I still remember how I met Eps. There was Adrian this kid who also wanted to attend St. I. Adrian was smart like the rest of us, Adrian also liked clowning. Adrian and I used to after summer class go by the store, then take the bus home. Adrian one day introduced me to Gary. Gary and I stayed friends. Through three years of middle school we got to know each other. Now that I think about it the one time I was really mad at that negro was when he said something about my mom. I wanted to knock his behind out. We got over it. We would hang out after school before we went to the bus stop, we'd call each other, compare homework notes. This fool got me into my first long distance relationship. HaHa her name was Angel and within the period of like two months she had dated me, Gary, and another guy we went to middle school with Devin. HaHa that brings back memories. I would never live down dating someone I had never seen. LoL we phone dated for like a month I think. HaHa. We were dumb in middle school.

When 8th grade came we did what St. I boys do. We went to high school fairs and applied to about as many high schools as some people apply to colleges. Gary chose to attend one prep school in north Baltimore. His high school had more of a reputation for being academically challenged, but more inclined to be artistic, free thinkers, and peace makers (a Quaker school. I chose to attend a non-sectarian 5 day boarding school in Baltimore County, a school which sits on 8 acres, has its own horse barn, and tons of other stuff. I definitely have pride in my high school. I still consult them on diversity matters.

Going from an all-male, mostly black Catholic school to elite private schools was a different experience. Academically we were prepared. Socially we had to adjust. Going to separate schools separated us for a bit. Then in my sophomore year of high school Gary nominated me to serve on the board of a youth grantmaking organization. He was already on the board when I joined. This meant we saw each other a few times a month. Then as time went on and diversity advocacy became my forte we'd see each other at local diversity conferences too. We called each other, we e-mailed each other, we served in the community together. We kept close ties. We were a support system for each other. Few people can understand the sacrifices we made to get where we are today. Yet we get each other. I respect him, admire him, aspire to be like him IN SOME REGARDS, he could learn from me in others.

Now we're about to be seniors in college, but one thing stands in our way. Summer.

It hit me the other day as I read his letter from a hot Florence, Texas, that we've accomplished so much in the twenty years we've been on this planet. It amazed me how far we've come as we've journeyed from boys to men. He wrote of the challenges working 10 hour days, of feeling alone, of lack of communication, and prejudice "My dog has never seen a black person before" yes some woman told him that. On the up side he's decided he may find his future wife in Texas, as long as the wedding's in Maryland. He's also excited to be doing research, to be completing an actual dig.

I know my "first" best friend can make it because he's a strong black man.

Real friendships are hard to come by, luckily I have many. Epsi and I have added a mutual friend to the crew. I have two best friends now, yea, I upgraded during high school. Good thing my two best friends also like each other.

Epsi's doing it big.

My other bestie Kenny is headed to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine this fall.

Watch out cause between the three of us there's a future journalist, a future archaeologist, anthropologist, and professor, and a future M.D.