Well guys, just a couple of developments..
First off, after a long battle.. ten years and over 60,000 dollars..which includes child support and legal fees.. I finally have full legal custody of my 12 year old daughter. this happened a few weeks ago, but I didnt get a chance to blog about it on deviant or any of the other places I blog on. Matter of fact, this is for those who even care.
On the day I got custody, everyone asked me many different questions: did I cry? How do I feel?..etc.
I didnt cry, because I was out of tears after fighting for so many years
As far as how I felt..i felt tired.
It didnt feel surreal, because I knew this would happen eventually. Me and my daughter are bonded in a way a mother would be to her child. I know that sounds funny coming from the father, but thats just it, I took care of my daughter from the beginning. Her mother was never really a mother and its a fact that she refuses to acknowledge to this day.
Every time I went to court through the years, it was not just to plead my numerous cases against her stupidity, but it was get it through to the VERY feminist family court system that I AM THAT GUY. I am the father that you dont see all the time, and now that im here, they need to STOP the bullshit of giving her mom chance after chance, and let my daughter be with the person who has always had her best interest at heart
instead of the person who is irresponsible time and time again.
With a woman judge, a woman court officer, woman stenographer, etc
the court room always felt like it was me against the world. Time after time I had to thank GOD that im the person I am. Because when you give me a wall, I look to climb over it or through it. I am NOT a quitter by nature, so there is NO way in hell I would have EVER given up on my own child.
Through the years, there have been 6 cases against my daughters mother, 5 of those cases I represented myself.
THIS was the first time I EVER used a lawyer, and it was only to seal the deal, because after ten years of seeing the same people, they KNEW I meant business. I bring this point up because when you represent yourself, as a dad, you have 2 minutes to defend your position, yet you have ten minutes of shit to tell. It can be a degrading, terrifying, exhausting experience. IF YOU LET IT. I was scared every time I represented myself, but there was no room for fucking up, so I did what I had to do. Just because you are right, doesnt men the judge is going to speak to you respectfully. However, I had to take that and not fall for the trap.
In court, patience is a virtue.
By myself, through the years, I started as a dad with NO TIME{before court}, to alternate weekends
then each of these were gradually added due to my fighting for it: one day out of each week, a set drop off schedule{instead of me wondering when she would drop my child off} the entire month of july, thanksgiving, joint custody, half of each vacation 5 days or more in duration
.full legal and physical custody.
Ten years.
What does this do to a person? What happens when you are so focused fighting for someone else, you ignore your self?
In some ways, im a man still trying to find what I was born to do. I know I was born to be a father. I can live the rest of my life happy, doing just that. But you cant, because one day they will be an adult and you find yourself with just you and maybe your spouse.
This court shit has taken so much of my soul, that it is only NOW that I can try to make sense of my own
..I dunno.
I live to be a dad.. that much I know.. i FEEL being a father, I feel my daughters pain when she cries and I live to make her laugh.. because it makes me happy.
But you cannot go through your life living for someone else, even your child. I can do lots of things..yet I dont have any talent that anyone else does not. Im cool with that, cuz I dont want to be the best, what I DO want is to stake my claim in this life. I always believed in standing up and making your voice heard, if you feel a way about something. I came to deviant art because I had things to show you guys, my creative side, if you will.
lots of people dug some of those things, while others didnt get it, however, I need to find what give me chills when I do it. I need to find my other purpose. I almost dont want to, because I LOVE being a dad so much, I DONT want to see anything else. But I love to exercise, I love to give fitness/life advice for those who need it, I love to see my words or deeds uplift another spirit, i love to imagine, though I hate to write about it, however, once the job is done, I love the end result. I love entertainment and I like to entertain.
I love to make people laugh
because it changes lives..
I want to help change people lives. I just want to be a step someone takes to greatness
Now you see all of these things I love to do, and maybe now you can understand how I can devote so much of my soul to my daughter.. because I can do all of these things to help her. it always comes back to her.
Now perhaps you can see why I dont really care too much about finding my way, because whether you believe in life or in god, then you know theres a time and a place for things to happen.
So I am sorry if this sounded like something sad, because I have been smiling the whole time, im a blessed dude. I may not be happy, but im cool, and thats the way I like to be. In the goodness of time, I will stumble across that other thing that makes me want to get up in the morning, but it will just be something
No matter what it will be, it will always pale in comparison to the true love of my life. What can I say? My daughter is my heart, next to god, she is everything to me. I pray to god EVERY night, that she keeps living and nothing bad happens to her that would destroy her life. Its a tall order, but thats why you pray, right?
Inevitably, one day, she will be out on her own
.it will scare the shit out of me, but like everything else life throws at me, Ill deal in my own way.
Considering what I have been through, im no stranger to pain and loss.
I mean lets face it, if youre not weak enough to end your own life when shit gets bad, then I guess you MUST be strong enough to live through no matter what.
At least thats the way I see things.
i ALSO SEE..that there was an INORDINATE AMOUNT of black people killed in the film "The Dark Knight" count them, if you watch and have nothing better to do. the joker was NOT an equal opportunity killer.
Peace
T
p.s. there are still some things I am working on art wise
I will post them when I can, as there is still one more legal issue I have to deal with..but this one actually GIVES me money. I know I dont have a lot of fans on here, but for those who care, just be a bit more patient. Dex? I wish you werent so busy man..seriously. I miss the magic
