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Audley Speaks - 29th December 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 |
Today, I flew from my home in California, to Ocala, Florida, to witness my Auntie Isoline James make the transition to the after life. It was a small dignified affair and I'm glad I made the trip to represent the Harrisons. Isoline was my Dad's oldest sister. In recent years she had lived back in England, as she was too sick, and Jay her daughter looked after her with so much love and care. I went to visit her in Hospital in London after my Prizefighter victory, with Raychel, Ariella and cousin Tracey. She was so happy to see us again. I was grateful I was blessed with the opportunity to spend quality time with her. She told me how overjoyed she was to be blessed with such a wonderful daughter as Jay who looked after her and called the ambulance after she became ill. She didn't want the ambulance, but Jay went and did it anyway.
Isoline was so vibrant in the hospital and full of stories, we all knew Jay made the right decision. She and Ariella were deep in conversation.
As I in sat in the church, between my cousin Jay and her daughter Tracey, listening to the beautiful and sorrowful eulogies of how great and loving this women was, always giving, always loving, always welcoming, her children, nieces, nephews, grand children and great grand children, with open arms, tears came to my eyes and I let them flow, unable to hold back my emotions any longer.
'Why does crying feel so good in moments like this?' I felt the warmth and gentle touch of Tracey and Jay and I was handed a tissue to wipe my tears.
I found it touching that Isoline was laid to rest next to her husband who made the transition in 1992 and had paid for her service costs in advance to ensure they would be reunited when she departed earth as Isoline. Her spirit and love will live on and on. God Speed Auntie x
I left California on the 26 October and flew overnight to see Isoline. It didn't matter that it was my birthday; I wanted to be there. My wife Raychel, threw a DVD fight party for me on the 25th, in a British Pub called the Crown & Anchor. I showed my fights and had about 40 friends, neighbours and work colleagues, ate some good old British food and listened to a reggae band I booked called New Rhythm Band. The singer and keyboard player Papa Nigee is a good boxing trainer and we became friendly last year.
Raychel made a beautiful spotted dick (Brits know what I mean) and a lovely cake with a boxing ring and two action-men figures with gloves on; I was standing over my opponent hands raised. It was served with hot custard, yummy!
While in Florida driving, I listened to the Tom Joyner show and was captivated by the topics. 'Teenage pregnancy [150 in one school), kid gang rape (15 boys raping 1 girl for 2 hours and no one intervened, outside campus), beauty pageant won by a non-black girl in a predominately black college, causing uproar.
A journalist (Jeff Johnson) and political commentator, who I have seen on B.E.T (Black Entertainment Television) came on and gave a riveting speech about the need to take action now, he has a book out called, 'everything I'm not, made me everything I am', he was on the mark with a lot of his comments, which fell on deaf ears way too much as people are so used to talking and procrastinating.
He made a challenge to the church leaders and pastors to open the doors of the church on Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Friday and run programmes to get the kids off the street and thinking about their life in broader terms other than the next sex session, drug high or criminal activity.
Personally, I feel we are at a cross roads in western society and individual responsibility must be driven into the adults of today. The kids, who we say are the future, do not want any responsibility of the future world, as they see no role models to really inspire them to broaden their horizons and change the pathways of their life.
Broken or dysfunctional heroes are glorified in today's society and our leaders do not set good examples, other than to show the kids we live in an unfair world, where the privileged can do as they wish and leaders lie and cheat but are rewarded time and time again.
People are depressed, scared and feel powerless as they sink deeper and deeper into debt. This is the reality of many families today. I grew up eating bread, butter and sugar on some days as my dad was on his own with 4 boys and money was not readily available. I don't value money, never will; but do like nice things in abundance and plentitude is a good thing. The difference between the Audley the adult and Audley the teenager is I'm prepared to work hard, really hard for it.
Growing and living in poverty will make people do desperate, irrational things. How do our leaders show the less privileged they understand this and want them to learn the important lessons of life? Lock them up!
Feeding them and clothing them is not the answer, jailhouse is a better option for many rather than their situations within society. Our leaders really need to step outside of the box and come up with something different, because this is BS!!
Those who feel helpless and in despair, know the basic ingredient needed to spark any fire of success or positive outcome in your life is hard work, faith and perseverance, you must stay the course.
Despite all the shit I was dealing with outside of the ring, if I continued to work hard and pushed through the barriers and overcome the obstacles, I could have made it in 2006 after I beat Danny in the rematch. I was weakened by my battles and felt to weak to fight anymore, so I surrendered.
I felt I had to, you may feel you have to also; please promise yourself that you will come back to your god given pathway and resume your journey when you feel able, knowing hard work is your pre-requisite and you must never give up, never.
Don't let the reality of the today's society make you quit on life, make the world your world! Whatever your faith, God’s light shines in us all, but we must be willing to step forward with courage, face our fears and be all that we can be.
Dream of having a loving family, dream of marriage, dream of owning your own company or home, dream of college, university, dream of giving love, dream of receiving love. Dream of being healthy, dream of giving yourself to others for no personal gain, dream of living a long, healthy productive life, dream, dream, dream! Eventually, the dreams will become your vision and then your goals and then your life.
Overcome your circumstances! Time to do it!
Happy New Year
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