Echoes of My Generation: Journal 012 08/22/06

I cant seem to get focused at work these days
Things just dont add up anymore
We are in a newly renovated 6 figure office space
But the majority of the people work from home
With exception to myself and one other co-worker
There are two others that come in occasionally
But it's lonely here
I get in to IBM at 6:30am each day
When all I can hear is the hum of the air conditioning
And the rapid sound of my fingers typing
I watched Fantasia Burrino's story last night
I see why so many connected with her
She had a real story about some real life situations
And it was a significant story of hope and triumph
I wondered how much of it was romanticized and added to
in order for hollywood to buy into the story
Overall it was a good look though
I related to her father when he signed the contract
Lost the rights to his music
I have a box of CDs in my garage right now
Cant sell them, Cant do anything with them
I Didnt get a lawyer, didnt even sign a contract
Just took the word that I would be compensated
I've come from such a long way
I cant even began to tell the story of my journey
I grew up in the country
In a house with no indoor sewage line
No running water inside the house
No air conditioner only a gas heater with a tank that we could barely afford to keep full
But my story is not one of sadness
It's an adventure fit for greek literature
An exciting ride full of journey's that people
only read about.
Maybe I should write the story
Its allmost 9am now. I started this blog at 7:30am
My thoughts are too scattered
My company needs so much that its hard focusing on the bigger picture
So I have to take one step at a time now
I cant rush it
Everyone around me is rushing
A guy that once recorded at my house just got a deal with universal
Others got major management deals
I'm still here fighting independantly
Holding my team and our dreams close to my heart
Waiting patiently for the right hands to put them in
We're on to something exciting and inspiring
And the masses wont immediately latch on to it
We have to earn our crowd one person at a time
Word of mouth, beating the pavement
Guerilla marketing tactics
This is the biggest challenge of my life
I'm watching my team grow and thinking...
How can I feed all these people
I just need some fish and a loaf of bread
Maybe I can pull a Christ like miracle
Actually I have no choice. have to make this work
I have to chase my dream until the end
We need $5,000 immediately, I need an investor not bent on making a quick return
Me and my biz partner Lonnie J (crazy how it doesnt feel right to just say "partner" anymore)
The world is changing...
So me and my biz partner talk weekly about how to mold this corporation
We already have an idea of who and what we need
We need lots of volunteers and people willing to work on a project to project basis
We need an online street team and local street teams in each city
If you or anybody you know wants to help build a legacy
Email mariodrobinson@yahoo.com today
I guess I'm going to do some work
I cant really focus on blogging today
Too much is going on

Voting is currently underway for the 5 Point Emcee Contest in Atlanta, GA
We invite you to support our movement by clicking the following link and
voting for your favorite MC. Leave a comment as well.
Let us know what you "really" think. www.thefreshmovement.com


One Love,Mario D'Andre Robinson
co-CEO / President Marketing & New Media
www.zealotdandresdream.com
http://echoesoflostgenerations.blogspot.com

Echoes of My Generation: Journal 011 08/15/06

I dedicate this journal to a very special lady
A young mother who has just entered motherhood for the first time
I've sat in the background and watched her struggle
Her last few months of highschool were hard
The baby's father claims no responsibility
Everyone around her continues life as if her condition doesnt exist
Which may be the thing that has kept her strong up until now
Just knowing that she was going to have to do this on her own when it came down to it
So many people pointing fingers and looking for someone to blame
As if blame can make the 9.5 pound baby girl in her stomach dissappear
I listened as she told me that she was attacked
Possibly by associates of the baby's father
Still no police nor family assistance...
They said there was not enough proof
To this day the entire situation puzzles me
Situations like these in which you know that someone is lying
I've watched her face though as it runs through the pains of pregnancy
She rarely yells out
Rarely mumbles or even complains
Almost as if she is scared that she will offend someone
I want to tell her to scream so bad
You know?
Just yell and let out all the frustration
But she carries her load in silence
She was a week past due and we visited her again
Her hands and feet swollen as her body prepares itself naturally for the events to come
We walked and walked for what seems like hours
Around the mall, through the zoo, we walked as if there wasnt a tomorrow
And we had to walk forever to preserve today
I watched as her stomach tightened and still she showed no signs of pain outside of mild facial expressions
She would whisper to me "I'm tired."
And I would tell the group to let us rest.
She would say "I'm hungry" but wouldnt ask for food.
So I would tell someone to get her what she wanted.
It was as if she felt that she was an inconvenience to those around her.
Who had imposed such a harsh punishment?
Her family continued to walk far ahead of her often not looking back to check on her
So me and my wife would fall back to walk with her
Maybe she wasnt as bad off as I thought
Maybe she could walk around the zoo and be a week over due with no problems
But why would anyone want to take that chance!
My sons need another cousin. the family needs another branch on the tree
I was proud that she rarely complained in the open
Who had led this young lady to feel this way and harness so much frustration
But in the end she wins
She never allowed any of it to turn her around
No adoption going here, she will keep her daughter
She stayed humble through it all
and early monday morning, she gave birth to her baby girl
A nice size package for a first go around
I pray that while everyone else focuses on the negatives of her situation
that she can move on and love her daughter with all the love that she "was not" getting
I pray that she doesnt waste all her energy fighting for a father that doesnt want his baby
I pray that she has the courage to move from her environment to seek a better life
It's been a long time since I witnessed anything so sad
She was dropped off at the hospital by her family
Her mom stays on the other side of town and was at work
Left to face the unknown possibilities of childbirth on her own
So we contacted her through phone calls and text messaging
Told her to call anytime as we waited for her mother to arrive.
And I prayed for her all night.
I was relieved when my wife told me that she had decided to take the epidural
At least she wouldnt have to deal with all of the pain alone
The drugs would help her
And they called me on Monday morning and said it was over
I gave a sigh of relief and said Thank God in my mind
Another victory had just been one by the Angels in heaven
And Lord knows that this was a battle that was far from easy
So now we enter into the secnd phase.
We have to pray that she raises a great woman
But for now her mom is my new super hero
And anything she needs within good reason I will be here for her

One Love,
Mario D'Andre Robinson
www.zealotdandresdream.com

Echoes of My Generation: Journal 010 08/07/06

From somewhere amid all the havoc and frustration
I have gathered the strength to go into overdrive
I completed version 2 of our website www.zealotdandresdream.com !!
I woke up at 4:50am and did my stretches / excercises
I'm so focused right now
I've been telling myself all month repeatedly that
"I WILL NOT LOSE!" "I WILL NOT LOSE"
And everytime an obstacle appears this is my response.
I have a legacy to build
I got some partners willing to put in an equal or greater amount of work
Each one talented and willing to walk in their own element
ANd I realize that this is how a successful machine operates
Take the car for example
The battery gives fire to the altenator and then steps out the picture
The alternator churns and gets the engine going creating the energy and power
The car needs to operate without the battery,
The gas tank feeds fuel to the car as needed, the windshield wipers wait
Patiently until there is water to be removed
the headlights sleep until the sun is gone
Each part waiting patiently for its turn
And I love this analogy for it allows me to see how we can be successful
In our relationships, in business, on our jobs
Everyone has a role to play and only when you can be humble enough
To operate within your strength and take leadership from the appropriate parts
When you can check your emotions and follow the overall flow of the machine
Then you can go somewhere
Sometimes I've felt like two tires on an axle rolling across the country
No steering, no real power, just will power and determination
Yelling, "I WILL NOT LOSE"
And even to this day my machine runs
I've learned how to operate without the parts that dont perform according to plan
My windshield wipers may not work so I put rainEx on the glass, you know!
My power steering goes slack so then I tighten up on the steering wheel
I guess you get the overall point right now
And then there are times when I have to replace parts or people
Getting rid of any negative in my life
Blocking out hate, anger, jealousy, unruly behavior, all hinderances to my cause
I guess sometimes I like to ride alone, just me and the Big Homie (God)
I take the time to see where I'm going
I ride until I can see my overall goal and then I focus on it and lock in on it

In family news, my 16mth old has learned how to climb fences
We spend the majority of our afternoons watching my 9yrold at football practice
And the baby has learned to say butt-ball (football in baby language)
He also constantly chants "hut-Hut", I do believe I have created a monster (lol!)
So he can get two feet and two hands on the a fence and then he just stands there and shakes
Like a miniature King Kong. He climbs the bleachers with the strength of a 4yr old
While my 9yr old is a beast on the field. Something like a gentle giant
I felt sorry each time they put an opponent in his path
He's not a big kid, small actually, but hits with the power of a mack truck
I felt sorry when he knocked the breath from one of his good friends
I heard the hit from the baseball dugouts
Funny thing is he spent the night with the kid that night
I love the innocence of childhood relationships
Guess that's why the bible says we have to have the same mind
Have to be able to be molded and sculpted into something brand new
Cant hold on to the past , but must always strive to be better taking critique like champions

I'm starting to love what I do again
Networking, Designing, Building companies from the ground up, helping others,
I've made it through a great storm this year,
from January through August, I've fought
Finances, family, work, sickness
To be able to stand on the other side now and look back is a beautiful feeling
I'm unscarred, untouched
I've gained 5x's as much wisdom as I went in with
And I will cherish that because I know that another storm is right around the corner
Some say that you dont always have to struggle
I say that suffering brings perfection
By this model by the time I'm in my 80's or much sooner I'll have experienced it all
I'll have won many battles, external and internal
I'll be ready to recieve my crown of life
All because I rejoiced through my suffering, All because I looked sickness, misfortune, pain, heartache, and death in the eye
And said "I WILL NOT LOSE!"

One Love,
Mario D'Andre Robinson
http://echoesoflostgenerations.blogspot.com
http://sketchbookdiaries.blogspot.com

Echoes of My Generation: Journal 009 08/04/06

I'm wondering today if there is a such thing as predestination
It seems as if we have free choice
And those choices are what shapes our paths
Predistination would imply that those choices were already fated
Thats a big concept to grasp
I had a dream last night that made me think
There was a girl in it from my youth
She looked to be in her 30's now and we crossed paths
We shared the same awkward stare we used to share quite often
And she said "If I werent married I would be Mrs. Mario Robinson."
What she said was so sincere and felt so true
I replied something to the effect of "I know if I werent married it would probably be"
I woke up questioning the theory of fate
I've never had much hope in the Next life time theory
Ive learned to respect my decisions and love / live in them with all my heart
But for just that one moment I wondered if she was having the exact same dream
Do people eons apart share moments in dreams and never know?
from what I've heard she has had a hard life,
Mom passed several years ago, married early
But we never shared any moment outside of flirty statements and awkward stares
Never dated, never wnet to school together
Just someone who I crossed paths with often until about 1998
So the dream was odd
Then I think of how people misread dreams like this
Even I feel guilty to some degree as I wake up and see my wonderful wife lying next to me
Then again who am I to question God and his reasons for giving us dreams and/or visions
Maybe the dream was meant to inspire conversation about choices and fate
And was telling me to slow my choices down and make them carefully
For even I can see that my life is heading in some Bold Exciting new directions
Just celebrated my 2yr wedding anniversary
Business is looking great
Kids are growing strong
I visited www.emptyvessel.org this week
Me and my biz partner Lonnie J
And we ended up engulfed in hours of conversation around christ and the church
All three of us myself, Gerry Mansfield, and Lonnie J all from different backgrounds
And we came to one understanding within minutes of meeting
And that was that "God is love, and if we all have God (as we claim) then we must love one another unconditionally" regardless of what we are labeled as
Gerry described how they give away their music
Explained how people are more likely to listen and appreciate a gift
They operate off of donations
From the looks of it, their artist and other contributors keep their machine running
And such a beautiful vision it is
Lonnie J. won an MC contest and was promised a 3 song demo deal
We were concerned that since we werent officially labeled as "Christian" rappers
They wouldnt allow us to record
But after hours of conversation we all found ourselves to be in agreeance
Music was universal and as long as the message inspires, teachs and motivates towards a greater good
then it was worthy of any good cause
Then Gerry broke down the contracts to us
The artist raises as much money as they can to help out
They set a goal to raise $1500
They record 7 songs for free
They recieve 10% of all CD donations
They recieve 90% of all concert donations
I was impressed in that this model resembles how Christ survived
How he traveled took what ever people would give and did carpenters work to get by
And I knew that this was a blessed organizations
I understood the struggles behind such a machine though
Financing each project seems stressful and a great burden
Without a great team they wouldnt be possible for much longer
The only negative aspect of Gerry's pitch was that they would own the masters
Which works for me but for a lot of artist, those masters are their lifeline
Then a for profit company like mine would lose the value behind a music catalogue
The sole purpose of my company is to build a legacy
And what kind of corporation could my son run when I am gone
If all the product was free
So the hardest challenge of our meeting still is figuring out how to merge the concepts
Of a for profit corp with a non-profit organization
Both have to make money, one takes donations, the other relies on product sales
And so far I have no answer
I personally would love to be apart of the empty vessel artist listing
Would love to give my music for free around the world
And if the opportunity arises I would personally give them a 7-10 song collection of my words
I would produced it as well and perform at any venue
as long as those performance locations and times dont put a strain on my relationship with my wife and kids
While at the same time I dont see that as an option for my other partners
Lonnie J and Realitee
We are in the business of building product for resale
We give shows for free, build some websites for free, consult for free
And give our love and friendship fro free to all who will accept
On the other side, I'm looking for animators and illustrators to join my team
We have visions of a comic and animated short series
So if you know anybody please have them contact me
I've interview two guys already
While I was impressed with their work
I'm less impressed with their assessability
No phone, one doesnt have transportation, and the other works two jobs
And although I truly understand their situation I battle the thought of not using them based on this
My comapny started as a place that took people like this in
Because I have and still end up in their situation yearly
I guess it all comes down to how I want to run the company
I think now that I want to help people like this
Dont want to turn them away and have them find some negative way to get out their dreams
SO Zealot D'Andre's DREAM, LLC has to find ways to make these relationships work
At anytime during these blogs if you have suggestions
Please submit them
This is a chance to watch a company grow from the ground up
Right now there is myself, Lonnie J., Rodney Wilson II, Brian Mcgee, Pascale McGee, Deshawn Marks and those are the only people who I can truly count on
I'm at IBM now so I guess I need to complete my projects for the day
I still contemplate contacting empty vessel about doing a De'Blak project.
I have to discuss it with my partners but I do feel like we have to do something to help their movement
And while we think it over, you should go there and donate whatever
Whether it's cash, or a service
Whether it's getting them a connection to cash or a service
There is something that each of us can do to help great movements
Me and Gerry Mansfield see eye to eye
I offer Him this word to use at their discretion
We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

One love,
Mario D'Andre Robinson
http://http://echoesoflostgenerations.blogspot.com/