"AIN'T SUNSHINE...."

@ TJ's on 35th Street, Circa 2010

Man, I just spent the past hour being extremely pissed off. Nothing that’s overly major, but still worth venting about to you guys/gals. Okay, I get to the clinic for my pre-employment physical. I’m on noid already because this is the same clinic I’ve had issues with in the past because they wouldn’t clear me for a different job when I was healing from Rotator Cuff Surgery. SO…I go in and the cutie behind the desk made me feel a tad better and I was with Naim so you know how we do! After filling out the forms I’ve filled out ten million times, I went to the back for urine and TB Screenings. Then the nurse directed us to the exam room to wait for the doctor.

Naim Nuru Andrew Matthews, Circa 2011

 I thought about not telling them I was Diabetic because a lot of unnecessary drama comes once they know you’re Diabetic. After checking my blood sugar, it started. First, I must tell you all, my sugars run high right now, but my primary physician is awesome and we’re working on getting the sugar levels under control. The clinic physician basically said he wouldn’t clear me to start the job due to my Diabetes. What? I was livid! I remained cool, though. Once he saw I was down and very disappointed, he said he would clear me, but my primary physician would have to clear me as well. That’s nothing because my primary is awesome so he’ll do it for me. I hope he does it. Anyway, I had to take a form from the clinic to my primary’s office for him to sign and fax back to the clinic to go into my file for employment.

My and Daniela's Family, Circa 2011

 I say all of that to say, life is so full of unnecessary Bull crap at times. When I’m up on a cloud and happily celebrating an achievement or reaching a personal goal, something is always there in an attempt to bring my celebration crashing to the ground in defeat. I’m proud of a few things…

I’m proud of having three college degrees, two of which are graduate level degrees.

I’m proud of having nearly twenty years in an industry of helping and assisting others through Human Services.

I’m proud to have met, found and fallen in love with my soul mate and to have been loved by such an amazing woman.

I’m proud to have four children with that amazing woman with no outside kids or BM/BD Drama.

I’m proud of our children and their individual strengths to be the people they are and the adults they will become.

I’m proud to never have experienced handcuffs being placed on my wrists or being in the rear of a police vehicle; hence never being in jail or arrested for any reason.

I’m proud to be a part of the Matthews Family and a descendant of Andrew and Hattie Matthews from Mt. Holly, Arkansas.

I’m proud to not have a particular genre of music I listen to and to being open to all forms of musical expression.

I’m proud to be the country boy loaner I come off to be to others and the goofy troublemaker I am to my close friends and family.

My, Myself and I, Circa 2012

It hurts though when others who don’t really know you or care to understand you put a stigma on you and wave that banner without truly experiencing who you truly are. I’ve never used my illness as an excuse or not even a reason to get off of work. I hope this turns out well I can start this new path, which was given to me without the chaos and unnecessary obstacles from someone who doesn’t even know how to pronounce my first name.