A Spiritual Conversation

Well as you know by now my birth and earthy name is John Lesley Dee born May 5 1957 in a small town named Gastonia North Carolina born in an All black hospital. Born to parents named Charley I. Dee and Ester L. Nickols and I am a brother to 3 brother and 2 sisters and we are grew up very close. Growing up in the south, like most, my family grew crops for food, we call them garden and all of the kids worked on the garden. We also cut woods and brought in coal for heat and cooking. My father works for the railroad and my mother raised the kids. In our little community, it was an all black community where all the kids knew each other and mothers and fathers all raised the kids. Every mother and father in Bradford Heights they all knew and trusted each other. All kids in Bradford height all went to an all black elementary school. At recess we all swam on a little creek behind the school. It's funny now I always wondered how we always got caught but I now I know it was because the water turned us ashy. Some people know what I mean because they have to use grease or lotion to get the ash off. After elementary school I went to Virginia Grier Junior High, this was the first time I had I ever went to school with kids of other races. As you can imagine, it was an eye opening experience. We talked, walked and seeing things differently than our counterparts. I had a lot of first experiences there. My first student teacher crush, my first real girlfriend, and played on my first real football team. To my surprise, I was very good at it. Football became my first great passion. This was a time in my life, that I had a lot of different opportunities from school dances to assembly and a civic class. We also won my first championship. Those were wonderful years. Then I went Ashbrook High school, home of the Greenwaves. As I looked back, these some of the best days and years of my life. That's when I met kid's mother, Tina. My first son was born then life became real. After school I went to the Army and Tina and I had 3 more children. And I had one child by Denise out of wedlock. So right here, I will stop before I write another book which I planned to do at a later time all about my life. Just let me say thank you to Linda, you have helped me save me at a time that I needed someone. You were there, thank you but right here I would like to thank the most important people in my life. To all the women in my life, thank you for tour love and time but to my mom, a very special thank you is needed. One carrying me for nine months and raising me in your unconditional love and teaching me to live the same way and my dad for showing me the measure of a man is how he take care of his family. To my brothers and sisters, I love you all so much. Don't know what I would do without you all but to my big brother Eugene, who taught me that inner strength comes from love, compassion and a kind and soft heart and to the people I named here that has my heart and unconditional love. Let me say thank you. To my children, daughters, Tina, Natealear, sons, John, Yon and Christopher. Just let me say I love you all with all my heart and soul. But most of all and with all my being, I say and I will always say thank you God. To God be the glory.