My Time
The Chinese say, “May you live in interesting times.” My life right now is an intense struggle of faith and revenance. I've been “here” before. At 19, I was a full -fledged hoodlum and on my way to prison, toting a 16 year sentence for robbery and a high speed police chase. At 26, I was free on parole. I'd converted to Islam, had a wife, a baby, and a house full. My new faith gave me a new direction and improbable and amazing opportunities. I became a market research manager, specializing in political polling, a community activist, and a Muslim advocate and speaker. I also became a writer and editorialist, a Jujitsu and MMA fighter, and even a bouncer. My life was indeed interesting, to say the least.