Remembrances of Breakfast With My Father

Seeing this is my first attempt blogging, I want everyone to know who my father was. He was a passionate and genuine man who cared deeply about urban life. Harlem was a community that he loved and gave every breathe of his life to improve. Therefore, I want to inspire today's young adults to reach higher as he did without proper education. He told me to "reach one, teach one." This is my commitment to him. It is a start to something new in my father's legacy.

I did not live with my father as young boy. He lived in Harlem, NYC, on 131 St & Nicholas. He would come to Queens to pick me up for weekend visits. I did not like going to Harlem. The community was plagued with crime and drugs. My father was not a great cook. Whenever I visited, the next morning, he went to the local hot dog stand and purchased two hot dogs for breakfast. I have to admit I did not like the experience of him as it was far from my regular home life.  Everyone seemed to be drawn to my dad and that did not stop when I was around. However, he always had people visiting him, and they loved to see me with him. Even at the hot dog stand people said to him, " You look great Sam with your son" I thought that was ironic since we were fetching breakfast on a corner block. As I grew to see a lot of my friends without their father being in their life, I really  began to appreciate him for being in mine!

When I was a child, he began WE CARE with his friend Sam Gaynor (yes, both named Sam). He was setting in motion a plan for the youth of Harlem to not become a victim of crime and drugs, but provide them with constructive outlets and education. His first projects was planning birthday parties for neighborhood kids who were poor and couldn't afford any luxuries. He would get donations from local businesses, not matter how small, to put together these events for kids. That was the beginning of his legacy for me and for Harlem. He passed away in 2012 and I miss him terribly. What I wouldn't give to have one more hot dog for breakfast from that corner stand!

Songhai Walton