Day Seven: Father – Son Tradition, Good Thing George Zimmerman Doesn’t Work for MARTA
Well we are now on the back-end of our journey and we are getting to the end of our rope of living in hotel rooms. It doesn’t appear in the cards for us to get a good night’s sleep. Everywhere we go it seems someone is conspiring against us sleeping more than 5 good hours.
Last night and this morning were no different. Just as was the case at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa, adults were roaming the halls with no regard for the other paying guests at 3:00 and 4:00 am. I suspected that some of those guests roaming the halls might not have been paying guests but working women and in some cases working men who were being compensated by a few of the paying guests.
Clearly having been traumatized on our journey through the plantations, I thought it best not to get out of bed. I couldn’t chance seeing something that would undoubtedly make me too scared to go back to sleep so I stayed in the bed daring not to look out the peep-hole or open the door.
All of these so-called four-star hotels with the unruly and disrespectful guests has left a slight yearning for The Sea Pines Resort. I’m beginning to think that there just might be something to private exclusive living for the “privileged few”. I’m sure things are different living in a place where the unspoken motto seems to be “you ain’t gotta go home but when sundown begins, you gotta get the H-E double hockey sticks out of here”. I bet those folks living in the Sea Pines Community don’t ever have to worry about a good night’s sleep.
Man, I hope there are no sleeping issues when I get to Bora Bora!
http://youtu.be/Ebxb6n81RSY
http://youtu.be/y1gIz0Ef-7Y
Leading Story on CNN
We were awakened this morning around 8:30 a.m. by housekeeping who was knocking on doors yelling of course “housekeeping”! I know 8:30 am might seem late to be sleeping. Under normal circumstances I would agree with you.
However, when you are on vacation and you stay up late talking to your son, writing blog entries, catching up on things in your office, you expect to be able to sleep without housekeeping knocking on your door. Not to mention that we were checking out by 11:00 am so I don’t know why in the world housekeeping was bothering Naeem and me. Housekeeping should have been down the hall bothering the guests who really needed housekeeping – namely those who were out soliciting unpaying guests to accompany them back to their room.
Had we not been residing directly across the street from CNN, I might have thrown pillows at the lady yelling “housekeeping! I didn’t. I kept my composure. I couldn’t afford being on national news. I could see the headlines now “Sleep deprived guest threatens hotel employee’s life with pillows”.
There are already more than enough men who look like me living behind bars. Besides being incarcerated is not a good look for someone known as Supaman’s dad.
Instead of adding to the growing list of incarcerated African-American males, I simply waited to check out to make my concerns known. Upon hearing our concerns, the hotel representative stated that we weren’t the only guests who said that there was lots of noise throughout the night. For my trouble, she offered me a $25 room credit.
What was I going to do with a $25 room credit? I would have preferred if she would have just given me the $25 so that I could have paid for a room at Motel 6. According to Tom Bodett, at Motel 6 “we’ll leave the light on for you”. Who am I kidding, I’m not staying at Motel 6 and I don’t need the lights left on. I need the room to be dark and quiet. Please, let the next hotel be quiet, I need some sleep.
Don’t Tase Me Bro
Back at the MARTA where the 11:30 am Megabus departing for Nashville, TN awaited us. Naeem and I were joined with a cast of hundreds. When I say cast, I am not kidding. Everyone from the cast of Martin to the reality show Honey Boo Boo were there.
We were in Georgia, another of those “Shoot First”, Stand Your Ground Law states. Thank God George Zimmerman was not there, he might have deemed a lot of folks ”suspicious looking”. And we all know what would might have happened next.
There was “Hustle Man” and his trusted side kick “Brother Man” trying to sell snacks and a cornucopia of other items for the bus ride. I believe their motto was “you gonna want, yo mega snacks when you get on the Megabus”. I’m telling you if it could be sold and carried on the bus, they were selling it. Fried chicken sandwiches, chips, soda, water, DVDs, CDs, hair extensions, press on nails, pre-paid phones, mixed-drinks, funny cigarettes and more. You name it “Hustle Man” and “Brother Man” sold it.
Shanaynay was there as well. Actually, there were so many Shanaynays, I thought human cloning had made its way to Megabus. There was the Shanaynay trying to sneak on the bus before checking in, the Shanaynay who had her hair – by hair I mean weave – dyed not red but Kool Aid red and the Shanaynay who worked for Megabus and was hugging all the MARTA officers while lining us up like little kids waiting for the short yellow bus.
Honey Boo Boo and all her friends were there too. Joining the cast of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was the cast from the Bayou Billionaires, Moonshiners, Redneck Island, Lady Hoggers, Hillbilly Handfishin’, Duck Dynasty, Swamp People, and My Big Redneck Wedding. I told you everyone was there, well everyone except you.
And Always Remember Double D to the B!
Based on the cast standing outside waiting to board the bus, I probably don’t have to tell you that this time the Megabus ride was a Mega Pain in the Mega you know where. Naeem has sworn off ever riding a Megabus again. Easy for him to say. He wasn’t old enough to drive a rental car so either way he gets to do what he has expertly done the entire trip DJ, listen to music, eat snacks, text on his phone, utilize his tablet and sleep.
I’m not so sure about whether or not I should swear off Megabus yet. Although one more trip like today and I might have to side with my progeny. For now, I think there might be a time of day and particular destination that works better with Megabus travel than others. Nonetheless, I feel my son’s pain.
While I am on the subject of pain, I must tell you about the pain afflicted upon us by our most recent bus driver. The driver’s name was Tom and he was nuisance personified.
His obnoxious behavior began with his introduction. An introduction that seemed like an audition for the Deep South Version of Love Connection:
“Hey yaw! I’m Tom. Some people calls me Tom Cat. My wife calls me Docta Love! He He He! Imma gone be yaw driver this afa noon. Weh-come to Megabus. Now let me tell yaw them rules. Three thangs – ain’t gone be no drinkin’, smokin’maryjuwanna or fightin’ on the Megabus. Now if ya do any of them thangs, you gonna see them police. He He he! I promise yaw, I will pull this here bus to the side of the road and put yaw out. There ain’t gonna be no cussing on the Megabus. If you want to cuss somebody out, send em a text. Now a few more thangs about me. I’m a Georgia Bull Dawg and Atlanta Falcuns fan. My team runs the south. For all yaw SEC fans, yaw ain’t got nuttin comin’ its my Dawgs all the way. And in duh NFL, my Durty Birds gonna go straight to dah Supa Bowl…Now one thang I want yaw to always remember I’m a fan of the Double D to the B. That’s them Dawgs and Dirty Birds”
Dear Lord, please let me off of this bus. I can’t count the number of times that we heard the expression now remember “Double D to the B”. Actually, I think we heard the expression 1,627 times between Atlanta and Nashville.
Joining Tom on the growing Mega pain – in the you know where – list was the lady who also appeared to be auditioning for the Deep South version of Love Connection. For the record, I’m just going to refer to Tom, as Tom the bus driver. I’m certainly not ever going to call another grown man “Tom Cat”. That’s just not happening!
Unlike Tom announcing all the personal details of his life over the bus intercom, the lady sitting behind us was talking on her phone loudly. The only detail that was not clear was if she was making her love connections through Match.com, Black People Meet, Christian Mingle or Farmer’s Only. Whatever online dating service she was using, I heard enough of her talking to desperately want to get off the bus.
Juices and Berries
Finally a cab driver who didn’t seem to have a problem doing his job – picking up passengers and driving them to their destination. Fortunately, now I have an idea why the other cab drivers seem to have a problem picking me up. Maybe, I don’t actually suffer from C.C.A.C.W.B.
As we exited the cab and I paid the driver, the driver remarked that I should leave the juice alone. By juice he meant that I should stop taking steroids. “Steroids”, I exclaimed! “Man all I do is workout”! Like Akeem in Coming to America, I said to him “juice I use no chemicals only juices and berries”.
Who knew it was my guns – and by guns I mean biceps and triceps – that were the two things which prevented cab drivers from picking me up.
Oh yeah, finally a cab driver who didn’t talk on the phone in a language I couldn’t understand. He still drove like a bat out of you know where but he spoke a language Megabus had made me all too familiar – Ebonics.
Discourteous Traveler
Soop and I took the courtesy shuttle provided by the Millennium Maxwell House Nashville downtown for dinner. Riding on the shuttle bus with us was some guy having a conversation about how much he was going to be eating and drinking that night. 
Like the folks talking on the phone on the Megabus, he seemed unaware of just how loud he was.
Upon our arrival at the downtown destination, he exited the shuttle before we did. Although, he exited before Naeem and me, he did not go to the watering hole where I assumed that he would begin his night of gluttony and drunkenness. As he stood waiting for the driver to reply about the location of the shuttle hotel return pick up, I reached in my pocket to provide the shuttle driver a tip. Yes, the shuttle was complimentary but it didn’t mean the shuttle driver did not deserve a token of our appreciation.
I’ve tried to remind Naeem that unless the service you receive is deplorable, you should tip the person serving you. Too often we forget that those who serve us have a need and desire to be able to serve the needs of their own family.
The guy heading downtown apparently did not understand that concept. He had enough money to brag about how much eating and drinking he was going to do but only reached in his pocket to tip a man – out of embarrassment. What is really embarrassing is that a man was reluctant to tip someone who probably earns less in a day or several days than he was going to spend on food and alcohol.
Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
Speaking of alcohol, we had dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery. No alcohol for either of us. We had salad, onion rings and lemonade – the dinner of champion He Man Women Hater’s everywhere.
After dinner we walked around downtown Nashville for about an hour. I suspect Naeem was feeling a bit threatened by our pending Abs Challenge and wanted to burn off some calories before he had desert. He had his eyes set on a handmade ice cream from Mike’s Ice Cream.
It was our last night together before we returned home to the two and three a day training sessions so I let him splurge. In fact, I was more than happy to let him binge. While he would have been satisfied with one scoop, I encouraged that he have three. Why would I do such a thing?
Winning! I believe the great Vince Lombardi was quoted saying “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”. I plan to be victorious when the Abs Challenge concludes. He is a little ahead of me and I surmised giving him a couple extra scoops of ice cream might be all I need to turn the tide to my advantage.
Naeem doesn’t know it yet but revenge is not the only dish best served cold.
Theory of Relativity and the Meaning of the World
While Naeem ate his abs thickening ice cream, I explained the Theory of Relativity and The Meaning of Life. Who am I kidding, we simply had a father-son, man to man conversation.
Truth be told, I have no idea what the Theory of Relativity is and The Meaning of Life seems to change every day. Yet, I believe both Principles are connected like the Great Circle of life. Life is Relative or Life is often times better without Relatives or Relate to those who give you Life are the ways I tried to explain the two Ideologies.
I don’t know if he bought any of my explanations but that was secondary to having great intellectual discussion with one of the people I most respect. One thing for sure is that it is always ideal when your child would rather talk to you when seeking answers to important questions.
Chivalry is Not Dead or Is It?
After calling the hotel to request a pick up, we walked to the designated spot. While we waited we observed some very peculiar behavior. Men who were walking with their wives and girlfriends were walking on the inside of the women nearest the building. The men took this position while the women walked to the outside of the man nearest the curb.
I pointed this out to Naeem and asked did he recognize what was wrong with this picture. He quizzically, replied “no”. I told him that those men apparently did not have the talk with their fathers that I am about to have with you again.
Those men, I informed him either did not know or did not care to abide by the Laws of Chivalry. I explained that there is an art to being chivalrous and should he learn it. Being chivalrous I said will provide you with an upper hand on most men.
Now that he appreciates the Art of Chivalry, we are considering doing an expose on chivalry. Who knows we might even catch you on camera walking with a woman or walking with a man not abiding by the Laws of Chivalry.
I know for some chivalry seems old-fashioned but some things that are old are good. Old valuable clothing is called vintage. Old valuable cars are called classics. Men who value and practice chivalry are called Renaissance men.
Renaissance man, I suppose that is exactly what I have been trying to raise Naeem to be from day one. Today he learned just one more lesson. The death of chivalry has been greatly or in his case SUPA over exaggerated.
We closed the evening by riding the shuttle home with the Prince of Wales. Okay, we didn’t ride home with the Prince of Wales but we learned a lot of cool stuff about the Prince. We met two nice Welsh women who were visiting the southern part of the U.S. for the first time. They shared enough things about the UK and Wales that we now have another destination for our annual Father-Son journey.
When was the last time you had an intellectual conversation with your child? Does your child understand the importance of chivalry?