Regular Degular Dude

Growing up in Little Rock, going to church was an important asset of my upbringing. The churches and church family in Little Rock, Arkansas are strong and something that can only continue to get better. Pastor Dwight D. Townsend gives us some insight to what churches are like in Little Rock.  Dwight D. Townsend is the senior pastor at Longley Baptist Church in Little Rock, where he has been for 18 years.  Pastor Townsend says that, “The church community in Little Rock is traditionally  strong. For the most part, people regularly attend worship services, financially support and represent their churches proudly in the community. There are also a diversity of gifts in the body.” He also works with other churches. “We collaborate on many different things from ministry events to community service projects and we advocate for the voiceless.”  In those collaborations are things like revivals. I remember always going to those when I was a little kid. To me it was like extra ...

 “ We live in a world today where it’s almost ‘taboo’ to be masculine.  But if we want to become powerful, effective men, we need to let go of our culture’s weird ideas about manhood. Learn to become comfortable in your own skin. Own your masculinity. Take pride in who and what you are.” This quote from TheAdultMan blog has stuck with me. This is in timely relation to other things in my life. Weekly I have meetings with other males and we talk about becoming a better man. In our discussion we talk about how as men we need to step up more and do away with the cultural ways of today. As a developing young man I think it is important for me to take the words of older guys and heed to them.  I like the last sentence. “Take pride in who and what you are.” I have a decent idea of who I am. And I need to continue to be unapologetically myself. Pride isn’t always good however. It is important to avoid toxic masculinity and trying to be too much of a man to compensate for other ar...

 I don’t usually watch too much NBA basketball, but I try to keep up a little bit. All star weekend just passed. It was mediocre. However, the trades that have been going on in the league are insane. Some of these trades have really caught me off guard.  Kevin Durant was recently traded to the Suns after being on the Nets for a few years. The Suns traded some pretty solid young guys for a superstar. Some people like the trade, some don’t. I don’t know how to feel about it. I feel like a superstar like Kevin Durant and a rising superstar in Devin Booker who was already on Suns, can potentially work very well. I can see them really competing and making it to the finals this year.  Kyrie Irving, a very controversial player right now, but however still a superstar, was also traded. He is now on the Dallas Mavericks with his now co-superstar, Luka Doncic. So far they haven’t played many games together. Luka was hurt when Kyrie had his first game there. A lot of people I know t...

It is important for college students to be involved and engaged on their campus. Being affiliated with some type of club or team on campus always has its benefits. It can help with social skills or even help with job positions in the long run. It can also be a confidence booster, and outlet to express one’s self.  College connectedness  is a vital asset to a college students life. Connectedness according to Rovai (2002) is “the feeling of belonging and the creation of bonding relationships.” Self esteem is another important aspect in the life of a college student. Lots of college freshman go into college and come out of college almost two completely different people. It can be hard and eventful to find your identity. Searching for the purpose of life remains an end goal for most college students. Every one ask themselves, “What’s my  Purpose ?” Surrounding yourself around the right people and becoming involved on campus can help answer that question.  A chunk of the ...

 In recent news, a man by the name of Tyre Nichols was beat to death by five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee. On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols was stopped by police for reckless driving, according to NPR.org. After he tried to run off on foot, he was beat and killed. Tyre Nichols, a black male, was killed by five black male police officers, who beat him to death.  This is not the first time I have seen police brutality of course, but in my lifetime, this is the first time that I have seen police brutality where it is black on black. This is a different story then what the media usually portrays. I have always seen white cops killing black males. It is so much different seeing black cops killing black males.  I will never understand how five cops couldn’t just simply arrest or write a ticket for just one man without killing him. The body camera footage that was released was brutal and no one regardless of skin color should be dealt with by the police like that for so...

  Nike Air Force Ones All White Nike Foamposites KD 13’s  The shoes we wear on our feet say a lot about us. For some people wearing nice shoes is an important thing in their lives. For other people, shoes are not that important and are meant strictly just to protect the foot. I, DJ Townsend, enjoy putting on decent shoes and trying to stay in style. As you can see, I prefer Nikes. In the top picture I have on my go-to kicks. The Nike Air Force 1 in all white. Those shoes have a lot of nicknames and a lot of history. It’s a classic pair of shoes that is well viewed and highly purchased by Nike. I have had that pair since my sophomore year of high school. The second picture is a pair of Nike Foamposite’s. It is a shoe that I always wanted but never was able to find until recently, and I got a really good deal on them. The last pair of shoes in white, navy and red are the Kevin Durant 13’s. One of the more comfortable basketball shoes that I have had. All of these shoes have a st...

 Life really is what you make it. When I look back at my life even some months ago, your whole life, attitude, and spirit can change when you improve your perspective. Just make the most of what you got.