Before I Go Away: How I Experienced Life - Vol. I

By Niq Bullock

Enjoy this rare 360-degree view as you journey inside the life of an extraordinary and sensitive human being.

“Read the book! Enjoyed it tremendously!!!!! It’s like I was standing at the window looking in.”
-April H., Silver Spring, MD

“It was exquisite & excellent!!!! ...so deep in feelings. I wanna buy a copy of ur book!!!!”
-Gunilla Landström, Skellfteå, Sweden

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475947281

Niq Bullock

Niq is a student of Life. Determined to succeed since the very beginning, Niq has become an accomplished poet, writer, and artist of words. Niq’s earliest education came as Squirt in Daddy’s arms. When Niq was born, Mommie took sick and Daddy was Squirt’s main caregiver, taking care of Mommie, Squirt and Niq's two older sisters. At four, after hearing a sermon at the church of one of Daddy’s fellow taxicab drivers, Niq proclaimed at Sunday dinner, the desire to ‘accept Christ.’ Niq was instructed to ‘go down front’ the following Sunday once they were back at their home church, Righteous Church of God in Washington, DC. This was the beginning of an arduos spiritual journey, but one made easier by the presence of music and song. A lover of music at a young age, too early on many a morning, Niq plinked the family piano rocking the bench to reach the pedals. Begging to take lessons, Niq learned the alphabet and was accepted into Oxendine Music Academy in Hyattsville, MD. Here Niq trained as a classical pianist and competed at Peabody Conservatory’s then annual competition. In the last year of competition, at age 12, Niq achieved a green honorable mention ribbon, first place, in Niq’s opinion, for a black student in that time. The longest attending minority student of Capitol Christian Academy in Upper Marlboro, MD, Niq attended first grade when certain grades had class in the Bethany Lutheran Church across from the Otho Williams car dealer in Suitland, MD. Niq graduated 11 years later, and at age 16 entered Messiah College in Grantham, PA. Changing majors from elementary education, a career anticipated early from teaching and preaching to many dolls in the basement of their DC home, Niq achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication. It was ‘not triumphantly, but somehow,’ as a caring professor encouraged when Daddy died from a two-year bout with cancer the summer of Niq’s sophomore year. By age 24, Niq had held more than 24 jobs, the result of beginning work early, working several jobs at once, and having an intense passion for learning as much as possible in the shortest time possible. While working at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, DC, Niq designed a system for tracking the President’s Disaster Assistance Relief Fund and wrote a pamphlet explaining the relief process to disaster victims. Later at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Niq quickly became resident expert in the Office of Economic Opportunity. Travelling the country training state and federal government employees on the rights and responsibilities of those receiving government funds for community improvements, Niq strategized with city officials, workers, and low-income housing residents to maximize results under government guidelines. Niq wrote revised federal regulations for Section 3, Economic Opportunities for Low Income Persons, and received critical acclaim for conducting numerous trainings including annual training conferences for HUD attorneys and the American Contractor’s Compliance Association. Eager to use the left and right brain, Niq, then managed a budget of $150M in the Office of Administrative and Management Services at HUD. But as the excitement and thrill reached fever pitch, Niq was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and advised to medicate the condition to prevent ‘accidental suicide’ during anticipated depressive mood swings. It would be almost six years before Niq effectively reversed this decision. Although suffering from panic since childhood, Niq works daily to enjoy life and assists those who commit to do the same. “Perspective is everything,” says Niq. ” I’m in control of very little. But if I work at it, I can choose to enjoy each moment of my life. Enjoying life is a choice only I can make.” At time of publication, Niq is no longer on bipolar medication and has had no episodes for more than four months. Asked for the secret, Niq says, “Faith without works is dead."

Book preview

BEFORE I GO AWAY:

How I Experienced Life – Vol. I

Niq Bullock

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

BEFORE I GO AWAY:

How I Experienced Life – Vol. I

Copyright © 2012 by Niq Bullock

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Cover art by Antwanyce RichAnt Richardson, www.theRichAnt.com

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4727-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4728-1 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 9/28/2012

Contents

PART ONE: The Early Years

Ultimate High

Summer Night

June 19, 9:17 PM

Wedding Song to Daddy

My Mind

I Love Being with You

PART TWO: Awakening

What Happened

Princess Passion

PART THREE: Struggling

Fright

Time Is Ticking

The Tracks

Drowning in her blood

My No-Terror Zone

PART FOUR: The Artist Released

Haters

HiDEF, Where ya livin!?

HiDEF! Whatcha gon do?

Cupe

Twomn

Leavin

Relatin Ships

PART FIVE: Gettin’ It Up Off Me

The Name a My poem is…

Just Me

There’s a Mess in My Family

The Argument

Acknowledgements

Author Biography

PART ONE:

The Early Years

Ultimate High

There’s a room.

And there’re people

who are all really sweet.

They’re not perfect,

just human…

what a pleasurable treat.

They have good stuff and bad.

But they don’t really care;

They’re just out DOING life

and enjoying what there.

Jogging here, boating there,

Having parties at night.

Making love, making money,

do what they feel is right.

Go to work, to the gym,

or a nearby