A Book That I Would Read

By Demetrius Williamson and Williamson

'A Book That I Would Read' reviews the definitions & connotations of thirty-one of the most important words & phrases in the English dictionary.

Many moments lead to 'A Book That I Would Read'. Beginning with the truth, I do not frequently read books! Novels were never my immediate source for knowledge, expansion and ac

• Language: English
• Publisher: Research Class, LLC
• Release date: May 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737040118

Demetrius Williamson

From Chicago, IL, grew a diverse, creative being reveling in love for the pursuit of excellence and inspired by artistic and cultural initiatives. I am Demetrius Williamson - marketing professional, writer, avid traveler & progressive thinker. A former professional athlete now based in Los Angeles, CA and creator of Research Class, LLC, a versatile marketing and publishing entity.

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preface:

A few things happened. As people were sharing experiences, I listened. Turning everyday stories, war stories and the stories that began with "back in my day" into knowledge. Listening is a talent. Listening requires intentional awareness, which may afford for more significant decisions to be made in any instance of life.

Growing up on the Southside of Chicago, in the neighborhood of West Englewood, I was not aware at an early age of any statistical boundaries that the United States Census Bureau, city planning, or any other government entity bestowed upon the residents of Englewood. Including my family and me. But I was aware that my surroundings felt like a true community. My grandmother knew every person in the neighborhood. Every child, every visitor, every church member, every vehicle, so on and so forth. I was not only taught how to speak to people with politeness and respect, but I began to learn how to engage in conversation with intent.

I was comfortable walking thru the alleyways as a shortcut. I was confident in going to the store and Geary’s barbershop by myself at a young age. Plus, I always had my basketball. This one object let people on other blocks know that I was going somewhere. That I had dreams and ambitions.

When it comes to my schooling, there was an expectation of excellence. Good was not good enough. But before the educational expectation, there were the lessons of punctuality. I started school early, and my grandmother would not allow me to miss a day nor ever be tardy, even if it was 18 inches of snow outside. Even if I wasn’t feeling 100% that day. I was at the schoolhouse.

While in grammar school, my history teacher in the 7th grade, Ms. Thornton, told me, You’re gonna be in the newspaper for something positive one day. The timing of her making this statement was random. Nothing had happened. It wasn’t that I just won an award or report card time. She felt moved by something and compelled enough to speak to it. That energy was transferred to me, a young boy. No matter what pessimism exuded from any teacher, principal, administrator, coach or superior later on in life, her words would mean more. I knew I was special! Ms. Thornton reinforced a shield of assurance. As if I already didn’t have the confidence from home.

A Book That I Would Read reviews the definitions & connotations of thirty-one of the most important words & phrases in the English dictionary.

Many moments lead to A Book That I Would Read. Honestly, because I do not read books! Novels were never my immediate source for knowledge and academic growth, as it is for others. I preferred articles, documentaries, even dictionaries and encyclopedias. I favored resources that limited the pressure of reading a prescribed material from start to finish. I found many novels to be generic, underwhelming, overhyped. There are others like me. Thirsting to absorb knowledge through other formats in an overly saturated world.

The book begins with the documentation of the moment I left corporate America. Producing a video later to be posted on Instagram. Timestamping the monumental year after, since videos and voice messages have the capability of living beyond our physical form. I began to compile stories, debunking theories, sayings and idioms we believe to be law and permanent constitution towards living a great, successful life. I sought even deeper answers.

What is our true mission? What will we do for humanity? What perspective can we provide?

I began to write what I would read. Gut-wrenching material that the reader can begin to enjoy on any page. Without the pressures of order and sequence.

introduction:

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 – That morning, standing in the atrium of the Union Pacific Center in Omaha, NE, I had a phone conversation with Ed [ret. Director of Network Management]. Ed was more than my boss. He was a fellow Black man and a saving grace, some may say after transitioning into this role. The conversation was about his return date from surgery recovery. If he weren’t returning before the week’s end, I would probably not see him again in this work environment.

There was a reason for this. Through the seven years of being in Portland and working with Union Pacific, I grew to learn my definition of happiness. Amongst all the variations, moving to Omaha was not one of them. After 6 months of deliberation within the organization, the lifechanging decision of a move to another state was made, due to an erroneous presence of nepotism initiated by the company itself. I was merely the receiver of the news via a monotonous phone call in October of 2017. As I returned cable equipment to a Comcast store in Beaverton, OR for a friend who had recently moved to New Orleans. Never again, I said in