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June 2022
The Greatest Man Alive
I Learned How to Handle Adversity From My Dad
“Dad” is a small word that means a great deal to me. Having grown up in a tightknit family with many uncles and my grandfather looking out for me, I had a lot of important men in my life as I grew up. In fact, my grandfather was engaged in my life and active until I got further along in my high school career. Thus, Father’s Day has been and always will be extremely important to me. Today, I’m very lucky to have my father still alive and well; he played a very influential role in my life and is my best friend. When boys are young, I don’t think that they always understand their fathers and vice versa — it’s an interesting relationship. I recall being young and looking up to my father more than I could admire anyone on earth. I idolized him more than any hero, athlete, or superstar, but at the same time, there was a great lack of understanding. However, the older I got, the more I understood him and began to resemble him in things that I said, did, and thought. As Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” When you grow and mature, it just all begins to click, and you just see how right your father was all along. My father is a remarkable human being. He and my mother both came out of a poor, segregated environment and didn’t have much in the way of money. He attended Fisk University and played football there until he went pro with the Buffalo Bills. This made him the very first professional athlete to come out of Fisk University. He then went on to be inducted into the Buffalo Bills team Hall of Fame. He and my mother literally went from rags to riches overnight. He played for some time and then, unfortunately, got injured in a pre-season game. His amazing career ended overnight, just the same way that it had begun. As a young child, I knew that my dad was a professional athlete — I’d see people recognize him on the street or request his autograph. But, as I grew older, what I admired most about him was what I learned of his struggles, not his success. After his devastating injury, I watched as he tried to return to football — the one thing that he loved more than anything in the world with the exception of his family. But, due to the limitations of medicine in the 1970s, it didn’t happen and he had to transition back to
everyday 9-to-5 life. This was made possible due to the fact that in his offseason with the Buffalo Bills, he got his master’s degree. After he was dad the football player, he was dad the teacher. Then, he became dad the assistant principal, and now he’s dad the pastor of a church. All of this stems from that education and made it possible for him to still provide for his family. When he played professional ball, he saved all of his money and invested it instead of blowing everything, and today, he and my mother are still living off of investments he made as a 25-year-old man. I admired the way he planned and then went on to handle adversity. Today, I take the lessons I learned from him in that regard, and that’s how I plan in my role as a father and a husband. My dad taught me there will be adversity, and you will lose things you love and you won’t always get what you want. But you must see every day as an opportunity and a blessing. My father taught me to be tough, and he gave me the dream to do something more with my life than what people thought I could accomplish. From him, I learned how to show up and work hard. I remember as a child, I spent the majority of my Saturdays stripping paint off the side of one of our rental properties or hanging drywall on the ceiling. My father had me cutting grass and helping with landscaping. He gave me a strong work ethic. At the time, I thought he was whooping my butt, but now I understand.
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When It Rains, It Pours A Case Drenched in Disorder
Some people love the rain. After all, there’s something magical about thunder rolling through the clouds as lightning illuminates a multitude of raindrops. Yet, if the storm is too strong — or even dangerous to be in — people might not enjoy it at all. And that certainly appears to have been the case in 1996 when an Israeli woman in Haifa, Israel, sued a television station because of their incorrect weather report. The weather forecaster, Danny Rup, predicted that the day would be beautiful and sunny, but the weather had a mind of its own and ended up being rainy, dark, and gloomy. Because the woman relied upon the accuracy of the report, she left her home without a raincoat or an umbrella and got caught in the pouring rain. As the old wives’ tale goes, if you get caught in the rain, you’ll catch a cold. Well, the woman claimed that after being exposed to inclement weather, she caught the flu and subsequently was out of work for four days, had to visit the doctor, and spent $38 on medicine. Due to such a daunting experience, she also said that she suffered additional stress from the entire situation. The woman ended up taking Channel 2 news station to a small claims court where she sought financial compensation to cover her sickness and suffering — as well as an apology from the
forecaster who wrongly predicted the weather. The woman stated that weather forecasts are legally binding.
Many of us would see this as a frivolous lawsuit, but the TV station settled out of court and the woman received $1,000 for her pain and suffering and an apology from Danny Rup. Despite this case, most people take weather predictions from television and radio forecasters with a bit of skepticism thinking that forecasts are just a well-educated guess based on available resources — and it can change on a whim. It’s just the nature of it!
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cases, a victim’s stalker is someone they know or were once in an intimate relationship with. While it’s always important to never engage with your stalker, you can take certain steps to protect your safety and well-being.
To keep yourself safe, what can be done? Of course, if you are ever in immediate danger or if someone has made a credible threat, you should call the police right away. Be sure to carry a charged cellphone with you at all times for this reason. If someone is following you, seek out the nearest safe place to go, whether it be a police station, fire station, public place, or a friend’s house. Always trust your instincts: If you feel like something is wrong, it likely is. If you feel like someone may be taking an unnatural interest in you, begin varying your routines and routes a bit. Be careful when posting on social media; don’t give out information about where you live, work, or enjoy hanging out. Lastly, try to avoid going places alone. Exercise with a friend if you can and walk to your car with a coworker after work. Stalking is a serious problem and many people assume that ignoring the behavior will take care of the issue. In most cases, that doesn’t happen. When people stalk other people, they violate boundaries in order to make
First and foremost, you must know the signs and tactics of stalking, which include:
• Receiving unwanted emails, phone calls, text messages, voicemails, social media direct messages, or instant messages
• Appearing uninvited at places such as the victim’s home, school, or place of work
• Leaving strange or potentially threatening items for the victim to find
• Watching, following, or tracking a victim
• Sneaking into the victim’s home or car and doing things to scare the victim or let them know the perpetrator had been there
their victims feel unsafe. If you ever fall victim to stalking, it’s paramount that you take the necessary steps to keep yourself safe as well as involve law enforcement.
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6 Gifts Dad Is Sure to Love IT’S DAD’S DAY! Dad is a very important person in your life! Every year when Father’s Day rolls around, it can be tough to come up with the perfect gift, whether it be for your dad, a new father, your grandfather, or a father figure. Getting creative can be tricky, but this list is sure to help you with an idea or two for all different price ranges! Wallet Why not go really classic and opt for a thoughtful and practical gift? Most men’s wallets see a lot of wear and tear. After all, they’re sat on, toted around in pockets all day long, and sometimes forgotten about and sent through the wash. A new one just may be in order! Massage Gun Massage guns are rising in popularity. To help Dad recover from soreness and injury or just a tough workout, a massage gun will do the trick! The best part is that they range in price, and you can even purchase one on Amazon! Apple Watch Strap Does the dad you’re celebrating own an Apple Watch? If so, help him customize it with a new Apple Watch strap. You can choose from many materials, colors, and designs so he can blend in or stand out as much as he wants. A New Cooler Men love their coolers — it’s a foolproof Father’s Day gift! Whether Dad loves to camp, fish, tailgate, go to the beach, or barbecue in the backyard, he’s sure to appreciate a new way to store ice, drinks, food, or bait! Tool Bucket Organizer Is your dad a bit of a handyman? Help him get organized and never lose track of his tools again. Tool bucket organizers come in many forms and, again, can be purchased right online, making your shopping easy! Bluetooth Headphones or Speakers If your father doesn’t have Bluetooth headphones or speakers yet, he’s missing out. The opportunity to jam out wirelessly while working out, cutting the grass, doing hobby work, or just relaxing is effortless with this thoughtful gift.
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When I entered adult life and started trying to pursue my dreams of going to law school, people commented that I was disciplined. This all reflected the way I’d been raised. It became second nature to me, and I have my dad to thank for that — the best gift a kid could get. Now that I’m older, I understand my father, and we are very close. As a young boy, I never would’ve imagined we’d have the relationship that we do today. I hope as a father, I can do the same for my kids. In my profession, one of the biggest challenges I see, particularly when I deal with young men who are caught up in the criminal justice system, is that they either don’t have a father figure in their lives or they don’t have a strong, supportive one. Instead, they are out here in this crazy world trying to raise themselves, and that saddens me. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone had a great father like mine.
To all of the fathers out there, happy Father’s Day — you’re the real MVPs!
–Robert D. James
Summer is here, and you know what that means: It’s time to break out the barbecue and meat skewers! SWEET AND SPICY BBQ CHICKEN SKEWERS
Ingredients
For the Marinade • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika • 1/2 tsp salt For the Skewers • 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes • 1 small pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp honey • Juice of 1 lime Directions
1. In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. 2. In a reusable freezer bag, combine cubed chicken and all but 1/4 cup of the marinade. 3. Seal bag and massage marinade into the chicken. Chill in the fridge overnight. 4. The following day, preheat the grill to 400 F. Thread chicken and pineapple onto skewers, adding two cubes of chicken for each cube of pineapple. 5. Grill the skewers for 3–4 minutes per side, brushing with the reserved marinade in the final minutes. 6. Serve over rice or with your favorite barbecue sides!
Inspired by RecipeRunner.com
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404.891.0977 www.AttorneyRobertJames.com 233 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Celebrating Dad
Woman Sues Weatherman
2
Sweet and Spicy BBQ Chicken Skewers Father’s Day Gift Guide
3
How to Handle a Stalker
4
Is Somebody Watching You?
When many think of stalking, the common image is likely a stranger prowling around in the shadows of the night, showing up at random places uninvited, or spying on victims from afar. However, stalking can potentially involve so much more. Stalking is menacing behavior that makes victims feel unsafe and can lead to some terrifying acts. Stalking is more common than you may think: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in every 6 women and 1 in every 17 men have reported experiencing stalking at some point in their lives. For women, roughly 54% experienced it before the age of 25, and for men, 41%. Research conducted by the CDC revealed that stalking can damage its victims, leading to potential depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s reported that roughly 68% of female and 70% of male victims received threats of physical harm in connection with stalking at some point in their lives.
Stalking — Here’s How to Handle It
Stalking takes place when a person repeatedly harasses or threatens another person. In most
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