Whatsup Smith/Herring/Stewart Family!!! It's Awesome To Feature Ulysses "Bim" Owens, Jr. As Our Smith/Herring/Stewart Family Blog Contributor For This Month. Despite Having A "High-Demanding" Schedule As A Professional Musician Traveling Around The Globe, Bim Made It A Top Priority To Share His Personal Thoughts And Wisdom Regarding "Fulfilling Your Family Dreams".... Please sign-up to join our blog community and feel free to post your comments or thoughts to our monthly blogs. They're truly wonderful and encouraging to read. Enjoy, sib
At a young age, I was taught two things about my mother’s family legacy. #1 My grandfather Shade Herring Sr, was a man of prayer and great faith. #2 He was an architect that built the home that my mother and her siblings were raised. My cousins and I also spent many summers and evenings when our parents were working; being cared for by our Grandmother Ophelia Herring. Those were precious moments that I still recount as gems during a brief moment in time that shaped my core.
On my father’s side, I understood that my Grandmother Katie Owens desired her three boys and one girl to make a living and be able to contribute something substantial to the world. They were reared as hard workers, and children who understood the value of a dollar.
My dreams as a kid shifted a few times , but the seed of them was planted amongst my family in church, which is the bedrock of our faith and bond. The music, message and relationships established within church simply underscored the narrative of all of our upbringing.
I became clear about my dream of wanting to be a professional musician, when I had an opportunity to visit my cousins Kevin and Wallace Sibley Jr, in New York City as a teenager.
When I look at my life right now, I am literally living in a state of daily fulfilled dreams and I owe that to many but especially to my cousin “Sib.” He opened his heart and his home for me to see and be exposed to what is possible in the future.
I always tell people, you must first see what you can become before you chart the path to attaining it.
Everyday that I am working towards my dreams , I am never separated from my family’s love, and undeniable faith in God. My success is intertwined with them and the prayers that have always guided my life and future.
I think it was Maya Angelou who stated, “When one of us achieves, we are standing in proxy for the ancestors who paved the way for us and are standing within us as we stand externally.”
"I am a dreamer, and a doer and I'm really thankful for the privilege to fulfill my dreams, and thankful to my family for their support."
Bim, I TRULY enjoyed reading your post... So inspiring for all generations, young and old. I feel my contribution to your success is minimal... Nevertheless, I'm grateful our loving Grandparents devoted their lives working domestic and hard labor jobs to give their children (our parents) the opportunity to obtain a college education and a lifestyle they could not afford to have. Our parents hard work ethics and ability to invest in our skills and talents allowed their kids (us) the opportunity to chase and "Fulfill Our Dreams"... What a "Blessed Heritage."