Who I am and Why I Started This Blog

I realized awhile ago I have yet to make a formal introduction on here. I didn't even make time to mention why I started this blog. I set sail without letting you, the reader, know who's been at the helm. Well that ends today.

Plot twist: It doesn't end today. Sorry. I'm a walking mystery. I don't even know who I am completely. Plus I'm an anaomly. If I'm being honest here I'd even venture to say 80% of you reading this don't either. And that's perfectly cool. Back to me though.

As you should already know by now my name is Henry Bell. I was born and raised in the eloquent metropolis that is Americus Ga(high sarcasm). I was born on November 5th, 1990. It's said that only legends are born in November(Nelly, Bill Nye, John Stewart). Refuting evidence has yet to be found. Just saying. I also attended private schools (Kings Academy & Brooklyn Heights) for most of my younger days up until the 10th grade when I transferred to an out of county public school (Schley County High) until graduation. Bouncing around different schools and being exposed to different environments had a profound impact on who I grew up to be and how I view the world and the people in it. I learned to get along with all races of people and treat everybody equal no matter their background, color, religion, etc. I took the best out of people and tried to emulate the good and discard the bad. I think I turned out ok.

So who am I today? Sparing y'all an essay I'm basically just someone who tries to be better than I was 24 hours ago. I try to help people when I can and when I can't. I'm a young black male in America who is fully cognizant of the stigma that classification has swarming around it but understands no one is the captain of my fate but me, myself, & I. I'm an extremely driven individual once my mind is made up to accomplish something. I have dreams that scare me. I'm forgetful and careless at times which has cost me dearly more than a few times. Not a day goes by that I don't listen to music Future. I love to listen. All seafood is absolutely deplorable to me. Let me repeat that. All seafood is deplorable. To me. See what I did there? I repeated a sentence and added italics for emphatical purposes. That's a direct shot at any and everybody who's ever tried my disgust for seafood with "Yea yea but have you tried (insert seafood item I've already tried or some shit that literally sounds like it could still jump out my plate and end me without struggle.) Let's see what else...I love reading, huge movie critic, car enthusiast. My mom is my guardian angel. I'm always curious. I love art. I think anyone that can draw/design are some of the most coolest/talented people on the planet. I have a love/hate relationship with writing. I say that because I'm not a perfectionist but when it comes to my writing I treat it like precious cargo. I gotta make sure it's packaged just right and presented to the masses in it's best form to touch the hearts and souls of my target audience. This isn't one of those cute lil' fake ass weaknesses you memorize for some interview, it is legitimately the most annoying thing in the world. I guess it's a good thing I'm meticulous about my work though right?

 I created this blog to help centralize my thoughts on  life and document my progress as a human being figuring it out day by day. Blogging is the most effective form of expression for me and it's something I hope to one day be very very good at. On the stress relief/therapy scale it ranks #3 for me right behind exercise and vanilla crown.

Well that's enough about me for one day. Can't spoil y'all too much. Certainly by now though you've been completely blown away with my thrilling personality and undeniable charm.  Either way it's all love.

Till' next time.

The Road To Success Ain't Pretty Fam

Success...the seemingly ever-fleeting hallmark of human existence. The pursuit of happiness. It's self-validating, self-empowering, and its one of the most effective ways to add purpose to anyone's life once achieved. We were taught at a young age by our parents and teachers alike to chase success and it will be waiting for us on the other side. Just one problem. They kind of failed at telling us about all the Saturn-sized potholes in the middle. Or maybe we were just at the mercy of our selective hearing as youngins. Either way, here we are. 

When I was young I never really asked my parents how to be successful or what it even means to be successful. All I was concerned about along with the other 99% of my fellow age group was securing a Razr phone and making my myspace page look as obnoxious as humanly possible. Our elders always told us things like, "You have to work hard for what you want" or "Anything you want in this life you can have if you work hard and don't give up". Solid advice but practical? Not so much. As we aged we developed a keener sense of reality and gained a firmer grasp on what it really takes to not only be successful but what you must endure to achieve it. The first hurdle most of us millennials faced was quite simply....Where the **** do I even start? Now let me tell you, a race is already challenging enough, but not even knowing where to start? Talk about floating up shit's creek, at this point you might as well be backstroking in it. Although life is not a race, this is initially where the millennial pack separates and we see that polarizing divide amongst our peers. Not knowing how or what or where to start your journey can be incredibly frustrating. It's a barrier of entry that claims the hearts and minds of many of us as we fall by the wayside and stray off the path.

Here's a hint:

DON'T STRAY OFF THE ****** PATH!!!

Just because we weren't told we'd change our major 20 times just to graduate with a degree we'll probably never use, just because we spent our entire lives making good grades to show up for a job everyday we don't even like, and just because we've failed at so many things and been told no so many times doesn't never justifies quitting. My mom would always tell me, "Some things in life you'll just have to experience and figure out on your own". Our parents, our teachers, our elders; none of them want to see us fail but often times to give someone perspective you have to let them experience it first. We're experiencing it now. For the ones in our herd who didn't stray, we know what failure really feels like. And if you ask any successful person that's ever lived, they'll all happily tell you in order to succeed you must fail first. You have to know what failure feels like to ever appreciate success. It's the true litmus test that awaits us all throughout our journey. To further drive home the point I'm trying to make to you all I supply this following quote:

"If you can't handle the stress, you won't be able to handle the success either."

So stay the course. Don't stray. Understand that everything included within being successful isn't romantic or exciting. You're not supposed to have it all figured out today or next year. You won't wake up tomorrow radiating in glee with a newfound purpose in life and a handy roadmap on how to get there. You may spend years doing the wrong thing before you even begin with the right. This is all just a part of life. That dash between your birth and death date will be largely defined by how you handle adversity. What you did when things weren't going your way but you fought through and stuck it out.

You may take my post as a very bleak and dismal view of what it takes to be successful but that's not my goal. I'm just giving you that real. Nothing more nothing less. I want to stimulate your mind in a practical way and really make you think about what I'm saying. I'm a realist but I'm an optimist first. Faith and positivity is a winning formula that has gotten me through the toughest of times. Sometimes that's all you have to lean on when nothing's left. So being successful is hard, we all get that by now. What can we do to make that road a little less bumpy? Well, it starts with the mind. The GOAT himself, Kobe Bryant, said it best, "If you do not believe in yourself, no one will do it for you". You must also surround yourself with people who not only want to win as bad as you do but are actually doing what it takes to win. I think the grown-ups call it networking. 

If you think like a successful person, surround yourself with successful people, and consistently work towards that success, who on this earth can deny you your victory? It's yours for the taking.

New Logo Alert

It's official!!! What you guys think? (Yes I want to actually know). So comment below!

Where The Hell Has Henry Been?

Been awhile huh? Sorry about that. I've been working on "me" lately. Let's take a second to think about how many times we hear that phrase being thrown around. Seriously though, I've just been getting alot of things in my life in order so I put this blog on the back burner but trust and believe I didn't forget about it. I have so many plans for this blog it almost scares me (which is a good thing). You may want to know what I've been up to. Who knew you were this nosey? Well I'll tell you since you care so much.

For starters I completely alienated myself from social media. No IG, no snap, no facebook, etc etc. I did that to get my focus to its highest point and just unplug from the world. I'd need to do these two things if I wanted to achieve the next few things I'm about to get into. I want to get in shape for a 5K so I decided to drag my ass back in the gym and boy was that about the best decision I've made in 2017 thus far. Just two weeks in and I feel like a new person. I think I can quit now. I've also been reading more and being more aggressive towards my pursuit of my dream job (Business Analyst) and getting out of good ol' Americus. So far I've seen decent results I must say. I've also been kicking procrastination in the ass by getting this blog logo done. I've been working with a very talented frat brother of mine on the design and I'm happy to say it's finally finished! (Applause) I'm not sure if I want to reveal it now or wait until I make my return on the grid. I'm really not sure when I'll make my big debut back on social media. I said I wasn't getting back on until May but who knows. I can say this much though, I barely miss it and my focus/drive has increased tenfold. That doesn't mean you should pull the plug on your social media outlets after reading this or that I'm bashing social media. I think it's a great outlet for expression and such, but sometimes you have to remember that too much of anything is a bad thing. I think I decided I'll wait to make my return when I accomplish something big. And if you're anyone who knows me you know I'm always up to something. I also want to make this blog a bit more personal so look out for that as well. I want to tell my story. I want us to figure this thing called life out together. So bare with me, the best is yet to come!

Under Construction

Not sure if you noticed or not but I have hyperlinks at the top of my blog that'll direct you to different sections within The Stoop. That's currently under construction though so bare with me. Oh, and as always, stay tuned. There's more on the way. ;)

GSW Homecoming 2017

Well folks, it's here. The one week out of the year its socially acceptable to lose your mind everyday from partying in the name of your school's pride. A young alcoholic's paradise. A chance for old friends to reconnect for a weekend to reminisce, relive, and revisit their old stomping grounds. A high school reunion on steroids. Enter GSW Homecoming.

Can someone please tell me what the hell I was doing with my hands. 

As a young alumni I've definitely peeped the growth my school has experienced over the years. So what better way to celebrate that with what looks to be a promising week full of unforgettable memories, missed discussion assignments, and amusingly poor decision making. At a school where everybody knows everybody, our homecoming experience is uniquely different than most despite our small but growing size.  Fake love, squashed beef, random hook ups, not so random hook ups, spontaneous pregames, and unread text messages are just but a snippet of events that's sure to transpire this week. GSW Homecoming grants you the rare opportunity to walk past your ex, your former friend, and your current crush all in one go. This week will surely be deserving of every popcorn munching meme that's ever been generated on the internet.

In all seriousness though it really feels as if there's a different kind of hype surrounding this year's homecoming. From what I've read and what I've been told there's a general consensus of real positive excitement that's being echoed by students and alumni alike. "Fun" operates under the laws of perception so let's make that perception a reality this time.

I really have no idea where I'll be or what I'll be getting into. I'm a dice roller so I usually don't have a road map for these sort of things. I'll just let vibes guide my steps. If you spot me out and about, flag me down, don't be shy. Let's have a conversation(and a drink). From the 7PM pregame to the 3AM Waffle House layover, here's to good times, better memories, and safe travels.

Ohhhhhh and one more thing, to anyone out there who might be bringing bad vibes and negativity along for the ride and aren't really sure if they should come I have a bit of advice I'd like to share with you today...

Feature Fridays: Featuring Kadeem Williams from "The Kadeem Show"

It's Friiiiidaaayyyyyyyyy!!!! The greatest invention mankind has given us next to iphone's block caller feature. So as to keep up with my promise to expand this blog in every direction possible I'm launching a new segment called Feature Fridays. Every other Friday I'll be shining the spotlight on any blogger, vlogger, photographer, youtube personality etc. that I feel deserves your precious attention.

 So today we have someone joining us who's earned that spotlight. Someone who's naturally funny without even trying (my favorite kind). Someone with so much energy you can't help but snap in a better mood when he's around (Does this guy even sleep). And finally, someone who has more personalities in his arsenal than your psychotic ex-girlfriend (Who still wants those J's back she bought you). The Kadeem Show is a series of short comedy skits featuring a wide range of characters and personalities as they're placed in very humorous and sometimes awkwardly funny situations. The right amount of funny mixed in with a healthy dose of satire and insanity seems to be the working formula for The Kadeem Show and I look forward to seeing it grow and prosper in the days to come. So without further ado I want to welcome Mr. Kadeem Williams to The Stoop! 

Kadeem! What's good man welcome to The Stoop. Gon' head and let these folks know who you be.

This Ya Boooooy Kadeem Williams aka Iamthesquare aka Ceo of Big Guy Little Guy Corporation. Founder of the Kadeem Show! Yezzirrrr!

Miss the GSW college days? 

Of Course!!!. ...I will choose College Struggle over Real World struggles Anyday. Always had Food options from the Cafe, Canes Den, CookOuts, Frat & R.A Functions. The Parties were always Fun & classes were Never far. 

Will you be attending homecoming this year? 

Yeeeeeaah Man! 

What inspired you to start your own show? 

Growing Up I was always told I'm Funny & should have my Own Show. Vine & Instagram had short sec videos in 2013. I never got into Vine & I felt that IG were too short for my ideas so One day I looked up Apps for making Movies. Found One that fit my Liking. Ever since Ep. 1 I would explore its Features. 

How did you come up with all the different characters on your show?

The Characters. ...Stewart Long branched from my Best Friend Jephry Milloy. He played the role in one of his own videos & had me play as Stewart Long in one of his Skits a While Back. ..After a Halloween Party I dressed up as Stewart Long & took over the Character. As for the Rest. They are different sides of my Personality or my version of people we all know. KarL Wilson (the Cousin) is my Goofy Side. Mr. 100 is my Hood side. Morris Plump is Forrest Gump. Willy Glaze is Billy Maze (Rip). & So etc.

What future plans do you have for the show? 

More Characters some you seen in Ep. 2 The Cast: Stewart Long, Willy Glaze, Morris Plump, Michael Fatson, more of Mr. 100, Karl is gonna get a Friend soon, More characters I won't Speak on Now. More Dances, more Drawings, Songs, Parodies. I got The Show Planned Out Up to Season 4. 

What’s the toughest part about making your own videos? 

The Toughest part is figuring out ways to angle the camera when I want to show both my Hands. I record my own videos with Just my Phone so I'm always holding my Phone with one hand. In the Black Super Saiyan episode my Wife helped me with the Toe to Head angle. 

Where do you hope to see The Kadeem Show in 5 years? 

5 Years I Hope to have at LEAST 100k Followers on YouTube. 50k is Enough to get Thousands of Views but 5 Years I Hope to get at least 100k. 

What would be your advice to the people out there who want to do their own thing but are afraid of taking that dreaded first step?

My Advice would be to Take Baby Steps. ...Break your Steps Down. Each Day take a Small approach & after your first attempt & success. Keep Pushing!!!

How can they follow you? 

YouTube type in The Kadeem Show or @Iamthesquare. Instagram you can follow me @Iamthesquare!

Any shoutouts?

To my Wife, my Friends: Obi, Jeph, Ian, Jay, & Both Joshes.

Check out my personal favorite episode below and make sure you subscribe to his channel!