I am from Allentown, Pennsylvania. If you are from Allentown, you know that there are two distinct things that represent the city. The first distinct thing is the PP&L building. Here is a photo below... 

The PP&L building is the tallest building in the city. This structure by itself represents the skyline of Pennsylvania's 3rd largest city. 

The second distinct thing that represents Allentown is the 8th St. Bridge. Here is a picture below... 

This bridge connects South Allentown to North Allentown. It is the main connector between the two most important parts of the city. 

I used to live on 9th St.. I only lived one block away from the bridge. No matter what I was doing, the bridge was always in my view. If we were playing football on the field by my house, we could see the bridge. If we were down at Fountain playing basketball or swimming, we could see the bridge. When I went to daycare, our playground was under the bridge. 

Over the years I began to understand the importance of the bridge. The bridge was POWERFUL. The bridge took people home. The bridge took people to work. Sometimes people jumped off of the bridge, and suicide off of the bridge cost many people their lives. 

True story, I just threw up all over myself. I just threw up not because I am sick, but because I am really excited about what I am about to write. Back to the bridge... 

The bridge was a connector. As I grew into a man, I understood the importance of connection. If the bridge was down in Allentown, traffic was terrible and the city wasn't nearly as fluid as it was when the bridge is fully functional.  

---

If you saw the video to my last post, you saw that my mother is now with me on this experience. There is a specific reason I wanted her to meet me here. 

I love to travel. That wasn't always the case though. When I was younger, I did not think travel was possible. While I saw all of these cool places in books and on television(when I was at a friends house because I didn't have cable)... I didn't think that me visiting Rome, Japan, or Egypt was possible. I thought that stuff was reserved for the rich people. My idea of a vacation was going to 15th St. once every 6 months to get a happy meal at McDonalds. 

Enter this man... 

The man in the yellow shirt is my Uncle Kenny. This picture was probably taken around 1989. My uncle Kenny was the man. He knew my mothers situation was tough. He knew that my mother didn't have any male role models for her son. 

Any time he could, my uncle Kenny took me. He would take me to the basketball court. He would help me throw a baseball. We would play racquetball, jog, and do all kinds of activities. I really loved my uncle Kenny. 

There were even a few times he took me on vacation. Me? Vacation? YES! Our first vacation was in Virginia Beach, VA. We then eventually went to Myrtle Beach and St. Louis too. 

My uncle Kenny was a bridge. He was STRONG. Look at him in the picture. He would actually run across the 8th St. Bridge for exercise. He would do hundreds of push-ups like it was nothing. 

He was also strong enough to handle the mental burden of taking care of a family. The girl pictured below him is my cousin Alicia. She is the daughter of his wife Ruthie. They got together shortly after Alicia was born. Alicia's father was not in her life, and Kenny became her father. He also took care of his biological daughter Jennifer, who is to his left in the photo above. 

If it wasn't for him, I may not have fell in love with travelling. He made the connection. He made gave me the spark, and I ran with it. My uncle Kenny was a bridge. 

---

This is my Uncle Kenny today... 

Life hit my uncle Kenny hard. Tragedy hit my uncle Kenny HARD. My uncle Kenny weighs over 400 pounds. My uncle Kenny spills soda on himself. My uncle Kenny eats hoagies and gets the condiments all over his clothing and face. He cannot keep a cell phone because he always breaks it. 

My uncle now resides in Texas. I wanted my mother to see him. She hadn't seen more than twice in 10 years. She would LOVE that. He would too. My uncle only saw Koi a handful of times in his life. He never met Maecee. It would be good for everyone involved. 

I wanted to surprise my uncle. Here is a video of it... 

Listen to the joy in the tone of his voice when he said my name. What a beautiful moment. 

My uncle Kenny literally gave his life for his families lives. LITERALLY. He sacrificed himself for the greater good of everyone else. He was a man. He was the rock, even though the wear and tear and the pressure of this role in this world would eventually leading to hard times.

Even though Alicia wasn't my uncle Kenny's biological child, he helped his wife instill values and character into her that would enable her to become a strong and independent woman. She is literally and figuratively one of the strongest women I know. My cousin Alicia is FIERCE. She was the first person I knew who graduated from college. She has a successful career She is a loving mother and wife. 

She and her family eventually moved to Austin, TX. Since Kenny was having issues taking care of himself, she and her family fit the bill. I love my cousin Alicia. My uncle Kenny could have stayed stuck in Pennsylvania and continued to be a burden for someone else. Despite her busy life and the impending financial strain he would cause, she took him in anyway. 

While I was in the Austin area, I just wanted to chill with my family. I wanted everyone to relax, eat, watch a game, and have a god time. I wanted to talk sports to my uncle Kenny. I wanted to talk old 70's disco and early 80's hip hop with my uncle Kenny. I wanted my cousin Alicia and my daughter to meet. They remind me soooooo much of each other! My daughter is just as savvy and just as smart. I wanted to be the bridge. I wanted them to connect. And I did it. 

Everyone got together at Alicia's home. Alicia and her husband built her home. It was custom designed. It is beautiful. 

Alicia came from where I came from. She came from where my daughter came from. She was from Allentown. She explored the life she wanted and found her home in Texas. She always attributes her success not only to what my uncle Kenny did for her... but also to what the city of Allentown did for her. It made her tough. At made her a survivor. It made her a believer. Allentown itself too was the bridge. Here are some pictures of us together. 

This is the "real" picture of the cropped out picture above. Look at how comfortable I was. Quite honestly, it was been hard for me to sleep. I have had so much positive energy. I have been wanting to get this story out. Being next to my uncle Kenny put me at ease. His love put me at peace. I took a nap on him. 

I LOVE my uncle Kenny. I will always represent my uncle Kenny.  I don't give a damn if he has salami all over his face and soda all over his chest... I am still going to run and give him a hug as soon as I see him. He is ALWAYS going to be the man to me. He was the bridge to a better life for his family. His daughters are both happy and successful. 

My uncle Kenny was a bridge in many ways in life to me as well. He led me to sports. He led me to travel. It is because of him I will take Quron and Cheese wherever I go at any cost. Even until this day, he continues to be a bridge for me. I say that, because he led me to the following conversation... 

---

Let me go. 

Those were the final words of Arthur Perryman III. Who is Arthur Perryman III you may ask? Here is a photo... 

He looks a little like me right? Anyway... 

I talked about Arthur on a previous blog post. He is the best basketball player in Monroe County history. He is the man who led his underdog East Stroudsburg Cavalier boys basketball team to a magical run back in 1994, and shortly after succumbed to prostate cancer on April 21 1995. He is the man who was treated in room 214A at Fox Chase Hospital in Philadelphia... the same room that I was in when I had my lung cancer surgery. 

Like I said in the blog post before where I talked about Arthur... I did not know him. I never met him. Even though Arthur and I did not have a relationship, he inspired me. His story has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on my life in so may ways. 

I was a fan of their team and their run. His team consisted of a few brothers and a white boy. What up Kev? That was unheard of in the Poconos at that time. Most of the teams were predominantly white in that area.While their team name was the Cavaliers, Arthur's squad could have just have easily been named the Trailblazers, due to all of the barriers and stereotypes that they broke down.  

I was also a fan of Arthur's spirit. Over the years, so many articles have be written and so many stories have been told about how Arthur's approach to life helped out the lives of others... even countless years after his death. Arthur has been dead for 22 years He lived to be 19 years old. He has already been dead longer than he was alive for. That does not matter.  His legend and memory continues to grow...  as it should. He was truly something special. 

In Austin TX, I had the absolute HONOR AND PRIVILEGE to hear how Arthur's life impacted the life of another man. 

 

This is my friend Hassan and his family. He also is the father of two other young daughters. Before I tell you the story he told me... I want to tell you a story about him...

Hassan was a MAJOR inspiration in my life. Hassan was on the East Stroudsburg Cavalier High School basketball team with Art when the team had that great state playoff run back in 1994.  He and his crew would pack themselves into Kev's car and drive to all of the basketball courts that had the best competition in the Lehigh Valley. 

The first time I met Hassan, I knew he was different. We were at a basketball court in Bethlehem, the neighboring city to my hometown of Allentown. When he shook my hand, he shook my hand like he just finished making a business transaction. He looked me in the eye, smiled, was pleasant, and introduced himself. He had a white girlfriend. He had a college degree and a good job. 

Now let me put things into context here. There were probably at least double digit felonies committed by the players on the basketball courts around the way that I played with during that time. Basketball courts in the hood have testosterone flowing everywhere. There is always a knife within arms reach and a pistol in the car. Blessings to Armando Rodriguez AKA Mondo, the man who was murdered at the basketball court at Valania Park in Allentown while hooping. I was in the park that day. My son and my mother were in the park that day. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. The park can be a not so nice place to be with some not so nice people. 

So when you see a man who is so nice and so pleasant like Hassan a a place like that, you take notice. I loved the fact that he shook my hand like he did. I felt like that meant he respected me. I felt like that meant he looked at me than more than just some hood cat. 

When I got to know Hassan, I really got to understand how fascinating of a man he is. He is extremely educated, well traveled, and respectful. He is extremely cultured. He had great perspective. He was always the guy calming everyone down, reminding everyone it was just basketball and that nobody needed any more felonies.He was a great father and loving husband. How did this happen? During this conversation in Austin, Hassan would give me that answer. 

I did not know this, but Hassan used to live with Arthur. Due to a multitude of family issues that Hassan was having, the Perryman family ended up taking Hassan in. 

Arthur and Hassan were friends prior to Hassan moving in with the Perryman family. The bond that was created when they moved in together could not have been described as anything other than brotherhood. They did EVERYTHING together. Basketball, football, video games, and everything else in between. 

Hassan told me that while he was a pretty good athlete himself, Arthur was great. Arthur was SPECIAL. No matter what Arthur wanted to do, he could do it. If Arthur would have picked swimming, lacrosse, or volleyball, Arthur probably would have become the best at that. He was just that gifted. 

While Arthur was also a special athlete, Hassan went on to tell me how Arthur was a special person.  He told me how Art was the protector. he told me that Arthur was the voice of reason of the crew. He told me that his crew would chop it up in their man "Oop's" basement.  He told me how Arthur was the glue that kept everyone together.

The life and death of Arthur Perryman III impacted the lives of so many people in so many ways. In reference to Hassan, Arthur was a bridge. 

If it wasn't for the inspiration of the life of Arthur Perryman III, Hassan Beyah would not be the man he is today. Hassan may have went back to his unfortunate circumstances as an adolescent, which could have potentially led him to becoming another statistic. Instead, Hassan has a beautiful family. Hassan has a prospered and has had a great career. Hassan is well traveled. Hassan runs an inquisitive group on Facebook that encourages positivity and inclusion. It has done so much for its members since it's inception. Hassan himself has become a bridge. 

During the conversation between Hassan and I, Hassan's true feeling really showed through. I saw the subtle emotion he showed when he talked about Arthur. I saw the water bubble in his eyes. I saw the sweat on his brow and the hair stand up on his arms. I felt it. 

During our conversation, Hassan told me that he still carries a picture of Art in his wallet. I asked to to see it. Here is a picture... 

The picture in Hassan's wallet is just about 30 years old. Hassan's wallet was definitely not 30 years old. If you look at the picture, you cannot see Arthur's face. What was so telling to me about the picture being in Hassan's wallet all of this time is that Arthur is still there serving as his protector. He is still serving as that inspiration, and the thing that even after 22 years keeps things together. On March 3, 2017, Arthur Perryman III is STILL the bride for Hassan Beyah every single day. 

I am going to take this one step further. On March 3, 2017, Arthur Perryman III is now a bridge for ME. When I think about Arthur, I feel exactly how Hassan feels when he remembers that picture of Arthur is in his wallet. I feel alive. I feel inspired. I feel like I can take on the world. 

Arthur is still the bridge for many other people today. His sisters are all extremely successful. All of the members of that East Stroudsburg high basketball team he was on went on to be good people. Arthur's story has meant so much to me, and I wanted to keep it alive. I wanted to continue to share his story, even tough he has been dead for 22 years. I want to thank Hassan, Arthur's sister Chrissy Perryman Campos, and the entire Perryman family for giving me the honor and privilege to share their loved ones story. 

Arthur Perryman III... 2/13/76 - 4/21/95

It is fitting that Arthur was born around Valentines day. Here is whay: 

Arthur Perryman III is love. 

He has always been love. He always will be. Love keeps everything together. Arthur always did that. When I think of Arthur Perryman, I feel love. 

Do you feel me? 

While Arthur is love, he is also a bridge. I am going to have to call in all of my favors at my alma mater(East Stroudsburg University) for an idea I had. It is only right that a bridge in the city of East Stroudsburg be named after Arthur. That man is a legend. That men is an inspiration. That man is a bridge! He kept things together. He led people the right way. I think the city of East Stroudsburg should somehow commemorate this man by naming a bridge after him. East Stroudsburg... get it done. 

Back to Hassan. If it weren't for Hassan, I wouldn't shake hands like I do. I could be around 1000 hood cats, and I will shake your hand like I am at a business meeting. I vividly remember the feeling it made me feel when Hassan shook my hand like that. I felt important. I felt like I had value. He instilled that in me. If you have ever shaken my hand, that is why I shake hands like that. He showed me that it was ok to be the nice guy. Hassan was also tough and no sucker, and if you tested him you would get dealt with. He showed me you can stand up for yourself too. He showed me that basketball was just a game. He broke up so many fights. He showed me that it was ok to date a white woman. This was no small thing for me. As I child that was half black and half white, and it was difficult to maintain a certain level of blackness. I felt pressure to date only minorities. Hassan liberated me.  I honestly picked up a lot of people skills from him. 

Our conversation was great. We talked about everything. It made a few hours feel like a few minutes. Time... you are tricky. I left feeling so inspired. I left wanted so much more. Above all else, I left extremely grateful. Thank you Hassan. You have been a major inspiration in my life. You have been a bridge. I love you my brother. 

--

And that was my time in Austin. While I was in Austin, there was an event that was occurring at a particular place in Allentown that I wanted to talk about. 

Pictured about is the PP&L Center. On Wednesday, the Allen High School Basketball team played a game at this location. 

Prior to the game on Wednesday, the Allen basketball team only lost one game on the entire year. The team is extremely exciting, led by Talek Williams and Tyrese Martin. They run, jump, and dunk. They are fun! It is hard to get a ticket for an Allen game this year. Their games have been sold out for pretty much the entire season. Here is a picture of the team... 

The game on Wednesday was a district playoff game. The winner would advance to the district final. The loser would still advance to the state tournament. 

From my understanding, this game was like the biggest family reunion Allentown has ever seen. I saw all of the pictures on Facebook. I missed it. Damn. Anyway... 

Unfortunately, Allen lost the game. I saw the posts on Facebook by Talek and Tyrese. Both of them stated how they felt the pressure. Both of them stated how they felt like they let the city down. This message is for the two of them:

I have never said a single word to either one of you two. I just watched. I could have at any point in either of your lives just jumped in like many other adults I have seen attempt to. I am not saying what other people do is for better or for worse, I am just saying. 

I never wanted either one of you two to think I was trying to finesse my way into your lives in search of some malicious individual pursuit. I never wanted to put pressure on either of you either. I could have easily went into Coach Snyder's office and gotten a sit down meeting with either of you. Tyrese Pam is the homie. Pam and I have been cool before you were even born. I could have gotten into your living room if I wanted to. Talek I know your entourage too. I could have been in your living room without a problem. 

This message is important and I hope it finds the two of you. On a smaller scale, I understand the pressure of being "that guy" when you are the best player on a team. You always have people jumping in your face telling you what to do, how to do it, and why you should do it. As a kid your age, you never know who is who, who has negative intentions, or who is seeking to use your name for a payout. You always have people telling you how they want you want them to win so bad, and that they will be cheering and praying for them. 

I understand the pressure of the bright lights. You came up short. You feel like you failed. EVERYONE was there. Everyone saw it. 

After seeing your Facebook posts, I feel compelled to reach out to the both of you, as well as to the entire team and coaching staff. I was once a member of the same staff. I want you to know that the score of the game did not matter. You won waaaaaaay before the game even began. I want you to truly understand the impact of what you did. 

I heard stories of people not seeing each other for over thirty years, but eventually meeting up with each other at that game. I saw beautiful pictures on Facebook. I heard stories of re-connection. 

Talek, Tyrese, and the Allen Basketball team... that is your creation. You created love. Your brought it all in one place on one special night. You brought it to Allentown's new crown jewel. You should be proud! That seemed like it was an extremely awesome experience. Here are some photos... 

If I would have went to the game, I would have been with this crew... 

You always hear about class reunions. You have the class of 1998 reunion, class of '77, etc. From what I understand, Wednesday was like "thee" Allen reunion. 

Now here is the good thing Allen... you are still in the state tournament! I need you gentleman to understand that no matter what happens for the rest of the season, the season will have been a success. You brought people together. You created love. You created positive energy and saved lives. Everything else is icing on the cake. 

With that being said, as your season continues, do the things that got you in the building. Live on the edge. My mom asked me why Tyrese through the alley opp between his legs to Talek. If you know the team, you know the play. She said at that moment it wasn't a good idea. I told her... that is why they are great. They take chances, live on the edge, have fun.... and a beautiful thing eventually manifests. That is why they win. 

The state tournament is ahead, and I am wishing you all nothing but the best. Good luck fellas. 

---

I am not even going to front... I was disappointed that I was unable to attend the game. I knew that game was going to be a once in a lifetime experience. Well maybe... 

You know I am creative. I got to thinking. I like the PP&L Center. Since it was built, I always wanted to have a party there. I like 90's music. I wanted a "feel good" party. Kids, good music, and pure fun. 

Could I get the building? I don't know. I am about to find out. I want two people to plan a party for me at the PP&L Center when I come home. I want the building. 

Here are the two people I want to plan the party, and here is why. 

Meet Jules. I mess with Jules. Jules is a barber. Just the other day Jules was on Facebook venting about his career. Being a barber is tough. You stand on your feet all day. People talk to you about their problems all day. Some days work is slow, and sometimes it isn't. Braids were popping in the early 2000's. That means people weren't getting haircuts as much, and Jules wasn't getting paid as much money. 

The work a barber does in invaluable. I can argue that being a barber is more important than being a doctor. Jules has been doing something his whole life that doctors and all types of professionals attempt to achieve. Jules instills confidence in people. That fresh shape up makes a man feel brand new. That fresh shape up is the reason for a few marriages, a few babies, and few family reunions. That was Jules. Those haircuts made convicted felons look presentable in court. Jules kept a lot of brothers out of jail. Jules has cut the hair of people who have passed on. I could go on with the analogies. My point is that Jules has put so much positive energy in the world. 

In life, sometimes there are people and circumstances that leave people feeling underappreciated and undervalued. A barber will never make his true worth. I wanted Jules to help me plan this party because he likes the music that I like. He can also throw a good party. 

That isn't all. I want him to reap the benefits. He is due. I can get 8000 people into the PP&L Center at 6 dollars a piece again. I believe it. Do you believe in me? People were willing to contribute much more than that to me so I could tell this story. I want Jules to receive half of the profits from ticket sales, food, entertainment, etc. This will not be free money though. I want a dope party. Jules, I want you to plan it. Go. 

Now we all know Jules. Jules is my man and I love him. To plan a party as big as I envision though... especially with the intricacies of renting a facility as big as the PP&L Center, Jules is going to need some help. 

Enter this man... 

This is my friend Luiz Garcia. He is running for the mayor of the city of Allentown. While I love Ray O'Connell, Luiz is the clear choice. Luiz is the future. The Hispanic population continues to grow in the city of Allentown. It has been trending that way for 30 years. We need a man that understands the entire city. 

While Luiz will undoubtedly be able to relate to and lead the Hispanic population of the city of Allentown... he is a true man of the people. He is well traveled. He has has a decorated naval career. He is a police officer. I don't know all of the specifics, but his resume is impressive. He is always volunteering. He is definitely the man for the position. 

Even beyond his qualifications, he is a good man. I remember when Luiz was a young junior on a senior heavy basketball team when I played for Allen. That year, the only way Luis played was when we won by 50. We did win by 50 a few times. I got to know him he was a bright eyed young kid. He had big dreams. I could see it in in his eyes. I could feel it in his spirit. He believed he could do whatever he wanted. He carries that same energy and spirit today.

Here is Luiz's website. Visit to support the cause... 

https://www.luizgarciaformayor.com

Who better to help Jules plan an "event' other than Luiz and his people? It could be multifaceted. It could be a "campaign fundraising rally" for Luiz, and simultaneously be the Allentown Reunion that I missed. What if more people come and it is better? What if the building is open, and the party continued outside? What if Sugar Hill had a booth and sold food? What if Queen City BBQ did too? What if we shut Hamilton St down? The weather will be nice when I get home. Half of the proceeds could fund the mayoral campaign of Luis, and Jules could keep the other half? 

WHY NOT????

There is one more thing I want. 

I want the bridge. 

I believe in myself. I believe that my book "A collection of our thoughts" can still change the world. The number one book on the New York Times Best Seller list a few weeks ago was "1984," written by George Orewell in 1949. That was just about 70 years ago. How awesome is that? I think my books are that good. They are out there, they just need to found. I feel like with my soon to be released book "While you still can," and this untitled work , I am creating something to save the world. Once i do that, I can bring the attention to Allentown that it deserves. It is a great city. It should be visited. It should be celebrated. A lot of great has come from it. 

For that, I want the 8th St. Bridge. Albertus L. Meyers bridge sounded cool for a while, but the bridge name could use a refresh. I don't think Meyers would mind. The Kyle Kostic Bridge does look pretty good too doesn't? 

I believe we can make it happen. I believe. WE. I am going to continue attempting to tell a great story of humanity. I have SOOOOOO much more to share. I am in Holloywood, CA for the next few days. My work is out in the world. I need Allentown to spread the message. I am the bridge Allentown. Once I get on, I promise I got us. I will put you on too. I will tell everyone how great of a city we live in. I will continue to tell great stories about a placed that produced true greatness. But I need your help. Help me help you. I am the bridge. I left Allentown to be great. I left Allentown to be found. Share this work, and let the universe do its thing. I am going to come home, and we are going to have a party. Like I said, the event that I envision would be  multifaceted. It can be a bridge naming party too. 

Do you believe? 

I do. 

One more thing... 

For the party... we should all wear the same shirts! With the world being what it is, wouldn't it be cool to wear a shirt that said this to my party... 

This shirt is made by the company Random Objects. The company is owned by my friend Anthony Simpson. We met at "Fight Club." I have ordered from Anthony from time to time. His messages are always positive, and I love showing him support. 

When I got home from the hospital after lung cancer surgery, there was a package in the mailbox. I hadn't ordered anything. it was a package from Random Objects. It was this shirt... 

What an amazing gesture. When I read the letter he wrote, I cried. Here is the letter... 

What a gesture of humanity. I had never met this man in person. We only had a few conversations. Despite that, when this man found out about my surgery, he went into one of my old orders and found my address. He mailed me the shirt. Wow. 

World, support this man and is business. His website is https://www.randomobjects.net/. Buy up his product. Email him and create demand. His message is positive. Lets pre-order at least 8000 colorful shirts off of him! He deserves it. Anthony, get to work. 

So that is where I am at. I have been listening to J. Cole this entire time. When thing he always said was... "If you didn't aim too high, then you aimed too low." Is the dream big enough? 

I think it is just right. 

Like Arthur Perryman III last words... I am asking you to let me go. 

I am not saying that because I am planning to die though. I am saying that because I want you to let me go live. i want you to let me go be great. I have no fear. Whether I have fear or not, it is all going to end the same. This has been well though put. 

Believe in me. 

Share our story. 

#weareallentown 

#thekylekosticbridge

#ITSTIME

www.kylekostic.blogspot.com

Love.