Megabus Pt. II: G

I was riveted. They were just so long. They must have taken a lifetime to grow. "10 years," was the response to my query concerning the mammoth dreads gracing the head of the passenger to my left.

His real name is Garrett, but apparently, no one seems to be able to remember it, so he goes by "G."

All G wanted to do as a boy was grow up to play for the Chicago Bulls, right next to Michael Jordan. Is that too much to ask? I guess so. G's childhood dreams of NBA stardom were crushed his Sophomore year of high school, when he didn't make the basketball team. However, he does still carry fond basketball related memories of classmate Andrew Bynum. "His best friend was this short, white kid, and me and my friends thought he was just a loser. When he got drafted, he had a draft party, and me and my friends wanted so badly to get into that party. Just goes to show you can’t take people for granted."

Alas, Basketball was not his calling, but shortly after, G discovered his true passion. Music. He DJed a high school dance, and it was love at first scratch. Sporting his vinyl records, he took on the name DJ Blakout, and took control of the dance floor. "I’ll never forget playing Usher’s 'Yeah'.  It was the best experience ever." 

Now G is 25, and his current dream is to DJ around the world. So far, his globetrotting has only extended as far as Jamaica. But I don't think his dream includes a repeat of that ill-fated Spring Break trip to the Islands, where he was given mono by his female traveling companion.

While that dream is still very much alive, G also has his day job. For the past three years, he has been working as a middle school teacher in Philly. He taught with the Teachers for America Program. Pretty hardcore. He also worked with kids with autism. I actually caught him on his way to an interview for an admin position in the DC public school system. 

Physical Description in his own words: 5’10, 5’11 on a good day. I kinda feel like I’m short, so that’s one of my biggest insecurities. (Chris butts in: “You’d hate my sister. She’s 6’1”) 183 lbs. Used to be like, 210, so I lost some weight about a year or so. All attributed to changing my diet, running, and water. Water is everything to me. (More on that later.)  When it comes to complexion, I try to go by mocha or cocoa. I’m more brown skinned. Decade long dread locks. One more of my insecurities is my taco meat. I like having a little hair on my chest. Plaid, flannel shirt, can’t go anywhere without my Levis. Levi Strauss is my friend.  I always have something on my wrists. A watch, a random Jordan band, and a simple bead bracelet my soon to be wife made for me. To the best of my knowledge, both my parents are African American. I may have some Native American in me, but if I do, it’s very small.

G's immediate family consists of his mother, Sherri, and his cat, Godiva. Mom lives in New Brunswick under the fastidious rule of Godiva, the "boss of the house". Being an only child, G admits that he was spoiled rotten, but even he had to concede to the whims of Lady Godiva, who "does absolutely nothing but be cute and cause trouble," and whose lips have never touched anything but Fancy Feast.  

Obviously, it requires two to give life to baby G, and he most certainly had a father. However, his father left when he was still an infant.  But there is a happy side to the story. With a grin, G relates, "My father and I just now recently reestablished our relationship, now that he’s cleaned himself up." 

G Shares his most Embarrassing Moments: First grade. "I went on myself. I don’t think the other kids noticed, and I was able to discreetly slip out, but I knew. The other embarrassing moment was when I was in middle school. It involved one of my close childhood friends, Patrick Miller. I told him IN CONFIDENCE, that I liked Ashley Diggs, who’s actually Lauren Hill’s cousin. The next day at school, EVERYBODY knew. I guess I wasn’t handsome or something because she was totally not into me.  I never got my opportunity with her. Oh yeah. Also, when in college, Mom walked in on me having sex."

Happiest Memory: "The first time I played Craig Mack’s “Flava in Your Ear” remix on  my turn table, that’s when I decided that this is what I need to be doing."

Things that Make G Smile Real Big: 

1) Good times with family and friends. Being able to enjoy peoples’ company. 

2) Meeting new people. Learning peoples’ stories. 

3) Thanksgiving. "My mom worked so hard, so she rarely came home and cooked. My mom used to bring me supersize fries all the time, so I was a chubby little kid. Thanksgiving was the only time that she came home and cooked, and when she cooked, she threw it down."  

4) Music: To get an idea of just how much G cares about music, one only has to glance at his wrist, where he sports a bracelet that says, “God is Music.” "Death Cab for Cutie changed my life. I’m now completely open to all kinds of music.  My turn table is my guitar. One artist that  encompasses it all, Girl Talk.  That’s how I feel about music."

5) Water: A good glass of water. G has plenty to say about it. "I don’t touch Dasani and I don’t touch Nestle water.  I was introduced to Fiji water at Rutger’s Fest. I was helping to put the concerts together, and the rapper requested Fiji water.  I tasted it and it literally changed my perspective on life. It was heaven in a bottle.  No matter how I’m feeling, a bottle of water calms me down, changes my day. But at the end of the day, it’s Poland Spring  for me.  It is the originator, the innovator, and the trailblazer of the bottled water movement."

L'amour- Twice has he fallen. The first, when he was 14. Her name was Jasmine, from East Orange. She could sing anything. She even sang opera, and it was the most beautiful thing young G had ever heard. "She’s also kinda one of the reasons I grew my hair out," he confesses. Apparently, one of the best way to get girls to talk to you was to ask the girls to do your hair. Jasmine did everybody’s hair, so it made sense for G to grow his hair out. The next year, she did his hair, and they started dating. 

G's second bout with love came about two years ago. "This girl, I went all out, balls to the wall for her. I’m not mister romantic, but I was head over heels."  He whisked her away to Atlantic City, took her to a concert, got the champagne, the roses, the chocolate covered strawberries, the whole nine yards. In the end, not only did she break his wallet, but she broke his heart as well. "Messed me up for a long time." 

If G ran into his 16 year old self, he would tell young G to be open to new things. "Be open minded to new things, new people, new experiences." 

At this point, our bus stopped in Baltimore and we had to bid our new friend, Chris adieu. But then our attention turned to Kathleen, who ironically, also shared G's dream of becoming a DJ. 

To be continued...