Dome Pondering

3 Up  1. Meghan Markle - The former "Rachel Zane" of Suits fandom gets the nod here at the top spot for her extremely transparent interview regarding her mental health since marrying into the Royal family. Her response of "Not OK" was honest, and in many ways refreshing in regards to the toll the media, negativity, and the struggle that overwhelming fame can bring upon an individual. Kudos to Markle, and here is to hoping it gets better for her. 2. Chilean Protests - Protests for oppressive governments are happening all over the world. The Chilean protests this past week have been impressive and an eye-opener on what can happen when a government does not work for the people it should serve. 3. NBA Returns - As baseball comes to a close (so sad), it's refreshing to see the NBA return this week. Once college basketball returns, I think I'll be okay until pitchers and catchers. That is, until the Knicks drive me crazy. 3 Down 1. California Wildfire

3 Up 1. Marathon Under 2 Hours - Eluid Kipchoge stunned the world this week with a sub-two hour marathon. While some of question the "legitimacy" of the accomplishment within the running world, the feat is still rather amazing. A 4:34 min/mile for 26 miles is rather ridiculous to wrap the mind around. Congrats to Kipchoge on probably one of the greatest athletic accomplishments in our lifetime. 2. Black Girls Rock - Black women athletes ruled the weekend. Simone Biles solidified herself as the greatest gymnast ever (as if there was any doubt) by earning the most gold medals ever. Coco Gauff won her first Tennis Title (becoming the youngest champion - ever). And, Brigid Kosgei shattered a world record at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds. Such impressive stuff. 3. Tyler Perry Studios (and Shelter?) - If you, like me, saw the images and videos from Ava DuVernay's instagram of Tyler Perry's new studios, you were also in awe.

"He only has a few hours to live..." Those were the words uttered to me by my mother in regard to my father's status. And for the first time in my life, I didn't know what to say...I knew even less on what to do. After all, I'm the person everyone relies on in times of stress - in times of need. I'm the one that somehow is born with this innate ability to stay the course and exude poise when the cooker begins to shake around us all. I'm always that guy - strong for my parents, for my wife, for my son, for my students. For some reason God blessed me with this strong burden for others. But over the last seven days, I've been a mess. Unable to dip into what makes me, well, me. My role of "Rock" and being able to take care of everyone around me came crashing down rapidly in a fashion that I felt like I lost myself. And in many ways, I feel like I've let everyone down. Actually, I know I did.

3 Up 1. Forgiveness of Murder - Look, I know this was controversial. I read so many opinion pieces and tweets from many on what happened in a Dallas court room. The optics, the compassion, and of course, the proverbial "letting off the hook". For me, I will say this - forgiveness often does more for the forgiver than the forgivee. And justice - especially of the social kind - is not directly tied or weakened through forgiveness. In many ways, it emboldens it. Honestly, it takes a really frickin' strong person to offer forgiveness to the murderer of one's brother. I know I couldn't do it. More props to that young man. 2. Pay to Play Bill - I work in College Athletics, and I'm a firm believer in the DIII model of amateur sports. Everything about the NCAA's operation, especially on the DI level for basketball and football is corrupt, greedy, and takes advantage of kids. Good for California Governor Gavin Newsome, who may just get the ball rolling in