*This entry is a part of a continuous series, reading the previous entries will help you follow without missing a beat*

Working at the IRS was very fruitful for me because I met most of my inner circle there…the two aforementioned and these two as well. Roman Davis came on the scene and we had an instant friendship like kindred spirits. Turned out we shared the same birthday and his daughter was also born on our birthday. We worked together and would sing songs while working; laughing the entire time. He was the third man to befriend me and love me on a platonic level. If you are wondering, yes I kept count because this is after sleeping with over 140 men and some women. After working with men who said they wanted to help with my business only to come on to me before business could even be discussed. So yes, I kept count of the REAL, GENUINE men that entered my life!

Valeria Armstrong was the woman to teach me what friendship was all about. Out of all the posts in the IRS, she came to mine to ask about working as a guard because she worked in the daycare and was looking for a change. I wasn’t well liked at the IRS by most of my female co-workers partly because of a lot of rumors and partly because I would flirt and do petty stuff to feed into the rumors since they were already talking and making up stories. Val did not give those rumors a second thought, she saw beyond my mask and befriended me which intrigued me and I began to learn a lot about trust, loyalty and true friendship through her. She gives unselfishly and loves genuinely. I hadn’t known much about that prior to her because I never had many women friends. I preferred to be around men. I didn’t grow up seeing women friendships…my grandmother didn’t really have them and neither did my mom.

My inner circle was beginning to fill voids that I hadn’t realized existed. No man is an island and we all need each other to survive. My “troops” and their love helps me fight the war inside and outside of me. Friendships I previously had were really just surface because I had not yet learned how to really be a friend. I hurt a few and suffered some hurts along the way.

Sonja Davis came into my life through another friend that ironically is no longer in my life. She and I attended the same church for years but had never met. I was introduced to Sonja a few weeks before being diagnosed with cancer and I could not believe how this woman who barely knew me stepped right in and began cooking dinner for my kids and taking it to them, visiting me in the hospital and everything.

Roman kept telling me I needed to meet this woman named Nichole because we would hit it off. I’m leaving church one Sunday and Nichole and I bump into each other in the parking lot, start talking and find out we are who Roman has been talking to each other about. Ha, God is so funny. Who knew this woman would change my life! She massaged me back to health after cancer, gifted me with Reiki classes so I could learn to heal myself and is an awesome friend!

Charles Drain and the Mad Jazz Poetry family met me at an open mic event and the relationship began as business. He hired me to perform with Mad Jazz but it quickly grew into a friendship as they went through the Cancer with me. Yes, he was the 4th platonic male friend to enter my life. He & his new wife, Shawyn Drain have been on the front lines with me ever since.

LaToya Davis and I worked together at Agriculture and she reminded me of me. Very smart, independent, entrepreneur spirit and head strong. She is younger than me so God allowed her into my life as a mirror reflection and I was able to share some experiences with her and in return she became a great encourager in my life today.

http://www.sanjojendayi.com