In 1989, Shelly and I met in San Francisco at a nightclub called the Palladium. Even though this was the very first time we laid eyes on each other, neither one of us knew how this meeting would eventually be the start of a relationship and friendship that would last for over 30 years. Well, wouldn’t you know we lost each other’s phone number due to the fact that we wrote it down on a piece of paper and didn’t yet have all the mobile devices we have today. As fate would have it, not even seven days later, Shelita was visiting Los Angeles and cruising down Crenshaw Boulevard where amazingly enough I was too. She was coming from the cashier when I pulled into the gas station in that white Mercedes Benz with the top down. She didn’t notice me right away, but the moment our eyes made contact we were both amazed and filled with joy. If you let me tell it, that’s the reason we smile so much. We agreed to never lose contact with each other again and for a few years we were in a long distance relationship. Luckily, I worked for United Airlines which gave us plenty of time to get to know one another. Well, of course, I like many of my brothers was grooving too fast and wasn’t quite ready to transition into adulthood. So, I missed my exit to land the woman of my dreams. However, Shelita’s cousin Sean remembered my promise that one day I would marry his cousin. As fate would have it, we reunited and we reconnected together by deepening our relationship with God and becoming spiritually open and honest. As a result of our love for each other and the love of God, I collected my thoughts and decided I would be the man to confess my sincere love, take the right exit this time and enjoy the true journey of living a righteous life. I made the choice to share my love with the woman of my dreams, my accountability partner and the woman that keeps a smile on my face… Ms. Shelita Harper. The soon to be Mrs. Clayton!