SGS Publishing / Book Excerpt: "The Young Man who Forgot he Could Fly"

One particular day as an angel was walking the Earth she met a young man sitting beneath a tree on the side of the road. When she saw the young man she stopped and asked…

“My son you look very distraught…where are you going?”


The young man tilted his hat slightly…looked up and answered…“I am searching for my destiny” and I was told this road would take me there.”

The angel then responded…“I see, and when may I ask did you begin this journey.”

The young man rubbed his eyes and said…“I have been traveling for so long I cannot clearly remember when I got started”

Hearing this, the angel moved closer to the young man…“Let me ask you…
…how will you know your destiny when you find it?”

The young man paused for a minute then smiled. “It’s funny that you asked… You know I’ve thought about that question everyday since I first left…and the best answer I have come up with is… I will just know”

The angel smiled…

You look as if the journey has taken a great deal out of you…have you faced many challenges.”

Breathing deeply the young man sighed…“I have indeed…to begin with you must understand that the roads from my village are very poor because no one ever uses them.”

I have crossed rivers, scaled mountains and faced terrain I knew would be my demise…and although these obstacles have indeed made me stronger…right when I believed I had almost reach my destiny…the road always stopped.

See, I don’t know how familiar you are with these lands, but if you were to continue in this direction for a days walk you will reach a very steep cliff, and with every sunrise I’ve tried to find a new path to the other side of the canyon that lay below the cliff’s ledge…but despite my best efforts…I have failed again and again.”

A warm jasmine breeze blew by and the angel began to look down the road in both directions…then she looked towards the sky.

“I have walked this road many times, young man, and know it well. In that direction, as you know, you have your village…and as you have found on the road ahead you have the steepest of cliffs.

May I offer you a suggestion…?

The young man jumped to his feet with excitement, and dusted himself off…..“Why yes….at this point I am willing to try anything.”

My child, when you reach the cliff again, and it looks as if the ground no longer serves its purpose in getting you where you must go, look to the sky….and ask your self why must I walk…when I can fly…

As disappointment set in…the young man looked confused and said…
“Fly…I can’t fly….surely you are mistaken.”

The wind began to pick up…then the angel touched the young man on his shoulder and said…“You have come this far on desire and courage alone…but when you reach the cliff’s edge again, I pray you also put into practice Faith.

To question what is possible is not within your understanding, but Faith is. If your destiny truly lies ahead…a way will be made.”…and with that she wished the young man safe passage…and continued her walk....


Please stay tuned for "The Young Man who Forgot he Could Fly" the book
Written by Brian D. Hamlin
Illusrations by Jamaul Smith

Barack Hussein Obama Part One: Beyond Words...

In 2006 I was working part time as a personal trainer in the District of Columbia, and I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Prior to announcing his candidacy Senator Obama was an active member the fitness club, and worked out often. One particular day our paths crossed briefly, and we had an opportunity to speak. I must admit at the time I was not too familiar with the exact details of his politics...only that he'd electrified the democratic party just two years earlier as the keynote speaker at the DNC, in support of then presidential candidate John Kerry. Here is that conversation...


"Excuse me sir...My name is Brian Hamlin, and I just wanted to shake your hand and say thank you for the work you've been putting in...I've been hearing good things about the issues you find important, and that you've got some pretty influential people on Capital Hill talking..."

"Nice to meet you too young man...and thank you. I don't know if everything they're saying is good, but if they're talking about me at all... I must be doing something."

"If you don't mind me asking sir...whats next on your agenda?"

"Young man...I wasn't really raised to have an agenda necessarily...but instead, I just try to do what's right. Its harder for people to influence your decision making that way."

"Really, OK...but that seems rather unusual for a politician not to have an agenda."

"I know it does...but maybe I can change that."

Shaking my hand again, Senator Obama picked up his gym bag, and wished me well. Now, I know that on the surface the conversation did not shape up to be as profound as I would have expected, but between the lines I was able to sense that he projected a strong feeling of sincerity, a rare commodity, if ever, to be found in "small talk". He spoke as if he actually believed in what he was saying, without overstating or minimizing its importance. Senator Obama came across as a simple man of strong values, that had divinely found himself in an extraordinary situation, center stage at the cusp of a changing world.

Fortunately for me, in that brief moment Senator Obama was able broaden my political perspective, and give me a glimpse of hope that perhaps there did exist people on Capitol Hill with similar backgrounds as my own that allowed their decision making to be guided by moral standings verses corruption and cultural amnesia. Up until that point, like many of my colleagues, friends and family, most politicians (especially African-American) had left an impression that they seem more focused on self-promotion and greed then those issues that affected the disadvantaged and forgotten.

Using a spirit of discernment, far beyond words, I was quickly able to sense who Senator Obama was, and even get a glimpse of where he was attempting to go. Needless to say, from that point forward I became a strong supporter of his efforts, slowly becoming more familiar with his story and political focus...and what I found beneath the surface was an amazing tale of one young mans' journey that would forever change the world...

Barack Hussein Obama Part Two: "The Nature of Destiny" (Coming Soon)