7 years ago, I married my best friend
Although many did not believe that our union will last
The 2 of us believed it will.
They told us we are 2 different
We decided we are going 2 make a difference

Hello World! My name is Jesse. Two hundred and thirty five (235) years ago on 4th July 1776, America was born, 235 years later on July 4th 2011, I was born. The doctors predicted that I will come around July 8th but I told God it's not cool to miss the fireworks of July 4th after traveling for 9 months to get down here.

Teenagers face enormous peer pressure everyday. From the temptation to try illicit drugs and alcohol, be a bully, have premarital sex, or join a gang, to the opportunity to lay a good foundation for a better future, the teenage world is full of options.

Few years ago, a caring mother asked that I mentor her teenage son to help him focus on behaviors that will benefit him in the future. This young man, who I will call Gim (to help preserve anonymity), was very intelligent, outgoing, and loves gadgets. I occasionally visited Gim to talk about what bothered him as a teenager, to dine with the family, and to make him feel comfortable around me so that we could have a rewarding mentor-protégé relationship.

The Institute for American Values (IAV) reported that since 1960, the proportion of children who do not live with their own two parents rose from 19.4% to 42.3% in the Nineties (in the USA). The change was caused by large increases in divorce rates coupled with a big jump in single mothers and cohabiting couples who have children but do not marry. The study concluded that marriage is a social good for adults and children and a public good having a range of "economic, health, educational, and safety benefits that help local, state, and federal governments serve the common good."