In the notion of being raised in a “village”, a neighborhood “where everybody knows your name”, I wanted to acknowledge and pay tribute to the 7-11 that has been a part of me for my entire life. Located in Inglewood, at the corner of Centinela & Eucalyptus, this establishment has been the locale for many many many many stories (good and bad).

As a sidenote, upon moving to the neighborhood in the late 70’s, my parents were strongly interested in making the investment of purchasing this same store…went through the necessary steps/process and all, but opted out nonetheless.

But back to 7-11. Till this day, there a few gentlemen that frequent the store every single morning: older men, retired I assume, majority of whom were coaches up at the infamous Ladera Little League (Coach Harper if you want names). Every visit, there are words of wisdom exchanged, current events discussed, and good ole dialogue that you can’t find anywhere else, but a neighborhood store. The centerpiece is the coffee/tea station.  What normally takes all of 2mins to make a fresh cup of your favorite, tends to take roughly 10-15mins, depending on who’s in attendance.

However, the most important element is the assumed part-time employee, Mama: an elderly, retired, african-american woman, that keeps the establishment on point, gives hugs and a kiss on the cheek on-demand, and is always filled with a warm spirit and genuine smile.

Today (Jan 6th), she took her time to breakdown my stubborness and convinced me to try a cup of Green Tea (new addition to the drink station) instead of the regular cup of coffee. I was convinced not by a health tutorial, but more so the knowledge and wisdom she conveyed to me…she had me at “Boy, you need to…”.

So when time permits, if you’re ever in the area on a weekday morning, take a stop by my very own/favorite 7-11 establishment. Where I’m greeted as Trey (childhood nickname; I’m the 3rd, hence Kenneth Billups III), not Ken Billups.

Live. Love. Life.