"Love Intercepted" by Rhonda Patterson, fact or fiction?
The truth? Maybe it is all those things...or none of those things. I haven't read the book. I don't plan on reading the book. But I have spoken candidly with the author.
I've been torn over writing this blog, because Rhonda has a daughter, and according to people who know Rhonda, she is a really nice person. My whole purpose in writing has always been to help people heal from whatever it is they are being damaged by. And to offer insight on what guys are thinking or what everyday people go through.
On January 25, 2011 Rhonda was on a relationship panel that I co-hosted with a local entertainment company. The topic was dating a professional athlete.
The panel was recorded and several things came out during the panel that have not been spoken about in any of these blogs. The premise of the Real Talk with Cobi and CM Writer panels is that we have REAL discussions with REAL people about REAL issues people are facing.
Full disclosure: Rhonda and I attended the same undergraduate university but did not know each other personally. We had/have mutual acquaintances and knew of each other, but only met on the day of the panel. Through some of these connections I learned some things about certain situations surrounding the whole Antonio Cromartie fiasco and other situations involving Rhonda that she was unaware of me knowing. The people who were at the panel know that I brought them up and addressed them directly.
Do I believe Rhonda is a heartbroken victim of Antonio Cromartie? Nope. Not at all. She said she doesn't want to be seen as a victim because she made mistakes (or decisions...depends on how you look at it) that led to the way things played out.
Do I believe she is a "Dumb Chick" as one blog and several commenters labeled her? Not really. She is very smart. But often "smart" gets overwhelmed by other things. And sometimes smart has nothing to do with the choices people have, the decisions people make, or the consequences people face.
Do I believe there is more to the story than is being told? Yes. I absolutely believe wholeheartedly there is a lot more to this story, and I addressed that directly with Rhonda. But isn't there always? Everyone has an opinion, a truth, and a motive.
Do I believe Antonio Cromartie is a dead beat? I don't know the guy or his situation. I know he has a whole slew of children at a very young age, in several different states. So there is only so much he's humanly able to do. And he could have taken better care of his seed before impregnating so many women, but he didn't. So now this is what he's left with to fix as best he can. And the women could have taken better care of their wombs, but they didn't. Now they are left to raise children with a less than part-time father. So the children bear the burden of poor decisions by their parents. That's the only sad part of this whole story.
Do I believe that Antonio and other athletes are just callous clowns loving chicks and leaving them? Sexing chicks at random and womanizing to no end? NOPE. There are always multiple sides to every story. So don't be so quick to paint people with a particular brush. Sometimes presumed victimizers can be the actual victims. It just depends on the scope you're viewing them through.
Be careful when you label people. Everything is not always as it seems. And what some people call the truth, others will say it's a lie. What some people deem fact, others identify as fiction. As the saying goes, believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear. Don't get me wrong, you can trust people. There is a freedom that comes with trust. BUT always verify!
Everyone in this situation had ample information to make cautious decisions, but chose to do what felt good at the time, for whatever underlying motives they had. I just hope that it is all worth it to whomever in the end.
Don't we all have sordid lives and sordid pasts? Some just value privacy over anything else. So when you put it out for the public to see...it will get talked about...just ask yourself if you're ready for what people have to say.
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| Photo from Blacksportsonline.com Rhonda Patterson author of Love Intercepted: A tale of football, falling and failing in love. (self published) Antonio Cromartie, corner NY Jets (inset) |
For the past two days the gossip blogs have been buzzing with the story of Antonio Cromartie's ex-fiancee, Rhonda Patterson (Rodgers) and her tell-all book. Is it a cautionary tale? A jilted love story? A salacious novel? The truth? Maybe it is all those things...or none of those things. I haven't read the book. I don't plan on reading the book. But I have spoken candidly with the author.
I've been torn over writing this blog, because Rhonda has a daughter, and according to people who know Rhonda, she is a really nice person. My whole purpose in writing has always been to help people heal from whatever it is they are being damaged by. And to offer insight on what guys are thinking or what everyday people go through.
On January 25, 2011 Rhonda was on a relationship panel that I co-hosted with a local entertainment company. The topic was dating a professional athlete.
The panel was recorded and several things came out during the panel that have not been spoken about in any of these blogs. The premise of the Real Talk with Cobi and CM Writer panels is that we have REAL discussions with REAL people about REAL issues people are facing.
Full disclosure: Rhonda and I attended the same undergraduate university but did not know each other personally. We had/have mutual acquaintances and knew of each other, but only met on the day of the panel. Through some of these connections I learned some things about certain situations surrounding the whole Antonio Cromartie fiasco and other situations involving Rhonda that she was unaware of me knowing. The people who were at the panel know that I brought them up and addressed them directly.
Do I believe Rhonda is a heartbroken victim of Antonio Cromartie? Nope. Not at all. She said she doesn't want to be seen as a victim because she made mistakes (or decisions...depends on how you look at it) that led to the way things played out.
Do I believe she is a "Dumb Chick" as one blog and several commenters labeled her? Not really. She is very smart. But often "smart" gets overwhelmed by other things. And sometimes smart has nothing to do with the choices people have, the decisions people make, or the consequences people face.
Do I believe there is more to the story than is being told? Yes. I absolutely believe wholeheartedly there is a lot more to this story, and I addressed that directly with Rhonda. But isn't there always? Everyone has an opinion, a truth, and a motive.
Do I believe Antonio Cromartie is a dead beat? I don't know the guy or his situation. I know he has a whole slew of children at a very young age, in several different states. So there is only so much he's humanly able to do. And he could have taken better care of his seed before impregnating so many women, but he didn't. So now this is what he's left with to fix as best he can. And the women could have taken better care of their wombs, but they didn't. Now they are left to raise children with a less than part-time father. So the children bear the burden of poor decisions by their parents. That's the only sad part of this whole story.
Do I believe that Antonio and other athletes are just callous clowns loving chicks and leaving them? Sexing chicks at random and womanizing to no end? NOPE. There are always multiple sides to every story. So don't be so quick to paint people with a particular brush. Sometimes presumed victimizers can be the actual victims. It just depends on the scope you're viewing them through.
Be careful when you label people. Everything is not always as it seems. And what some people call the truth, others will say it's a lie. What some people deem fact, others identify as fiction. As the saying goes, believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear. Don't get me wrong, you can trust people. There is a freedom that comes with trust. BUT always verify!
Everyone in this situation had ample information to make cautious decisions, but chose to do what felt good at the time, for whatever underlying motives they had. I just hope that it is all worth it to whomever in the end.
Don't we all have sordid lives and sordid pasts? Some just value privacy over anything else. So when you put it out for the public to see...it will get talked about...just ask yourself if you're ready for what people have to say.
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