TO MY GRANDSON

MATTHEW MARTINEZ
THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY…

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 PUBLISHED BY NUBIAN VOICES
COPYRIGHT 2009
BY ALBERTO O. CAPPAS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
SELECTIONS FROM THIS BOOK OR
TO ORDER BULK COPIES, WRITE TO

AN EDUCATIONAL PLEDGE
ATTN. ALBERTO O. CAPPAS
PO BOX 581, TRIBORUGH STATION
NEW YORK, NY 10035

OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE

WWW.EDUCATIONALPLEDGE.COM

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA

FIRST PRINTING
ISBN-13: 978-1-4414-0310-0
ISBN-10: 1-4414-0310-0

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 DEDICATION

TO ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE

STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE
BOX, HOPING TO SEE A STOP TO
THE VIOLENCE AND VIOLATIONS
FACED AT HOME OR IN “HOOD”
SETTINGS, LOOKING FOR THE
LIGHT TO BRING MEANING TO
ONE’S LIFE.

THIS BOOK WILL PROVIDE YOU THE

ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO BECOME
STRONGER AND DEVELOP INTO
THE
PERSON YOU WERE DESTINED TO
BECOME.

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN

SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU!

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 ABOUT THIS BOOK
THE AUTHOR “DID” TIME IN JUVENILE
CORRECTIONS, AND DROPPED OUT
OF SCHOOL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE
GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL
WITH A GENERAL DIPLOMA.

THIS BOOK IS BASED ON THE

AUTHOR’S DISCOVERY OF SPIRIT AND
HIS ABILITY TO OVERCOME
ADVERSITY AND CHALLENGES, AND
ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT; AND
HE WANTS TO SHARE THE MAGIC
WITH YOU.

THIS BOOK GIVES YOU THE KEYS YOU

NEED TO OPEN EACH DOOR TO
MAKING IT IN LIFE, AND MOVING ON
WITH YOUR REASON AND PURPOSE
FOR BEING BORN.

THERE IS NO LESSON PLAN TO WRITE

DOWN, OR METHODOLOGY TO
MEMORIZE OR TO FOLLOW . THAT IS
BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR
TEACHERS!

THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK IS

TO GET YOU OUT OF THE BOX, AND

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MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY OUT OF
THE BOX, UNLESS IT IS YOUR OWN
CREATED BOX. IT IS NOT THE
AUTHOR’S INTENTION TO GET YOU
OUT OF A BOX TO PUT YOU IN HIS
BOX.

THE INTENTION IS CLEAR! BY

READING THIS BOOK YOU SHOULD BE
ABLE TO COME TO YOUR OWN
REALIZATION FOR BEING HERE,
RECOGNIZING YOUR PURPOSE. LIFE
IS A SERIES OF STEPS, KNOWN AS
CHOICES AND DECISIONS THAT WE
TAKE TO NAVIGATE OUR JOURNEY ON
THIS PLANET. WITH PROPER STEPS,
WE CAN HAVE A LIFE FULL OF
ENJOYMENT AND EXCITEMENT.

THE CHOICE AND DECISION ARE

YOURS TO MAKE! START BY READING
THIS BOOK – THIS IS YOUR FIRST KEY
TO UNDERSTANDING YOU!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THE

DISAPPOINTMENTS! YOU HAVE THE
POWER IN YOUR HANDS TO MAKE
THE DIFFERENCE!

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LESSONS
FOR
MYSELF

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 The Box
“An extension of ignorance and
personal apathy
An invisible but powerful force
A system of mental traffic signs
Directing and pushing you in
Different directions
Without your full
Awareness or approval”

Alberto O. Cappas

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 GET OUT OF THE BOX!

Before you were born as a

human being, you were first a
spiritual being (and still continue
to be one), and when the
opportunity came for you to travel
to this planet, you knew the
reasons for coming. You were
aware of your mission and
purpose on this planet.

For example, you came to fulfill

some of the following career and
business options: Attorney, CEO,
Doctor, Pilot, Sports Announcer,
Nurse, Police Officer, Fireman,
Politician, School Teacher,
College Professor, Real Estate

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Agent, Poet, Writer, Sanitation
Worker, Porter, Artist, Movie Star,
Engineer, Doorman, Business
Owner, Company President,
Musician, Mayor, Governor,
University President,
Commissioner, and United States
President. Perhaps, you may be
here to change the world in a big,
big way.

And I say in a big way because

everyday we all play a role in
changing the world, in little ways,
pushing the energy of the planet
as we make hundreds of choices
and decisions each day, from the
moment we wake-up in the
morning, to the moment we go to

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bed at night, a never-ending
human event. And regardless of
the mission or purpose, your
presence on this planet is
supposed to be positive, directing
you in a positive journey.

However, the minute that you

were transformed into an embryo,
and developed into a human
being within nine (9) months of
your spiritual travels, you came
into this world with no recollection
of the transformation from spirit to
the physical. However, you came
with the ability to think and
explore, and find your way to
your mission and purpose. The
minute you left the body of your

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selected mother, you were
exposed to the beginning of the
game, the beginning of the
journey and here is where the
challenge begins.

Believe in the trinity of your

spiritual composition

By now, you forgot that you are a

spiritual being. You see yourself
as one-dimensional, a human
being, an orientation from a
physical point of reference,
overlooking the inside of your
body, paying too much attention
to how good you look or want to
look on the outside.

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And most important of all, you are
no longer making choices or
decisions based on your mission
and journey. Your choices and
decisions are made for you by
mass advertisement and
commercials, your immediate
friends, family influence, rappers,
popular music, sport figures, and
other influences interfering with
your journey.

By now, unfortunately, you are

off-track and you need to get
back on the right track in order to
complete your mission and
journey, especially if you are up
to the challenge; and remember

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that you are a spiritual being, so
have faith in divine intervention.

However, before you can get

back on track, try to understand
the following:

Number One: You must

remember that you are first and
foremost, a spiritual being here
on Earth to experience life as a
human being.

Number Two: To succeed in the

game of life, and to pursue a
positive journey, you must be
able to channel, manipulate and
balance three (3) very important
elements as a human being:

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Emotion: This element gives you
the ability to feel, to want, and
much more! Too much emotion
will make you insecure and
jealous, and you won’t be able to
appreciate the true value of love
and caring. That is the reason
that some unfortunate individual
will go and harm his love one if
he “can’t have her, no one will.”
This is a complete imbalance of
the emotional section. You need
to have a balance of emotion,
able to use it as an instrument to
help in your journey. Don’t let it
become an obstacle.

Mind over Matter / Intellectual

Capacity: This element gives

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you the ability to think, to make
choices and decisions. Without
balance, you will use your mind
without thinking which always
leads to the wrong direction, and
you get lost in your journey. One
cannot make appropriate
decisions without having proper
information. The more education
you have, the better position you
place yourself in to maintain
control of the external forces
coming at you. This is the reason
why Education is one of the most
vital Keys in the game of life and
in your journey.

Physical: The physical element

is the infrastructure and temple of

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your body in human form. You
need to treat your body as the
temple of your home. Make sure
to eat the proper foods and lots of
fruits and vegetables and take
the time to exercise the body.
Keep your temple in healthy
condition.

Too much food and drinking will

interfere with the health of our
body. Your spirit needs a healthy
body to be able to move around
successfully on the planet. Don’t
handicap your spirit by ignoring
the body.

The Key to a successful

journey in the game of life is

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balance and harmony between
the emotion, the mental, and the
physical. Properly balanced, the
three elements work together as
a team to ensure that your
mission, purpose, and journey
stay on target and focused. If
you can learn to discipline
yourself to maintain this balance,
you will definitely have a
meaningful and productive life
experience on this planet. We
must bring balance between the
three in order to make it work.

Never sell yourself short! You

truly are a gift of nature, and you
are a member of the spiritual
presence in the universe. Don’t

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lose your balance by falling
completely into the physical!

You are here to leave positive

footprints. Become the person
you are supposed to be, not what
someone else wants you to be.
Explore and ask yourself
questions, such as Who Am I,
and where do you want to be or
see yourself in the next ten to
fifteen years?

However, to make the Dream a

reality, you must take two very
critical and important steps.
These two steps will give you all
the power and magic you need to

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make the Dream come true, but
you must take the steps!

Education and a Plan – The

perfect combination! Make sure
to work on your education and a
plan on how you will get to your
dreams and aspirations.

How will you climb the stairs to

your successful journey?

Hope alone won’t get you

there.

You must Plan-Plan-and-Plan;

and part of that plan should be
EDUCATION.

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It is very simple! All you need to
make a positive dream come true
is an Education and a Plan. You
don’t need to hit the Lotto!

Education is not what many

people tell you it is. For example,
school is not solely to prepare
you or train you for a job when
you graduate. An Education is a
journey! It is a lifetime trip you
take as a human being. You meet
new friends who look different
than you and think differently
than you, friends with different
ideas and opinions; and some will
dress different and speak a
different language than you.

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If you keep your mind open,
and if you understand what you
are hearing, and seeing, your
education becomes a magical
journey. An education is a
preparation and a stepping stone
for enjoying life, to open your
mind to all the options available
to you.

Education gives you a real

vision to what you may like or
dislike. Education will prepare
you for a job, prepare you to
handle your own business; to
become a consumer where you
work for someone, or to become
a provider where you have your
own company and have people

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working for you. You can decide
to be a worker, supervisor,
manager, president of your own
company, and much more.

An Education introduces you to

the world of possibilities and
options. It gives you a realistic
image and mental tools to work
with. To have an Education is to
have a system of values and
standards; and you will be
prepared to face and handle hard
and difficult challenges; as well
as the ability to think and make
right choices and decisions.

With an Education, you can

develop the discipline to have a

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plan to navigate your Dream. The
plan is a roadmap of proper
choices and decisions to get to
your Dream, step by step.

Life is that simple, as well as

magical and fun.

Life stops being magical and fun

when you bypass and ignore the
Dream and the Plan. Without a
Plan, you make choices and
decisions that have nothing to do
with your purpose, thus you get
lost in the world.

Just take a good look and

observe people around you. You
can see all the lost souls, people

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without a mission, purpose, led
astray from their true journey in
life. While they are losing the
game of life, always remember
that it is never too late for you
to make a u-turn and discover
your true purpose and journey.

You must plan, not wish or

hope. Once you have a plan in
place, you can wish and hope,
which means that you are adding
spiritual energy to the plan; but
without a plan, wishing and
hoping, is useless.

Education and a Plan provides

you the opportunity to appreciate
and understand the spiritual

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value of your presence on this
planet, and you will be able to
take better care of your body and
live much longer as a healthy
human being.

Enjoy the game of life, and

remember that life is not a
destination. Life is a journey
based on getting on and off
different stops, working on
making appropriate decisions to
get to your place of destination
for that day or occasion, but the
journey continues.

Here are essential keys for your

spiritual awareness and

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understanding, leading to your
successful journey on this planet:

1. Understand that when it

rains, there is purpose why it
rains. Learn to turn your
scars into stars;

2. If you have summer, you

must also have winter. Learn
to appreciate the teamwork
and harmony of the seasons;

3. Strangers can become good

friends;

4. A Family should serve as a

cushion for you to feel safe
until you develop your wings
and are ready to fly on your
own;

5. If you can’t see the Moon,

you will see the Sun;

6. Value your true Friends, but

value yourself first;

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7. Disappointment is a test in
the game of life;

8. Money can never buy you

happiness, especially if you
don’t understand the nature
of the instrument;

9. Learn to understand and

appreciate the difference
between a provider and a
consumer;

10. Know that it was your

experience with sadness that
provides you an opportunity
to appreciate the value of
Joy;

11. Love is great; don’t be afraid

to love yourself;

12. To truly laugh, you must be

willing to cry;

13. Dying is not the end, but

another beginning;

14. If you have to get inside a

box, create your own box;

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 15. Don’t overlook the potential
of your hobbies. It may be
the answer to your purpose
and your financial
independence;

16. Learn to listen to your own

inner-music;

17. Learn to see obstacles as

challenges and opportunities;

18. Use the mirror as a magic

tool to explore your insights,
not the physical form;

19. Balance is living your true

purpose on the planet;

20. Learn the language of your

inner voice.

And may the lights of the Pledge

of Education be with you! -- Next
page…

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 An Educational Pledge

I pledge to maintain
A healthy mind and body
Staying away from the evil of drugs
I pledge always to try my best to
understand
The importance of knowledge and
education
Painting a positive picture of where
I plan to be tomorrow
Not allowing obstacles to stop the
growth
Of my plans for the future
I pledge to seek answers to
questions
Understanding that the answers to
questions
Sometimes lead to other discoveries
I pledge to work hard
With the awareness and confidence
That hard work today will serve

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 As the seeds for my strong tree
tomorrow
A tree no one will ever be able to tear
dow n
I pledge to learn proper languages
Beginning with the language of my
mother
Always prepared to appreciate others
I pledge to gain a better
understanding
Of myself
By understanding my cultural roots
To fully accept me as a human being
A rainbow of many cultures and
colors
I pledge to overcome any personal
misfortunes
Becoming stronger from such
misfortunes
Always striving to become
A wise person

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TOOLS FOR YOUR
JOURNEY

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WORDS AND MEANING TO HELP YOU
IN YOUR SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY

From Webster’s Dictionary

Character: the set of qualities

that make somebody or
something distinctive; especially
somebody’s qualities of mind and
feeling; qualities that makes
somebody or something
interesting or attractive;
somebody’s public reputation…

Choice: option; alternative;

selection; preference; pick;
picking; the power; chance or
ability to choose between
different things; a decision to
choose one thing; person; or
course of action in preference to
others…

Clue: sign; hint; evidence;

inkling; suspicion; trace;
indication; something that helps
to solve a mystery; an
explanation or reason for

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something that is difficult to
understand.

Concept: something that

somebody has thought up; or that
somebody might be able to
imagine; a broad abstract idea or
a guiding general principle; such
as one that determines how a
person or culture behaves; or
how nature; reality; or events are
perceived; a method; plan; or
type of product or design.

Conceptual: coming from or

belonging to the concepts; ideas;
or principles something is based
on.

Education: the imparting and

acquiring of knowledge through
teaching and learning; especially
at a school or similar institution;
the knowledge or abilities gained
through being educated; training
and instruction in a particular
subject; for example; political
science…

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Decision: choice; result; verdict;
pronouncement; judgment;
resolution; evaluation; something
that somebody chooses or makes
up his or her mind about; after
considering it and other possible
choices; the ability to choose or
decide about things in a clear and
definite way without too much
hesitation or delay; the process of
coming to a conclusion or
determination about something…

Individual: a particular person;

distinct from others in a group;
strikingly personal; unusual; or
distinctive…

Language: the speech of a

country; region; or group of
people; including its diction;
syntax; and grammar; the human
use of spoken or written words as
a communication system; a
system of communication with its
own set of conventions or special
words; the verbal style by which
people express themselves…

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Pledge: a vow, a promise one
makes, a word of honor…

Principle: an important
underlying law or assumption
required in a system of thought; a
standard of moral or ethical
decision-making; the basic way in
which something works…

Religion: beliefs and worship;

people’s beliefs and opinions
concerning the existence; nature;
and worship of a God or Gods;
and divine involvement in the
universe and human life; a
particular institutionalized or
personal system of belief and
practices relating to the divine; a
set of strongly-held beliefs;
values; and attitudes that
somebody live by.

Soul: nonphysical aspect of the

person; the complex of human
attributes that manifests as
consciousness; though; feeling;
and will; regarded as distinct from

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the physical body; the spiritual
part of a human being that is
believed to continue to exist after
the body dies; somebody’s
emotional and moral nature;
where the most private thoughts
and feelings are hidden; the
deepest and truest nature of a
people or a nation; or what gives
somebody or something a
distinctive character…

Spiritual: Consisting of spirit; not

material; incorporeal; as, a
spiritual substance or being; Of
or pertaining to the intellectual
and higher endowments of the
mind; mental; intellectual; Of or
pertaining to the moral feelings or
states of the soul, as
distinguished from the external
actions; reaching and affecting
the spirits.

Standard: level of quality or

excellence; level of quality
accepted as norm; principles or
values that govern somebody’s

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behavior; the level of quality or
excellence attained by somebody
or something…

System: complex body; a

combination of related elements
organized into a complex whole;
set of principles; a scheme of
ideas or principles; for example;
for classification or for forms of
government or religion…

Value: worth; importance; price;

cost; charge; rate; assessment;
the worth; importance; or
usefulness of something to
somebody; to regard somebody
or something as importance or
useful; to estimate or determine
the value of something…

Understanding: the ability to

perceive and explain the meaning
or the nature of somebody or
something; somebody’s
interpretation of something; or a
belief or opinion based on an
interpretation of or inference from

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something; an agreement; often
an unofficial or unspoken one;
able to comprehend the sense or
meaning of something….

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TIPS TO STAYING
STRONG
ON YOUR MISSION

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NURTURING THE HUMAN BEING
FROM WITHIN

The key is to maintain Balance:

1. Spiritual: solid believe
system in what you do not
see;

2. Mental/Intellectual: an
ability and willingness to
think clearly;

3. Emotional: an ability to
control the measurement
of your feelings;

4. Physical: respect for your

temple of your body;

Each of your inner components

(above) must work together in
harmony to ensure that you are
maintaining a Balance helpful to
your growth and development as
a human being on this planet.
Without Balance, you will face a
difficult time on the journey.

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Another key is to look at
Obstacles as challenges:

An important key is to get

stronger, focused, and
determined whenever you are
challenged by adversity or
obstacles, for example:

1. Pregnancy: Never use the

excuse of pregnancy as
reason to stop pursuing
your journey; and if the
pregnancy was not
planned, learn from it,
embrace the good, and
stay on the positive path.

2. Rejection: One should

never allow Rejection to
be a reason to stop living
or pursuing the journey.

3. Finance: Don’t place so

much interest or focus on
money that you forget your
purpose.

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4. Age: Young or old, age is
not an excuse to stop you
from pursuing your
purpose – Don’t fall into
the trap of “life has passed
you by.”

5. Risk-taking: when faced

with the decision between
a positive opportunity and
a positive risk, take the
risk; but know that “risk” is
not impulse. It is the
choice we make based on
the truth we want to live.

6. Community
Environment: Don’t follow
the hood; let the hood
learn from you. Show them
the light!

7. Disappointment: Learn
from your
disappointments, see them
as lessons – and continue
to move forward…

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 8. Association: Stay away
from people who always
see the glass half empty
and only ignite negative
energy. Always work on
the mindset to see the
glass half-full.

And last but not least, always

remember that the face of
adversity and obstacles are key
elements in the journey toward
your growth and development as
a human being. They are there to
stimulate and test you to
determine if you have what it
takes to move forward in your
journey.

The key is to see adversity and

obstacles as an opportunity to
grow in your quest.

- End -
But the Beginning of your new
YOU!

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About AOC

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54
 ALBERTO O. CAPPAS
Alberto O. Cappas is the proud father of
two daughters, three granddaughters,
and one grandson. His life journey has
provided him six levels of enjoyment,
first as a Teenager, exploring the ups
and down of being a member of the
human race, his reason for being;

As a Father, an opportunity to share his

love and joy with his love ones;

Poet/Writer, to share his literary

footprints with the next generation and
their families;

Public Servant, work as a government

employee and manager, applying all the
skills and lessons learned as a young
person;

Businessman, to transform his hobbies

into business opportunities, bringing
new concepts and products into the
market place;

Husband/family member, married to

Mayra Vega-Cappas, working together
in their journey; with more footprints to
create in the journey.

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 Books by Alberto O. Cappas

Lessons for Myself

Never too late to make a U-Turn
Doña Julia & Other Selected Poems
Abandoned Echoes
Disintegration of the Puerto Ricans
Echolalia, Verse & Vibrations
Milagros: A Love Story
The Pledge

Write to the poet:

Cappas@aol.com

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 LEARN MORE ABOUT
ALBERTO O. CAPPAS

WWW.EDUCATIONALPLEDGE.COM

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