ANYONE who knows me knows how hard I work.

In fact, people often joke that I’m Jamaican – slang for someone who works hard at several jobs. Since my grandfather was from St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Jamaican thing is not far off the mark. That’s why I usually just smile and say, “Thank you.”

But my propensity for working hard is not just genetic. Nor is it simply cultural. My attachment to work is who I am.

As a writer, my work is about sharing little pieces of myself. Those who read carefully get a peek inside my mind, where words orbit thoughts like worlds circling the sun. One day that sun is Ferguson. The next it’s Philadelphia. The next, it’s my home. But always, the universe is fatherhood. That much stays the same.

It hasn’t always been that way. Before I had a wife and children, I was at the center of my universe, and everything I sought to do was about my own pleasure. In those dark times, I chased women, or possessions, or alcohol, or drugs. And even when I managed to take hold of what I was seeking, trouble often took hold of me.

But marriage changes a man.

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Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning columnist. He is the creator and editor of Solomonjones.com and morning host on 900 am WURD radio. Click here to learn more about Solomon