Photo by Darious Hill

STEADY.

Steady is so boring. Everybody wants things to happen fast. EVERYBODY. There’s no exceptions to that. If somebody told you that you will get a million dollars – you’re looking for that ASAP, right? How mad would you be if you knew that million would be 10 years down the line. Makes those hot dogs you’re eating taste worse.

I had to stop concerning myself with time and more with purpose. There’s no quit in me…but there damn sure are threats of quitting. It just never felt right to think I wouldn’t be this person I see in my mind. My life up until a certain point was me succeeding despite my indifference to whatever I was succeeding at and then I found something that set me on fire and…nobody’s giving me accolades anymore.

Which is fine.
Except…
It’s not fine. At all.

I don’t want anything handed to me but don’t tell me I don’t produce enough to be considered. Nah…don’t do that. We know better. WE…know better. Because WE are more similar than you want to believe.

Everybody got it out the mud right? Well, some of us choose to stay in the mud and some of us choose to turn that mud into something else. The mud story is pretty old and pathetic. These young boys that remind me of me in West Montgomery shouldn’t have to see the world outside those neighborhoods the same way I saw them – as a different world. I can see right through their faces, right through their body language, into their smiles as we speak the same language and dap up … and I know every insecurity, every wall they put up, every piece of innocence they’re trying to hold onto around immature adults around them everyday forcing them to see a grown life too soon and the idea of death.

Not enough ideas of life.
And gradual growth.
And pace.
Just now, NOW, NOW!!!

As if we’re going to be extinct next week. Money and cars and diamonds don’t count when you don’t know the true value of them and that in actuality, they’re worth is cumulative. Everything you’re about and doing makes them look better. Being in Regency Park with a shitload of diamonds means you think more of impressing and/or belittling people instead of you know…elevating. It’s not good enough for us, IMO because we can do anything major. Government assisted housing neighborhoods ain’t it. Not as a be-all, end-all. Start there, get right and get out.

We run the world. That’s the big secret. Our hand and footprints are all over entertainment, fashion, television, catchphrases…everything. We’re worth more than we’re portrayed but damn…it’s gotta come to an end sometime right? Montgomery has a stigma attached to it that’s so stupid, it’s not worth the words explaining it.

The good news, Montgomery has me attached to it. And I’ve been steadily working – anxiously – and failing and succeeding and failing and losing and winning and finally understanding that I’m actually supposed to be bigger than what I set out to be. Our young boys and girls need a better world to develop into because I want them to be better than me.

And I’m the best ever.

Be better. It starts now. Steady wins the race.