Greetings! We would like to welcome you readers back to another double dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within. We are tremendously honored to have our dear friend and colleague, OT, reporting and updating us live from the hot and humid climate of Managua, Nicaragua. What can we say about OT!? He’s an amazing friend and colleague who plays such an important role in our day to day work, even from Nicaragua! For those of you who do not know, we first met OT when he was a youngster inside the San Mateo County Juvenile Hall aka Hillcrest, many years ago. From there we have stay connected ever since. We wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been twenty years! With that said, we can’t wait for the day he returns home to the Bay Area where he can make an even more powerful impact. For now we take what we can get. Thank you, OT!
Once again, I am tasked with the privilege to speak to you readers and writers that are a part of our Beat Within community.
Each week I am amazed and impressed as to how much many of you young readers grow and mature. I think that with each experience that you sit there and think of that you have been through, or that your friends have been through, it always helps you realize something new about yourself and about others.
I personally feel like I’m not done maturing, and that I have matured plenty and came a long way from when I was young, but sometimes, life and its challenges can cause you to regress. What do I mean by that?
It’s basically simple folks, when things are going good in life, that’s when you feel at your best and you make good decisions about damn near everything. But when things go bad, you feel like it’s the end of the world. If you’re having problems with your girlfriend or boyfriend, you’re automatically in self-destructive mode. Y’all know what I’m talking about? We’ve all experienced it at least once within our lifetimes, be it when you were twelve, thirteen, or even eighteen or nineteen and even grown adults experience it.
When life throws us challenges many times it catches us off-guard. Some of you can use foresight and foresee some of your future problems because honestly you can see them coming depending on the lifestyle you’re living and the actions you are taking on a daily basis. We all know the consequences that come with the street life. No one has to lie to you. None of you are that dumb or naïve to think that hanging in the street, slanging, hitting licks, being a part of gang, (I can keep going), won’t bring you some of the following consequences: death, jail, suffering, losing positive relationships, etc. because once you get involved with the negative aspect of life you become negative and only attract and hang with negative people.
Positive people don’t even look attractive to you anymore. You label them: squares, suckas, weenies, soft whatever you want to call them because they are no longer part of the criminal lifestyle. Some of these people maybe counselors, colleagues, teachers, coaches, parents (not yours) but parents from your “square friends” that probably care about you, or parents that you know because you and their kid play on the same team sport. You know what I’m talking about? I’m talking about your community.
See many of us think we grew up alone, because when you get hit with problems you often want to be “tough” and resolve your own problems on your own. “These are my problems.” “I don’t need y’all help.” “I can solve my own problems.” Do those phrases sound familiar, because even in my early adulthood when I was eighteen, nineteen, and twenty I would say this. So, I’m not just addressing you young readers, because even adults come into age with this mentality.
It’s just “Me Against the World,’ like 2Pac’s famous album. We become so stubborn and selfish in our ways that we don’t want to accept help even when it’s being offered. Many of you hustling don’t want to take a low paying job because you feel like it’s not worth it. You automatically want that $25 an hour job out the gate, with no experience. Some of you want to hit a homerun in your first at-bat and on your first pitch. You don’t want to get a single or a double and put yourself on base or in scoring position.
Yeah, I’m using sports as analogy, right now, but maybe you can get my drift. In order to score fifty points in a basketball game it takes various shots, some are made, and some are missed. They are all two’s and three’s and one’s when you count the free-throw. But there are no ten-point shots. Twenty-point shots. You have to keep working and working and keep scoring and scoring. Some of you may not like sports so I’m going to have to switch up this analogy, but I need to get my point soon before I run out of space.
Listen ladies and gentlemen, you always have to start somewhere in life. Sometimes, you have to take that low-paying job. You work hard, you build relationships with people, you treat people with respect and be humble and doors start opening up for you. You meet positive people that in return can possibly hook you with a better paying job.
These things don’t just happen on the fluke. You have to put yourself in that position first. People like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jay-Z, Floyd Mayweather, Jennifer Lopez, Calvin Klein, they needed other people’s help to get to where they needed to be. Jay-Z needed a producer, Mayweather needed a coaching team, and I’m using famous people as an example just in case your aspirations are to make it to their level, but ask your counselor, teacher, PO, even ask your doctor, if they did it all by themselves. If they say, “Yeah,” they are lying!
They all had to go to college, and at some point, they had to ask THEIR TEACHER for help on some sort of homework or project. Same thing goes for doctors, electricians, CEO’s of their startup company, restaurant chefs, surgeons, mayors, governors, man you name it.
Ask your teachers, why they teach. Teachers don’t make a lot of money. Most likely they had a teacher in their lifetime that impacted them so much and inspired them to want to teach others also. This issue, I read many pieces that you guys wrote about your favorite teachers, counselors, even school principals.
I was really impressed with what you guys said and the amount of love and respect that you gave out. I have to be first one to admit that I have favorite teachers ‘till this very day, favorite coaches, favorite people. I played baseball from the age of four ‘till eighteen. I didn’t have a dad. My mom didn’t even own a car at the time. I remember my friend’s dad picking me up for practice twice a week and if he couldn’t come get me, my coach would come.
I played basketball for two seasons and no one came to my games, but when he could, my Uncle came to my games, plus he worked two full time jobs at the time. My best friend’s mom would pick me up and take me and her son to the games and cheer us both on.
My point is that SOMEONE in your life will make a difference, someone positive, someone “square.” Don’t push positive people away from you that are trying to help you. Don’t give me that I didn’t have a father excuse, or my mom this and my family that. No one has a perfect family.
I get tired when I read from some you all that keep talking about the haters. Again, let the haters do their job. You keep giving them importance and attention they don’t need. I’m thirty-four years old and I got haters too.
I have people in my neighborhood that don’t like me, because I own some Air Maxes or some Jordan’s they want. They hate on me when I buy the little kid’s ice cream and even go as far as saying that I might be a molester, but I don’t buy into the noise. I just do me. I worry about me because that’s who I control, me. I laugh, and don’t pay attention because I must be so important that they talk about me all the time.
So, I want you all to shake the negative noise, and take the help that people are trying to give you. Don’t shy people away from you that are positive or square, or that haven’t been through your struggle. Worry about yourself and give back to others. Because giving back is not about trying to look good, or get a tax deduction, or putting the homies on with a couple of “P’s.”
Giving back is a moral obligation. You need to care for yourself first before you’re able to help the next brotha’ and sister. Don’t be afraid to receive help from someone you least expect!
Much love to everyone going through some type of struggle. The Beat keeps going and going…Strong!
Wow, what a wonderful editorial from OT! We find incredible inspiration from his words. Thank you. All right, enjoy this latest double issue of writing and art from the inside and beyond. We are honored to be a part of your community. Reach out to us anytime. We are listening!