It’s the last days of August, and we warmly welcome you devoted readers back to another double edition, 27.31/32, of The Beat Within. What a beautiful and most inspiring magazine we have to share with our important and most powerful community of friends, writers, readers, associates, partners and colleagues, to name a few. We hope you enjoy reading this one-of-a-kind magazine to see what your favorite writers have to say. Starting with OT, as he has plenty to share this week in this editorial.
This is OT reporting live from the hot tropical, muggy and the lightning striking skies of Managua Nicaragua. Salutations to all The Beat readers and writers within our community. I hope everyone is doing well physically, mentally and spiritually. We’ve been having some crazy lightning storms out of nowhere all of a sudden. I be scared ‘cause I’ve seen people make the news because they got hit by lightning! I don’t want to get hit!
Anyways, I’m here to share something positive with you all. I’m going to touch on a topic of “Choice Is Power.” Many of you wrote on that prompt and had something positive to say, but many of you wrote on it were only able to look at the fact that you didn’t have the power to make any choices because you were stripped away from your freedom.
You weren’t looking at the bigger picture, see some of you are stuck in a mentality where it’s hard to see good things happening in your life, or even that good things that are already happening in your life and that’s not because nothing good has ever happened to you. It’s because you choose not to acknowledge the good things in your life.
Some of you focus so much time counting your losses, and I get it. When you’re stuck in the system, and away from loved ones, whatever it is you miss so much, maybe you’re stressing from being away from yo’ phone too much, ‘cause I know y’all love y’all phones, haha; you seemingly always count what you don’t have, but never count your blessings.
And boy, may I be the first to tell you that you should count your blessings every single day. Matter of fact be glad for every meal you get, even if you are getting that mystery meat every now on then. Throw some ketchup on it. There are too many people in the world that ain’t got shhh on their plate at this very moment, and truth is, they ain’t even got a plate to begin with.
I didn’t have a dad. I had to hustle for everything I had too and I still do. But you know what I did have growing up. I did have positive influences and negative influences, but I also had choices. I chose the negative influences and chose to ignore the good ones. I, OT, made that choice, and that choice led me to many more choices some bad ones, some good ones.
See, I did learn plenty of things from my mistakes, and other people’s mistakes, but I chose to keep committing mistake after mistake thinking “I’m just gon’ be slicker next time.” I would go to jail, catch cases, pay lawyers, due violations, whatever, you name it.
See, there is power in choice no matter where you’re at. Every choice counts, just like every dollar, and every quarter and every penny counts in them bands you chasing. Every choice you make has a consequence, that affect us all, especially your loved ones, but also your community. I remember after doing a couple of years in juvenile hall, this dude I was cool with worked at a clothing store saw me fresh out and told me he thought I died. He gave me a big handshake and a hug.
I laughed, we both did, but that shows you that people actually care bro. You guys have places you frequent. You go eat a certain spots. Shop at certain spots. They probably wonder why you ain’t came by.
Shhh my barber calls me to make sure I’m okay if he doesn’t hear from me by the end of the week, (I’m going off track a bit here by the way) and that was just to show you that you are in people’s thoughts, and there are people hoping that you’re well.
My point of everything is that I deserved every consequence I had coming to me. I had to accept it, whether that’s SHU (isolation) time, going to facilities far away where my loved ones couldn’t see me, or even more serious consequences like getting deported to Nicaragua for life and not being able to raise my daughters, nor see them grow. They are sixteen years old now, by the way, the same age as some of you readers. I never got the chance to get released back to my loved ones.
Now, I did say that I wasn’t gonna make it about me. But I had to share, because I do want you to grasp this message like the pencil that you grasp when you write your Beat Within piece. Hold it tight because when you pick up that pencil, you have a “choice” of what you want the narrative of your life to be. Knocking on wood, none of you are going to do life, and none of you will be getting deported anytime soon.
So hopefully soon or when the time is right, you will get another opportunity to get back out to your loved ones. Some of you have kids, and you will be getting the opportunity to be there for them, which was the same opportunity that I decided to throw away by continuously making the wrong choice.
So, for those of you complaining, I don’t want to hear it. It comes with the territory. The odds are stacked against you, not to win. So don’t complain. Don’t get caught up in the system. You have the power to make that choice. Don’t think you gone be slick. Look at all the police getting caught on camera beating people up. Even they are not getting away with shhh, so what makes you think you gone get away with something? Don’t think somebody can’t be watching you? Come on…. It’s 2022.
Something happens, everybody whips out they phones to record the nonsense. That’s on top of the traffic light cameras, the cameras inside and outside businesses, and not to mention the ones in the streets hidden, plus everybody in the’ mama’s phones!
You have the choice to think before you do something that will later have you telling this kind of story, I’m telling y’all. I’m just saying y’all have a choice. I hear y’all complaining, but what are you gonna do about all those birthday’s you’ve missed?
You have a choice to put an end to that. Y’all have choices. Is today goin’ to be a good day or bad day? You have that choice. Should I mug someone, or should I say, “Good morning, have a good day?” “Should I argue with staff?” Come on!
You don’t have to walk around wishing everyone a good day but do yourself a favor and at least wish it upon yourself. Your choice will make all the difference in how your day goes, or how your week goes, your month, and ultimately your life. That’s your choice, and no one can make it for you, nor take it from you. And remember count your blessings!
One love for everybody going through the struggle. OT is signing off with the utmost love and respect for each of you. The Beat keeps going and going…
Well said, OT. We are sure your words have touched many readers. All right enjoy this latest issue of writing and art. We are proud to get this latest Beat into your hands to read and find inspiration and hope. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us anytime. We love to hear from all of you if you are so moved to write us and stay in touch. Peace and respect.