Greetings far and wide to our Beat Within community! We’re back with another double issue of groundbreaking work from our incarcerated community across the country. We’re turning our editorial note over to our longtime friend and colleague, Omar Turcios. Take it away, Omar!
This is the only OT tasked again with bringing you the message for the week. First off plenty of blessings and love sent to each and every one of you. The advice topic was really popular, and I had a feeling it would be.
All you readers, young or a little bit older, said some great things about who you take advice from. You even detailed situations, and many of you shared an example of a time you took some advice. I was really inspired by all you guys and gals, writing, that I want to go ahead and touch on that topic too, but I want to bring it from a different angle and I hope y’all feel me, because this will be some good advice, game, wisdom, knowledge, whatever you want to call it.
Advice, this is a good one. I grew up in a different era, before social media, and back then when we only had America Online and payphones still lurked on the street corners. I was taught to listen first before I talk. Matter fact, I was taught to shut up and listen. I was forced to listen, because my grandma taught me that when someone older than you speaks, you are supposed to be quiet and listen. First off, many of you wrote about you would take advice depending on who it’s from and that makes a lot of sense.
I was always around older people, but if you all really trip off of it, since the very first day that we’re all born, we’re all constantly surrounded by folks that’s older than us like: the nurse, or doctor that helped birth you. Your mother, since you came out her womb, and all your friends and relatives at the hospital delivering balloons and trying to get a glimpse to see how cute you are.
We are all raised by people that are older than us. You may have had an older sibling taking care of you when your parents were at work. Maybe your grandma is the one that takes care of you while your mom or dad works. You go to school and get taught by teachers, (older than you). I think you get my drift people. I don’t need to elaborate anymore.
It’s funny how many of us close our ears, and reject advice before we even receive it, because we don’t pay enough respect and attention to our elders. Technically, they are the ones with the most wisdom. After all, they’ve only been around for a few decades more than you. You need some advice. What do you know about life, when you’re barely beginning to live?
You need some info on how the world operates. You need some game, advice, but to the point where you can calculate and still be able to make your own decisions that’s best for your life and loved ones. If you notice? That’s why you go to school. Advice is knowledge. Knowledge is advice. Knowledge is power. It’s precious. It’s crucial and necessary to our survival and advancement towards our goals.
It’s crucial, when you text the homies and tell them five-0 is right around the corner. Don’t pass through this street. It’s the same concept. We all need advice and game, to survive in life. Not everyone jumps in the pool right away, especially if you can’t swim. And If you don’t jump in the pool, you ain’t definitely jumping into the ocean at the beach.
If someone doesn’t teach you how to cook, you have to do it on your own. Now you have to follow a recipe. Guess what? You know what a recipe is? Is advice on a how to cook your food. If not you will be ordering fast food all your life.
Advice is out there, but we choose to ignore it. When it’s convenient we listen to it. The thing is, we live in a world nowadays where everyone got something to say and act like they know what they’re talking about. The internet has allowed for disinformation and bad advice to spread like wild fire.
That’s why you are all hesitant to take advice because there is a trust factor involved. You will definitely not be taking advice from someone or somebody that you don’t trust.
I think that’s pretty reasonable, because after all if you’re not suppose to take candy from strangers why take their words or advice into account?
But here’s the thing people. The internet was first designed to ultimately help us all advance progress, and develop our lives way faster, smarter and more efficient than before. Back in my day when I didn’t know what a word meant, I had to look it up physically in a book called the Dictionary. Maybe I would ask one of my peers if I was lazy, but if I really wanted to know the meaning I looked it up myself.
Nowadays I don’t even see a dictionary in the houses of people, but you don’t need one when you could just ask Google right? The problem is because all these tools are now are conveniently at our disposal in the palm of our hands, we all think we know everything. That’s why many of you younger generations don’t like to listen, because you know everything.
So, what advice could possibly help you if you know everything? Yet you know everything, but you keep making the same mistake that lands you back in the same place.
Well, here’s my advice to y’all. When someone older than you speaks, regardless whether it’s a teacher, an OG from your neighborhood, a doctor, a family member, remember to listen. By listening and hearing other people’s stories, and experiences, and learning from their mistakes, it will make you a lot sharper and a lot smarter. A wise man once told me. A smart person learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise person learns from the mistakes of others.
How many times have y’all ever said, “If I would’ve known back then what I know right now…”
Yeah, if you’ve said that it’s because you didn’t listen. Don’t ever reject game when someone is kicking down knowledge. Appreciate it and appreciate the person that’s giving it to you. Because at the end of the day, they are only dong it because they love you and care about you y’all. OT is signing out with the utmost love and respect for each and every single one of you! Love y’all.
Thank you Omar for sharing your thoughts and encouragement with us. We will take your words to heart, and live our truths through our writing and actions. Thank you, as always, to our readers and writers for making The Beat Within the magical publication that it is. Until next time!