The Storm has Ceased

 
      That defining moment in which we seek...
      where the waves have passed....
        and the storm has ceased


        Where the meadow no longer withers...
         and the heat of the moments no longer makes you shiver...
        
         A place where the Clouds have cleared...
        and the Sun has peaked....
      A clear sign, that the storm has ceased

      A Road where the Psaltery and Cello play your theme
       And the Rivers of your ambition never run dry...
      For you are overflown with high Confidence and esteem
      For be at ease...
     The Storm has ceased

   For I have trembled in my failures eyes...
  and have watched as many have reached their destination
  and avoided their demise...

    But..I've learned...
    That they too...
    In due time...

   Must Taste the "Humble Pie"

   But as the storm raged
   and many trampled in defeat;
  I felt a peaceful presence whisper;
  "The Struggle must continue...
   in order for the Storm to cease"

   So without question
   I continued on...
   Advancing into my destiny;
  And though at times I wish I knew telepathy,
  to migrate away from my adversarial mindstate;
I kept pushing, because I know HE is helping me

But One day, in the midst of it all
HE brought me out
Standing firm and tall


So as I embark on this New Journey
I dare not Question...
For HE has given me the sign
which reads
"Pass through the mountain of your Blessing
  And be of peace...
   For...
The Storm has ceased

 
  

"A Change is Gonna Come/with a Look into YourSelf"

"The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit" ~Mark Twain

 Personal

    Well.....these past few years have been really hard to say the least, from the death of close family members to various other events that have made me very defensive and protective of myself...I can honestly say that I've been let down so many times that I'm ALMOST (not quite there yet) immune to disappointments. I heard my Professor say it best in class one day..She said " I won't lie, even at the age I am at now, I still have abandonment issues"....This really made me make the same exact realization of myself; Which is why I understand why I can't open up to anyone really except for a selective two. I've been ostracized, ridiculed, disrespected, talked about (sounds typical right); yet I've always found a reason to smile. I often think about how I was a kid and people didn't want to play with me and they always left me by my lonesome or how I was treated so cruelly by people that were old enough to be my parents. This happened so many times that I reached a pinnacle in my life where I stayed by myself, and became content with that. Despite disappointment after disappointment, I've learned to persevere. The hardest part about perseverance is that you have to go through it no matter what; yet your attitude dictates how you will respond. Now here's the catch....When you persevere, you can try your hardest and give your best effort, but, if its not your time, it simply isn't your time to be blessed...YET!....Now that was the hardest part for me to grasp and I think that I'm finally coming to grips with that as well.  But there's a few things that I've learned one must have in order to have a prosperous life, Humility, patience, perseverance, and obedience. Obedience, is synonymous with Humility because in order to be humble, you have to be obedient to the call of God (or your conscious or whatever you believe or confide in, whether spiritual physical etc). Patience and perseverance coincide simply because in order to persevere you need the patience to wanna get through. For example, prior to beginning a workout, we all have some sort of an idea of what we want to look like; With that being said we know it's going to take a lot of perseverance to reach that ultimate goal, But, in order to do so you know you have to be patient; because as the old saying goes "Rome wasn't built in a day" (But later became know as one of the most powerful empires EVER!). With all of that being said, I've realized that this has made me a person so strong, that it amazes me at times. I've also realized that all of these things  have happened for a reason and will ultimately propel me to many great blessing in life if I just stand firm and don't give up. I say all of this because "change comes with the realization of the dissatisfaction of self and the need for improvement''...If the seasons of nature simultaneously change, how much more are we different than that??...After all, from "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" we've come...and shall return.

Educational- Anyone who has studied or taken any sociology or Psychology courses, or are majoring in these fields should be familiar with the "Looking Glass Self". The "Looking Glass Self" concept, created by Charles Horton Cooley, is a concept in which "a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others" (Wikipedia). In other words, everyone's perception plays a part into your development of self. For example, to your Loved ones you may be seen as the innocent flower, while to friends your the wild drunk who loves to party!  I mention this concept because, although certain peoples opinions are meaningless, the valued opinions have a way of swaying and  shaping your interpersonal perceptions of self and social development. Subsequently, as you journey through life, you can almost become caught up in the Nexus of  The"Net Of Indra". This simply means that you'll be just another name, face, and identity to the world. But I Dare you to be different!

Now Why did I choose A Change is Gonna Come as a title? Well...Last Semester in my Voice & Diction Class, My Professor voice recorded each student in our class individually asking us to explain our favorite influential song.  I chose "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke initially because Cooke soulfully sang the public outcry of the stereotypes, struggles, and adversities that were relevant to those times...It was also written shortly after Malcolm X's death. Overall, I understood that Cooke had to Look deeply into his community, society, and most importantly himself in order to make such a powerful masterpiece that would also be a cry out for change.

So I ask you all, what do you look at when you see yourself, or your community? or where do you see yourself going in Life???...

Hope For the Future

After spending half of my Summer doing nothing in Virginia, I decided to come home until school starts again.   I recently was blessed with the opportunity to get a job as a recreation counselor working with kids ages 3-6. I am currentlly going into my Fourth Day and I'm already dead tired. These kids are ACTIVE! As I've interacted with each kid everyday I've made a shocking realization that registered all through the depths of my Soul. These little, innocent people are the future of this generation we live in today, especially in the City I live in. This was so powerful to me because the City I live in is known for Gang and criminal activity, pregnant teenagers, high school dropouts, Drug addicts, robbers etc. But these children are so well mannered, softspoken, innocent and intelligent. Now I'm not an emotional person at all, but it really warms my heart to see that these are the future Doctors and Lawyers, Athletes and actors to come. But the sad truth is, some of these innocent children may fall victim to the stereotypes I mentioned....That's a harsh reality to face and it would really hurt to see any of these children not succeed in anything in life. They've also made me recollect on my childhood... It made me think of how I was a child growing up always fightng and running crazy...To growing into the young man that I am now...That's why no matter where I am, I get so much respect from so many old heads for choosing the path to do the right thing...When I look at some of these kids I see myself as a child in so many ways. For example, when I see the little boy who sits alone or is often neglected, I think of how I was ostracized as a child by my peers; or when I see the little boy who doesn't have the best snacks, I think of how I didn't have the same snacks the other kids had; Or how I was always looked at as an unattracitve, rough child that was headed down the wrong path.
So one would wonder, how do you respond to these things at this age when you see kids going through what you went through. It's simple, I ask God to help me, help them find comfort in their insecurites or areas of lack. Overall, When I see these young people I see that there are still some good young parents out there who care about the well being of their child and want them to be successful.

The pressures of many inner city and Urban neighborhoods are harsh, but If I can make it, I know they can! I'm only 20 years old, but I've never been so eager to want to change my environment and the people around me, I hope all you readers have  some small desire to be eager enough to take the same inititaive in extending a helping hand to the youth in your community, in some form or fashon... But enough about me...Based on your interactions with younger siblings/family members or kids in your neighborhood, what do you see in the future of the youth you've encountered?

What is music nowdays?

Lately I've been broadening my horizons of music by listening to different musicians. For these past few months this experimentation has taken me through an "interesting" journey. I say that because I've found a few diamonds in a rough but a few senseless musicians. I listen to a lot of old school hip hop/R&B/Soul and rap; and I must say, the transition of music has changed dramatically. I personally feel that the Late 80's (although I wasn't born then Lol)  and 90's had way more to offer musically, versus the generation of music we have now. Even the mainstream music being played back then was much more soulful, clever, smooth & nostalgic then what we have now in my opinion. Speaking on the terms of Hip Hop, I think about how we had artists like Rakim & Eric B, Big L, Kool G Rap, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Biggie Smalls, Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, OutKast, The Roots etc...To artist like Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka, Wiz Khalifa, Lil B (-_-), & Soulja Boy...Now we still have good artists such as Lupe Fiasco, J.Cole & Drake...But Drake is more so Commercial now. But I mention this because emceeing and Artistry was seen as a craft and a skill versus being seen as a marketing tool to society. Now people may argue that Artistry nowadays is the same but just expressed differently; and that Hip Hop has evolved and gravitated to different areas then in the past. I personally feel that some of  Hip Hop's older artists have tried to gravitate to this new Zeitgeist of music by collaborating with these modern day artists in order to stay afloat (in terms of staying marketable).
As for R&B, there are still some great Artists out there, I just feel that the expressionism and the artistry of music is far more different then what it used to be...The Prime example I would use is Chris Brown. Now he is a extremely talented brother who has a lot of potential to be great. But I feel that he uses his appeal and voice to get his music out there; which means that he doesn't have to use much creativity. For example, songs like "Look at me Now", She Ain't You" and other songs have no substance in them. They just sound great because he's on them. I can only think of a handful of features Michael Jackson has done. I mention that because MJ never needed other people to be on his track in order for it to be a hit record. Songs like "Stranger in Moscow" or "We are the World" or "Man in the Mirror", truly left an effect on the hearts and minds of many people.

So I ask you, what is your perception of the music of today's world and how do you think it has changed.

"The Black Perception"

    Haven't blogged in a while but I've finally found a great topic to cover...So I was recently asked by a young lady if "a man's relationship with his mother is reflected by how he treats women"? This was a great question simply because one could elaborate about this on different levels. I replied back this: "I think that in most cases it does matter because for the most part, men hold there mom to the highest standard and want their wife to be a spitting image or reflection of what their mom is. In some cases men treat women bad because of the lack of presence and love that they received from their Mom as an adolescent youth. Subsequently, this sort of neglect becomes a dominating factor on how they treat, care for, and view women"..She then asked "if he treats his mom with the utmost respect then he would treat women the same way"? I thought this second part of her question was rather interesting because it seemed as if she understood that just because you love your Mom,  you could have a totally different view of how you look at women. 


I then replied back to the second part of her question by saying this "I would hope so lol But I also believe that can be a nature vs nurture issuing considering the fact that some men who come from good homes also fall short in respecting a woman's mind and temple and look at them as sexual objects instead of queens. The media and the false portrayal of black beauty in general plays a part in its self".
I highlighted nature vs nurture specifically to note that men (as well as women) tend to drift off in a lustful abyss and choose to"soil their royal oats", subsequently abandoning all realms of sanity and respect for women

A great question would be, where does all this stem from? I say the media and its false portrayal of Black Love and relationships has a lot to do with it. It seems like every internet site (WSHH) or television channel I come across I see a women missing an article of clothing; and its depressing because instead of being proactive and negating from the stereotypes, we as a people embrace them (women wearing low cut shorts and men sagging their pants etc). Now I will say this, Women should be allowed to wear what they want instead of always worrying about being hounded by old & young pervs...Now I'm not perfect (don't judge me) but if I see a young lady with a nice shape I admire from a far, and I don't ponder long. Plain and simple. lol....
I recently watched a mini documentary entitled "Video Vixen Summit" (YouTube if you haven't seen it) and a good number of the young women were speaking about how they were employed prior to the video shoots they were in and how they were using videos to make themselves more marketable. The only part I disagreed on was that although they were doing this for their "greater good" the black community (Particularly Black Women) were taking a lot of heat from it. In addition, this cancer of "Video Vixionism" (I just made that word up) stems back to the original video vixen, which is "Sarah Baartman"(whom was a very beautiful Black Woman that was dehumanized; Google her), And this woman is a prime example of how Black Women have been stereotyped since the beginning of time....
  
   But I only mention this because the media's false perception of Black Women and Black Love are wrong for the most part. Whenever you read or watch a movie about Love in other cultures its so overly romantic and passionate; such as "The Notebook" (Love that movie btw) and other movies. But when you reference Black Love its either a no good Black Man in a Tyler Perry Movie, or a Sistah Souljah book (no offense to her). 
Overall, I think men(BLACK MEN ESPECIALLY) need to look past the superficiality of the false perception of Love and respect Women (especially Black Women) receive in the media, and abandon that narcissistic enigma of treating their Mothers good but treating other women bad...


So, Do you think Black men mirror their relationship with their mother's parallel to the way they view Women in general?

The mind of a young person

I often think that college is the time where we seem to do the most thinking about our future....As a young college student and aspiring Lawyer, I often drift off into deep thought about my goals, aspirations and future endeavors. At times I get mad at myself for not fulfilling my true potential and not stepping outside the shadows of shyness and modesty. But its hard because life has a way of making sudden changes and alternatives routes that you didn't expect to take. For example, I wanted to transfer to VCU for this Fall Semester but life had other plans for me here at Virginia State, so I decided to stay. I felt that VCU could open up a better venue of opportunities but I realized that wherever God decides to bless you, it doesn't matter where you are, it only matters in that which lies in your inner ability. So with that being said, I'm learning to stir up the gifts that I was blessed with and strive to make the best of them in my tenure at Virginia State. If there's one thing I've learned most through life's experiences, its learning to take "risks". That's inclusive to love, relationships, goals, dreams, internships etc. When I  first came to Virginia it didn't dawn on me until my mom and cousins dropped me off that I was almost 7 hours away from home with no family or friends. I was a Freshman at the time, youngest child and a mommas boy (still a mommas boy lol). But I learned to have faith and to make my family proud. And I am confident in saying that I have been doing just that since I've been here at Virginia State.

       Those are some thoughts of a young person...now lets talk about "helpless romantics". I'm sure we've all came across the thoughts of meeting our "potential mate" in college. Only problem is, if we're meant to meet that person, how are we going to be able to do so if we're constantly distracted by meaningless people who we so passionately cater our time to. That was the most proper and clean way I could say that but if you have half a brain then you know what I'm trying to say lol. One thing I'll never forget is something someone tweeted the other day. They said "Don't go looking for love, let love find you". Patience is a very tough virtue to have but is something we all must inquire in order to maintain some forms of cleanliness until we meet that potential one. Now I'm not suggesting anyone to be the purest fruit in the tree (lol which isn't bad) but to at least hold yourself together until that right one comes into your sight. What better feeling could one experience then the one of someone that won't hurt them?. Deep right?
Also, for those of you who are currently dating, if you have any detrimental doubts about your significant other, chances are, you aren't meant to be!(at least for now) sucks right? I know.

Although I may write blogs about love, I don't really search for it. anymore at least. I've just come to accept the fact that if it's meant to happen then it'll happen. Often times men tend to lose their value but I'm learning to hold on to mine. Now I know I'm not the most charming or perfect guy, but I hate having the feeling that many girls believe that guys like me are too good to be true; therefore we don't exist in their eyes. Subsequently, they settle for less and are left damaged and unhappy...(Same thing with guys). Sometimes I wonder though, how can't women see guys like me? I often get asked the question "why are you single? I mean, your intelligent, cool, funny, understanding, protective, not too emotional but you open up, don't speak too much but when you do its meaningful, your an attractive guy" etc My reply is simple; "I'm just focusing on uplifting myself and getting my degree and becoming a lawyer so I could take care of my mom and family. I don't feel bitter towards love, I'm just not as prepared to give love to someone else at this point in my life". There's a lot of things I want to do in life such as help people, travel the world, build my resume and become a humanitarian (believe it or not). And to be honest, I don't think I've met someone that's for me as of now...But  I believe when I do, I'll feel it inside and I'll know. But for now, there's a lot of work to be done and I hope to make the best of it while I'm still here.
I kind of feel hidden from the world to a certain degree, and I feel that one day I'm going to be able to show that potential to the world and it'll be in awe. I just hope that I can help maintain humility, fidelity, unity  and peace in the process of doing so. And if that one comes then it comes, if not, I hope that I can at least live with the satisfaction that I made the best of my life and lived it the right way; and helped my family and friends and people in need along the way.

Cherishing your Loved Ones

Just a little over an hr ago I was in a great mood until the clock hit 12am and my mood shifted drastically; I realized that this was the day that I've dreaded for the past five years. But I digress for the moment. I wrote this blog specifically to those who have lost loved ones and to those who have loved ones living at the moment. I've noticed that having a sibling can be very challenging at times especially with all of the disagreeing and fighting that goes on. But most importantly you have each other; and that's PRICELESS! As the old saying goes, you don't know what you have until its gone so you cherish every moment like its your last. Now that doesn't mean you have to live life drunk, or lustful, or carelessly, it really means that you take each day and you use every second, minute and hour you possibly can to your fullest and you appreciate while you still can. I've learned at a young age that you should learn to love & appreciate life and your family  while you still can before a tragedy hits you and forces you to open your eyes and live in the harsh reality of a loss.

      On this day five years ago, God called home someone very dear to me and I've never been right since; and I don't write this blog for sympathy, but to raise awareness to people to appreciate their loved one and cherish them; Because truth be told, we live in a cruel world and all you have in this life is God and  your family.

R.I.P Dean William Britton 12/15/86-05.23.06
I love you big bro & I can promise that your memory will never be in vain!

As time goes by & by, I hope to someday see you on that other side!

Basketball Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiBR6NC8pT4&feature=relatedSo Schools officially over and as the academic challenges cease, I find myself faced with new obstacles on the horizon.This summer I have a few things to accomplish but I find myself approaching a crossroad in my life. I recently had a friend ask me if I wanted to play in a Pro Am Summer League back home in New Jersey. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with it, the Pro Am is a Summer basketball league where some of the best high school, college, overseas and even International players play to improve their game. I'm in no way intimidated by the competition, I just don't know whether or not I have the same love or passion for the game as I used too.
And yes I was another NBA hopeful in high school that had dreams of making it big.I was 17 then. I'm 20 years old now and I've been so accustom to playing school boy, I've forgotten what it feels like to really enjoy the game. I've also been praying that if Basketball is not in God's plan for my life, that he take the desire away from me. This may sound bitter but this is how I honestly feel; I've watched so many of my friends make it with their basketball goals that I've grown tired of working out and trying to improve my game. I feel that I lost that strong sense of motivation. I believe a lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm out of shape and I need to work on my game. Did I mention that the tournament starts at the end of June?

I'm usually pretty reasonable with myself when it comes to accepting things that aren't for me. But I just don't know why I can't let go my love for the game. It almost feels like I'm incomplete until I get to play again someday. Oh well, we'll see where this goes. I guess this is the time when I must be patient. I'm very picky with my patience and yes I know, I shouldn't be.

Can we really be friends?

       
         I recently had a conversation with two of my friends on whether or not a guy and girl could genuinely be friends without feelings surfacing. Now I'm sure you all might say the same thing. Of Course!.... right?  Well....I believe that it can be done. It just depends on a few things: how the friendship started, what type of friendship you have, and whether or not you have a history with one another (in terms of relationship). What I mean by how the friendship started is this: "How did you become friends; was it through elementary school. were they a family friend or what?...I ask because people tend to have this "friends with attachments" type of friendship nowadays... But hey,whatever floats your boat...A lot times a guy and girl can't have a friendship simply because of one thing: infatuation!  People make it seem like you can't be friends with an attractive individual. I mean let me be honest for a minute though; I have some very attractive female friends...I see a lot of great qualities in them but I don't want anything to conflict with our friendship because I've made that mistake once and its not a pretty site once all falls down...But enough with the sob story..Bottom line, if you can't handle being friends with someone attractive then how are you going to function in the workplace when it's strictly business? I get a lot of compliments from my lady friends for being an an attractive young man, and I humbly appreciate it but I don't take that and turn it into something else...

Personally, I would love to have more lady friends in the near future but most importantly I'm looking for positive people who can help build me up. Don't get me wrong, Friendship is essential to building any healthy relationship. Self Control is also important... You have to be willing to contain yourself and love people as human beings in order to have wellness in life and friendships.(I really sound like my Team Sports instructor Smh HATED that class) but I digress. I was always taught that you can learn from a baby. So imagine how much more you could learn from the opposite sex.???

"Relax yaself girl peace at plan" Tribe Called Quest

Love & Relationships

So this is a topic I have to get off my chest before I can go any further. Love & Relationships! That's right we've all had them. I recently have gotten out of a relationship, but I won't get into that, but I can tell you what I've learned and what experience I've gained through various lessons. But before I get into that, I wonder, in this day and age, what do we as a young community look for in a significant other? I look around and I see some of the corniest brothers getting the most play and lying like a rug to a lot of these young girls out here...And I'm not hating, believe me, I always give credit when credit is due; But it seems so easy to manipulate the minds of people these days.Smh..... If you take nothing away from this entire blog, remember this: "The key to a persons body lies in their mind; once you capture the mind everything else is child's play.
Now, as far as my experiences go, I've learned to be more patient for the right one and to not jump into something without having a full understanding of what I'm getting myself into..In addition, I learned to also not have expectations and to not second guess myself...Remember, If you have to second guess yourself, then it's more then likely not meant to be. Most importantly, I've learned to LOVE myself and appreciate myself as a young man FULLY before I can love and give myself to a woman. As of right now, I'm learning to not be so stubborn with myself; but to love & appreciate life to its fullest....
So with that being said, Love your self and be very careful who you give yourself too; because if you keep giving a piece of your self to different people, when the times comes to meet your soul mate, what will you be able to give him/her?????

Mothers Day!

I would first like to wish a Happy Mothers Day to my Mother (Whom I adore so dearly) and to all of you Mothers of all ages (and those who are expecting a child/children as well)...


Because I'm not fit to speak on Womanhood, I want to take out this time to celebrate you with a poem that I made for my mom but I'll share it with all the mothers out there..


             "Precious mother, loving light

             for nine months you held me tight,

              From a world of chaos and pain,
              But despite it all, you carried me without shame''
              "You jeopardized so many goals and aspirations to birth me
              You never broke any promises and never tried to hurt me"

              "you never cared whether I would've been a boy or girl,
             you just made sure that God brought me into this world
           and the love you've given is far brighter then any diamond or pearl"

           " So today I celebrate you as loud as I can,
            I gracefully bow, and promise to take a stand
            and to be the best child of yours as I possibly can"....

Hope you yall enjoy =)

There's a Reason for Everything

First off, if your reading this, I greatly appreciate it...

          With that being said, lets talk about the perception of the media. Now I know your all thinking, "what does that have to do with the title"? Let me explain...You see if you've ever noticed, everything on television serves a purpose and more then for your own personal entertainment. For example, I'm sure we can sit here and think of countless songs, advertisements, commercials/infomercials that we all grew up on as kids. No matter how long ago it was, we can still remember them distinctly like the back of our hand. That's because society is very strategic in influencing the global masses. Don't get me wrong, "Count Dracula" on Sesame Street taught a lot of people how to count. So the media has some good in it. But The first thing I believe the media is designed to do is to create perceptions into your mind. You may ask, "how is this done". Its simple...Attention, Attraction, Persuasion and  Repetition. The way you draw in a buyer for any product is through attention first. You have to put something or someone out there to draw the future buyer in. This is done through attraction. Why do you think athletes, musicians, actors and models are the forerunners for company's products? BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO ATTRACT YOU!! (Sorry for the caps)..This is how trends are started in society, because people see their favorite entertainer wearing something and causes them to want the same. Then you wonder why your broke or can't pay your light bill...Smh
Persuasion is easy...They make the product seem so reliable that you must have it...I watched a Subway commercial a few months back and it had NBA Basketball Player Blake Griffin in it. This was around the time Blake Griffin was dunking on everybody every night! So he was (and still is) at that time a hot commodity. So when I saw him promoting the Subway commercial It made me realize something. "They" always choose the hottest trending topic to attract the most attention. Sadly, this may sound simple, but this is EXACTLY how your pockets get raped!
The Last is repetition. Almost every ignorant song I've heard in 2011 alone so far, I've ended up listening to simply because the radio played it so much that it got stuck in my head. Like I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Racks on Racks! lol smh...This is exactly how they get you. They play certain things and advertise things until it entices you to give in..You ever notice the new trend..You know...They get you to buy more and save less? give more and more and more and lose so much?....you get the point I hope...But this brings me to my last note, After repetition, you have, (Drum roll please), "A mass hypnosis of the Global Mind"....
With that being said, stay "in sync" with yourselves and stop smoking a "J" and trying to imitate "Cole" from Martin...Oh I didn't mention subliminals? Dammit! lol