Imagine this……It’s Monday morning. A 14-year old boy comes into his 7th grade homeroom prepared to do his very best and being his best. Not the best student though. The best class clown, troublemaker, bully….all of that. The other kids in the class that find his daily antics amusing try to goad him into playing a trick on another student. His response is “Naw, man. I ain’t tryin’ to get in trouble today. If I get kicked out I go back to juvie and this is my third strike. Then they gon send me to jail.” After a few seconds of transparency he goes back to his normal bluster. “But I ain’t really worried about going to jail cuz I got cousins in there and if anybody try to do anything to me, I’ll just get my cousins.”
This is a true story. There are really young kids who are “wanna-be-gangsters” who think that coming to jail is one big family reunion. Well, I got news for you. You may have a brother, cousin, or homie in jail but I guarantee you that they don’t want to be here. I can also tell you that knowing somebody in jail won’t protect you from the dangers in here.
The lesson that I would like to share that is-- not seeing thing for what they are and not listening. I recall being told things by people that I really didn't view as cool-- so I honestly didn't listen. And when I thought someone was a square or soft, I really wasn't trying to hear it. Now I'm grown, and everything that I was being told has turned out to be true.
One day I was talking to a guy, I thought he was soft, but he actually was very smart. He said: "Rob your loyalty is in the wrong place, I told him that he was tripping-- because I thought he was soft. I know that I'm not a square, so I hoping this lesson that I'm about to share will not be received like I took the things that were being told to me. I lived the life. I ran the streets. I had the money, the girls, the respect, the cars. And I’m writing you from prison right now. So listen up….
I'd like to warn any youth who are running the streets and thinking that it's cool... Don't misplace your loyalty. Often times when we are young, we are fearless, but our loyalty is misplaced, and we don't have the right direction to place our fearlessness. You're not being loyal, because you'd do something for a friend-- that they may not even do for themselves. That's being stupid... There's a difference between loyalty and stupidity. It's not being loyal, when one of you friends know that you should be focusing on school, but yet they are trying to pull you into their….uh… mess. You know what I really wanted to say though...
When we are young we sometimes go out of our way to show people that we are loyal to them, and in the process of doing this we neglect those that really love and care about us. I now think back to some of the pain that I've caused my mother, grandmother, grandfather, and other people that care for me. As I think back, I was hurting my family being committed to the block or my friends... And the people that I was committed and loyal to family were happy and enjoying life, because their loved ones commitment and loyalty were not on the same level as mines.
I'd just like to touch the hearts of the youth that think they are “real”, and give them the true meaning of realness. Being real is being there for those that you care about, being real is not causing those that love you stress. And being real is having morals and respect. Some of stuff that I see and hear the youth doing today in not real coming to prison ain't cool. You crazy if you think prison is cute...
The lesson that I would like to share that is-- not seeing thing for what they are and not listening. I recall being told things by people that I really didn't view as cool-- so I honestly didn't listen. And when I thought someone was a square or soft, I really wasn't trying to hear it. Now I'm grown, and everything that I was being told has turned out to be true.
One day I was talking to a guy, I thought he was soft, but he actually was very smart. He said: "Rob your loyalty is in the wrong place, I told him that he was tripping-- because I thought he was soft. I know that I'm not a square, so I hoping this lesson that I'm about to share will not be received like I took the things that were being told to me. I lived the life. I ran the streets. I had the money, the girls, the respect, the cars. And I’m writing you from prison right now. So listen up….
I'd like to warn any youth who are running the streets and thinking that it's cool... Don't misplace your loyalty. Often times when we are young, we are fearless, but our loyalty is misplaced, and we don't have the right direction to place our fearlessness. You're not being loyal, because you'd do something for a friend-- that they may not even do for themselves. That's being stupid... There's a difference between loyalty and stupidity. It's not being loyal, when one of you friends know that you should be focusing on school, but yet they are trying to pull you into their….uh… mess. You know what I really wanted to say though...
When we are young we sometimes go out of our way to show people that we are loyal to them, and in the process of doing this we neglect those that really love and care about us. I now think back to some of the pain that I've caused my mother, grandmother, grandfather, and other people that care for me. As I think back, I was hurting my family being committed to the block or my friends... And the people that I was committed and loyal to family were happy and enjoying life, because their loved ones commitment and loyalty were not on the same level as mines.
I'd just like to touch the hearts of the youth that think they are “real”, and give them the true meaning of realness. Being real is being there for those that you care about, being real is not causing those that love you stress. And being real is having morals and respect. Some of stuff that I see and hear the youth doing today in not real coming to prison ain't cool. You crazy if you think prison is cute...
To all ya’ll trying to get in……I’m tryin’ to get out. You wanna trade me places? Y.O.L.O. Do the right thing.
Signing off-- Robert
Your words has touched me! proves GOD can use us ANYWHERE!
ReplyDelete"going to jail aint gangsta" haa some young brothers need to read this..continue to let GOD use you...I will pray for your protection and ask GOD to show his face in that place!! (Tina)
Tee Marie, I appreaciate your comment and am glad my post touched you. Thank you for your prayers. I would love if you would help spread the word about my new blog and its goal to help teens understand the realities of street life and jail so that they make better decisions. Thanks.
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