Keep it Simple, Stupid

Taylor Mahli, a poet featured on Def Poetry, wrote a poem about how people have started this trend where it's cool to be ignorant and uneducated. I never declared this poem as a favorite. It was cool, but I wasn't overly impressed-just entertained.

Nonetheless, I'm in college now and I've noticed people STILL take pride in not knowing anything. As if they came to college for a change of scenery and a new schedule. Maybe it's just me, and everyone else is on full scholarship, but tuition is too expensive to be skipping class for popularity. I am my worse critic, and I do everything short of beating my own ass when I oversleep. Missing class intentionally isn't even an option. Long story short, shout out to all the people who are actually our there doing something with themselves and making use of the education they're receiving. Furthermore, shout out to all the artists who make it known that there's more than the music biz and entertainment industry.

Pharell-
"Success is tangible, don't wait for fame."

Drake-
"If you're a girl with the aspirations of being in the background with ya asses shaking
Hitting clubs and skipping out on the class you're taking
I ask you to have some patience, you're worth so much more... "

Lupe Fiasco-
"You been shedding too much light Lupe
You're making them wanna do right Lupe
They're gettin self esteem Lupe
These girls are tryin to be queens Lupe
They're tryin to graduate from school Lupe
They're startin to think that smart is cool Lupe
They're trying to get up out the hood Lupe
I'll tell you what you should do.. Dumb it down. "

Of course there are numerous other examples I could have used, these were just ringing in my head. The Lupe line is so true. The song basically targets people who tell him to change his message, no one wants to here about progression, and you're actually getting into the minds of people, making them want more. I applaud him, along with anyone else, whose making people desire something beyond what they have and letting them know it's can be obtained. The people who spread knowledge, whether it be something you learned through experience or read in a book are what makes the world go round. To those who walk around with the preference of stupidity, let me be the first to remind you- ignorance is bliss BUT knowledge is power.



2 fingers and blessings,
B

Big Girls Don't Cry

If today were a song, the lyrics would go: "Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this my mama said." -Shirelle

*Take note of the song playing, it expresses this entire blog exactly.

I don't know if it's just me but I've been seeing these shirts A LOT lately. The timing in which I saw it today couldn't have been any better. Today was another one of my "feeling like a failure" days, and being that I am my worse critique- it was highly discouraging. I was beating myself up about a quiz I took (and bombed) this morning, the one tomorrow that I'm not prepared for, and other work that's just waiting to be done. Fergie's line "it's time to be a big girl now and big girls don't cry" kept playing over and over in my head. I realized that I came to Philly (from North Carolina) and I'm not getting this college "gig" right. The expectations my parents have aren't anywhere near being met, and they set the bar high. Not to be mistaken, when it comes to academics, I've given them reason to expect the best from me. However, this time... I don't think I'll score as high on the charts as they'd like. Than I realized, I am in college now.. this is about me. It is my time. I can't do what I'm doing for anyone but me. No longer is it about letting them down, it's about letting myself down. I know what I'm capable of; I know who will be most effected if I come out of this with my head bowed, feeling defeated. I have to make decisions, the right ones, and live by them.. blood, sweat, and laughs (no tears). God is in control, but I have to take the path he has laid before me. If I want to walk on water, I have to get out the boat.

Got a bit side tracked.. back to the story- I'm walking around feeling like a loser and I see someone wearing that shirt. It immediately brought me back to reality. The only logical thing to do would be to get up, get out, and make a change. I can't let the burden of anyone, not even my parents, weigh on me. I have to make myself proud. I come first. No shedding tears or calling parents asking for help. Those days are behind me. I'm a big girl now. In the words of Billie Holiday:

"Mama may have,
Papa may have,
But God bless the child that has his own.."

2 fingers and blessings,

B