Terrance Howard

I'm a bit late posting this, but 'it be like that sometimes' [I think I'm adopting that quote for 2008]. Anyway, Terrance (yeah, I'm on a first name basis) came to speak at the school (Temple pride! lol) on Monday, the 25th. Pay no mind to the date in the bottom of the picture, this crazy girl, who thinks she's Janet Jackson's god daughter, dropped my camera and I haven't fixed the date since the batteries fell out. He put on one hell of a show, to say the least.

He started off by saying that without you the world does not exist because when you die, one part of the world is gone. I liked that. Then he elaborates by saying how he is a narcissist and there is no one more important or more beautiful, in his opinion, than himself. For that matter, he only loves his kids because they look like him. [yes, that's a direct quote said with all sincerity]

Anyway, he goes on to explain how there are 300 to 1/2 a billion sperm released when attempting to fertilize an egg. Of those sperm, the first 10mill. die, and not all try to fertilize the egg. Instead, some become "blockers". They sacrifice themselves for you (the sperm who fertilized the egg) to make it and carry out their purpose. In saying this, his point was that he had an entire army with him, and that you can not command an army you aren't aware of. Then he says, (regardind the sperm and people on Earth) if you don't make it, there is always someone else who will take your place immediately. Self-preservation is most important.

After this (somewhat long, drawn out, and fuzzy metaphor of sorts) he talks about how his father delivered checks to people. His family was low on money, and his father began to cash the checks he was supposed to deliver. His father was arrested for cashing 500 checks. He said that his father did what he had to do to provide for his family because he (the father) was the most important person in his life. The lesson he (Terrance Howard) learned was, "Do what you gotta do, but damn it-don't get caught!"

I'm writing this all from notes I took and some things are random/I don't remember the story behind them, which is my fault for not writing this sooner, but oh well. I'm telling you this because the next thing I had written down was "Jump higher than you think you can make it... give yourself room to fail". However, I couldn't fit that in smoothly. So, there you have it.

Back to the scheduled programming: He starts talking about how he was raised in the ghetto and how the ghetto is a place, not a person, and just because you're raised there doesn't mean you are that. What you are, is beautiful. However, you are only beautiful because you see yourself that way. Someone else might see what you see, but at the time, you are only a reflection of them. Now, when he said this... I was a bit skeptical. Much like his point in the "sperm/egg" story, it seemed a bit hodge podge. Some things just sounded like they were being said because they sounded good. I couldn't quite make them out, and I wasn't all that impressed. It seemed real surface... rehearsed, even. Not to mention, he says how acting is nothing more than manipulating people. I couldn't help but think his entire speech was all an act, and he mentioned the fact that he had green eyes too much for my liking. Just thought I'd throw that out there :)

Next point: Though he is a narcissist, he does not think more of himself then what is necessary for him to have a good opinion of hisself. If you would place someone above you, than you should have been a "blocker" and let someone else go. You know what? I can't make this flow. I'm just gonna put marks by all of his points. You don't need a story line. This way you can read all the things he says, and you can develop your own opinion of him and decide what you believe to be true.

-A diamond is just a piece of coal that did well under pressure.
-Within the instant you meet someone, you know who they are. The second time you know exactly what they want from you. The rest is give and take. However, the one with the least interest dominates because they aren't willing to compromise.
-People will forget you quicker than they got to know you. Stay busy. Picture yourself as a centipede with many legs to get around vs. one or two.
-Never dim your light for someone else. Have you ever seen a bear try to look smaller? Didn't think so.
-No one will always be there for you except you.
-Believe you are right. Except when you're wrong, but find a way to be right. (What? lol)
-If you can't reach someone, don't be mad at them. It's because they're too busy handling their business. (He was referring to him not being able to reach Will Smith. Did I mention he kept name dropping?)
-As strong as we (black people) think we are, there was someone in our family who had to sit back and let someone be molested so we could be here today. [**during this part of his speech: someone outside the building yelled "Shutup, you stupid nigger". Ignorance is bliss and God bless them (cause hopefully someone beat them up as they stood there yelling like hethans). That's all I am going to say about that.] Terrance responded by saying that everything you say affects someone, and when you use you words in a harmful way, you pay for it.
-In regards to racism: God told you, you were his child. He never limited you to a color. Society did. Do not deny yourself every bit of yourself.
-If there's someone in your life disrupting your dream and your future, "get them the hell out of your life"
-A woman is under your control once she questions her own foundation. If you get her to lean on yours and shake your foundation, she will grab onto it and never leave (out of fear) **Whatcha think of that?
-When you want to approach a woman (because he Mr. Pimp Chronicles himself?) get her to stop in her tracks. Then, have her take a couple steps in your direction. She will get used to following your direction. (all of this should be done while holding eye contact) **Isn't this man something else?
-As long as we can see and aren't blind: we will always look after those who look like us, and they will always look after those who look like them. Until we can look at things through God's eyes, achieve in spite of racism and shine through. "I know I had to jump 12ft. and your boy had to jump 6ft., but I DID IT!"
-He had 3 felonies on his record. He was convicted of 25 years to life. While in jail, he searched the boks and learned the law/how it applied to him. He found errors in his sentencing and got his charge reduced to 2yrs. When he got out of jail and had the right resources, he hired a lawyer and paid to have his felonies reduced to misdemeanors. Then he got his misdemeanors expunged, and now his record is clean. Do the proper work, keep your record clean!

That's Enough Terrance for One Day,
B