exceptional.

this is the voice of the voiceless, hope for the hopeless
spit game way too real, they don't promote it
cause the way i approach it, from another angle;
i stay in the streets and notice the gutter rainbows.
it ain't no pot o' gold, it's where the product sold.
it's where we lock and load and cop the rock and roll.
so turn it up loud and turn it up now
turn it up loud, turn it up now
~

"there's an exception to every rule; if you're not making the rules, be the expection."


those that know me (or those that poked around some of my older posts from many moons ago) understand that youth development is my thing.  in my younger years, by uncle jimmy told me that being well-balanced leads one to great things, but being a master at something leads one to exceptional things.  his words have always stuck with me (i even referenced them in my high school graduation speech...because i was one of the...class...speakers...) and i continue to use them to guide me in my personal legend.  i strive to master youth development and youth empowerment, to learn the skills necessary to leave the next generation of leaders equipped to make this world a better place.  i consider it wholly selfish work - by investing in youth i can relax when i'm 50 and let them run thangs far more efficiently than i'll be able to at that age.  plus it bucks the notion that youth are unable to do anything but eat food that's bad for them, watch TV, play video games, be worried about their self-image, aggravate their parents/guardians/teachers/mentors/siblings, make pisspoor decisions about the company they keep.  i legit bet against the status quo by putting my chips on youth - by expecting the best out of those on the come-up and expecting greatness from them.


no other way feels right to me.  my mother gave up countless hours of personal time and sleep and rest and vacation and sanity to ensure my success.  if she had given up on me, or if uncle jimmy had given up on me, or if my cousins, aunties, church family, friends, random ass kind-hearted people on the E train had just assumed i wasn't worth the time, well...i probably wouldn't have been.


but for real, not for play, it can be excruciating putting your faith in our youth.  between the incidences of youth violence in urban communities (according to the tariq khamisa foundation 16 youth a killed a day in the US...that's 480 a month...damn), the expression of apathy amongst our youth, and both of those problems exacerbated by the education inequalities in our society, it's insanely easy to fall victim to the "these damn kids" (TDK) syndrome.  if you are unfamiliar with "these damn kids" syndrome, the symptoms generally present in older generations, although some patients present with acute TDK as early as late adolescence.  symptoms include boo-boo face contortions in public settings where there are youth congregate, spastic eye rolls, and an uncontrollable expulsion of malcontent that often sounds like, "these damn kids..."


this is serious business, folks.  an epidemic of TDK syndrome could cripple the maturation of young people around the world.  but i think i have the remedy, and the only reason i have it is because my other blessed me with it at an early age - a TDK inoculation, if you will.  she believed in me.


i spent this morning at a high school college fair and events like tend to not yield an onslaught of applications.  but at every fair, i meet someone that enhances my immunity to TDK, one person that gets that their existence on this planet is dependent on those around them.  success begets success and those that are successful have a duty to help others be successful.  today, i met michael.


the homie michael is a senior at his high school, originally from LA, and is on the run from his past.  his mom is an true OG and mad people in his family bang back in LA.  he came out to boston to escape that lifestyle, although he hasn't been completely successful in completely avoiding it.  i spoke to michael because he was waiting to speak to the representative from the college of holy cross (my table was getting less burn than that cat in 8th grade that wore rec specs on the basketball team...you know exactly what i'm talking about. don't front).  i ear-hustle a lot, it's part of the reason i carry an ipod everywhere, and while ear-hustling michael's questions to the holy cross rep, i felt a certain kinda way.  a good certain kinda way.  i made that screwface you make when something resonates with soul.  it's a face i know very well - i can often be seen making that face when those slow jams come on.  or jay-z.  or a bomb ass grilled cheese.  or a j.cannon beat.  or words from a socially-conscious young person.


guess which michael was.


"what connection does your college have to the community at large?"  "what do you do for students of color to help them thru their college career?"  "what support do you provide first-generation college students?"  "what can students do to get involved in campus life?"


flabbergasted.  i'm actually making the screwface as i type the questions he wrote.  i had to talk to this young man.  his presence made me feel stronger, somehow.  his passion for education activated my passion for growth and development.  so we shared our backgrounds, our life histories, our personal legends.  he told me about his advocacy work and mobilization work in his school; he shocked me with his candor about the effective way to run his student government ("i'm thinking about how to build up those behind because they need to continue the work."); and he wanted to connect with me to try and get his peers involved in leadership development and service.  real talk, i would have given him the red vest off my back if it would have help him in his quest to improve the lives of youth.  i found a kindred spirit in michael, he found a way to support youth in their education and his own education financially.  all i did was listen to him, ask about him, make him aware of the opportunities that were available to him.  i invested in him for 15 minutes.  and i did it because he is exceptional.


i know people twice michael's age that lack his vision, his drive.  his commitment to improve his life and the lives of others burned in him and that smoldering heat radiated from him. i felt it...i felt hopeful.


giving up on youth is easy.  mad easy.  that TDK syndrome can strike rapidly.  but bet money that once you give up on youth, you've chosen to support the status quo.  you've decided to co-sign a system that generates less college graduates than inmates.  you've made a conscious decision to limit young people so you can remain in your place.  and for that, i pity you.  i pity you because for every person like you that's afflicted with TDK, there's a person who's hungry to make a difference despite your ailment.  and ironically, the very cure you need to rid TDK from your system comes from the the very thing you denigrate.


more importantly, for every michael that's out there, there's 2 other youth that need someone to tell them that they can do the same things that he's doing.  it's hard work and not everyone is built for it; not everyone is exceptional.  but if you feel you are, i challenge you to act on it.  make someone else more exceptional than you are.  guaranteed you'll be pleased with your investment.


peace and hope for the future...