A few Fridays ago, I was traveling to Chicago to hit up a few open mics and visit my mom and sister. I boarded a nearly filled Megabus with a nearly empty notebook, praying for inspiration. A guy sat next to me, and about midway through the trip we began to make small talk. He told me he had purchased Jet Blue's All You Can Jet Pass and had made plans to visit friends and family. He explained his plan to me, how he planned to criss-cross the country visiting New York, Indianapolis, Chicago (stand up!), California, and a few other places, planning out some stops and completely winging it on others. He traveled light, with just a backpack, small duffel bag, and a downhill skateboard. He'd also collected the contact info of ppl he met along the way, planning to keep in touch. This guy instantly became one of the DOPEST ppl in the world to me!!! To take advantage of an opportunity like that and simply LIVE LIFE, experiencing new things and places is a luxury many of us are afraid to take. Ok, for those who are reading this, i'm a black male who comes from a not-so-fortunate area south of Chicago. Where i'm from, ppl regard something like this as impossible, unable to see beyond the $500 price tag on the unlimited pass, if they even know about it at all. But think about it. How many times have heard a child say (or even an adult) say, "One day i'm just gonna go and see everything!"
(BTW, the guy i met with the JetBlue pass is white. The reason i didn't mention this earlier is because some black ppl will automatically write this off as "being crazy" as soon as they found out it was a white guy. But i call it "being scared".)
What saddens me about this is that THERE IS NOTHING STOPPING US. I told a few of my close ppl this story, and they immediately wrote it off as "some stuff white ppl do". But then i also asked those same ppl about their personal dreams and aspirations, and none of them had fulfilled ANY of them. What's the use of having any goals if they're to crazy to accomplish?
I also know alot of ppl in my neighborhood who'd never consider going after ANY dream they've ever had simply because "they're from the hood", and ppl from the hood don't go after their dreams (unless it's rapping or balling, but that's a stereotype for another blog) THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE!!!! I know many a black face that come from a bad neighborhood, but go on to go to college and be successful. If Oprah can go from having roaches as pets to flying 300 ppl to Australia on her dime (Holla at a playa Oprah!), how come we (disadvatanged black ppl) can't aspire to go anywhere other than doggone Atlanta? #imjustsayin
Bottom line ppl, is this: NEVER be afraid to go after your dreams!!! My man @ISawJackStorm said that "nightmares are only dying dreams." Why go for guaranteed nightmares when you can AT LEAST try to go after your wildest dreams? I encourage anyone reading this to pursue anything you have ever wanted to do. Who knows what would happen if you do? I know what would happen if you don't: NOTHING.
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