THE ACCOUNTABILITY SNOWBALL

THE ACCOUNTABILITY SNOWBALL

I was thinking real quick on why people have such a difficult time with accountability. Specifically, people within my community/social sphere. I believe it stems from most people starting off in circumstances beyond their control. First, actually being born is a whole outside event in itself. You didn’t ask to be here, you had no idea you was coming (God Did lol) but you just showed up and until adolescence (young adulthood) your life is in someone else’s hands.

During this time. a period we’ll refer to as “Deferred Responsibility”; you’re being guided by someone’s morals, life experience, and financial stability, all which effects your overall childhood and has a huge impact on who you are to become.

Back in church we were taught about the age of accountability, while a verse may not explicitly states how old you are when you are considered “accountable”, we were generally taught at 12 years old you have reached the age of accountability. Which means you should know right from wrong and you have enough foundation to make solid decisions and if you make an unwise decision you should be able to own up to your decisions and face the music.

If we know there’s a certain threshold where accountability is “activated”, then why do many adults have difficulty being accountable? Its because trauma + a no responsibility period + a dramatic responsibility increase = adults who have difficulty being accountable. Its hard to own up to things when everything was so out of your control and now life is forcing you to be in control.

Some people are faced with raising children, building careers, overcoming heartache, health conditions, its always something to face. However, it gets to a certain point in life where you have to ask “When am I going to take responsibility for my life”, “when will I admit whatever is going on at this point is my fault”.

Me for example, I have so much I can hold onto and be a loser about. Nobody ever got me driver’s training, I grew up financially unstable, I never been to disneyworld as a kid lol. I got plenty stuff I can hold onto, be sad about, and allow it to stagnate me in life.

But screw that one day I sat down and said “Bro whatever I have in my life its my fault, and if I don’t have it now I’m going to work to get it!”. From that moment I went on a winning streak lmao. Still took L’s but man I refused to live handcuffed by childhood trauma because if you never get over it, it snowballs into adulthood and you’re chained to the past.Take control now if you haven’t and make that determination today, “Life is in my hands and I’m going to achieve with everything I desire!”! How can you move forward if you’re always looking behind? Think about it beloved..

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HAD TO GET THE QUARTERS OUT

I.GOING AT THE SAME TIME

Started as another typical wash day, you know the vibes. I was putting clothes in the washer and when I was done I was ready to put the quarters and that’s when it hit me. Reaching our goals are like the washing process, let me explain. Many of us start at the same place, but we’re all going to arrive at a different time. We may share the same goal but we don’t share the same estimated time of arrival. The goal for washing are for the clothes to be cleaned, but they won’t be done at the same.

For instance, we may all start school at the same time sharing the common goal of graduating. More specifically since I went to law school, we all started with the end goal of becoming an attorney, already that path looks different for EVERYONE.

Even though people started around the same time, a lot of people graduated a different times. Even when we got to graduation everyone isn’t getting barred at the same time. However we all share the common goal of becoming an attorney, we just have to each go through our respective process of reaching that goal, which we all will reach.

When I was washing my clothes I had to put quarters in each machine, which gave some machines a head start. Depending on the load some may have to dry longer than others, some may dry faster than anticipated. Each load has its own path but at the end of the day those clothes will be nice and clean!

So take no pleasure in time comparisons when it comes to goal fulfilling journeys. Everyone have their own path, but we share the same goal to be successful no matter what!

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A SINGLE MEAL

A SINGLE MEAL

an interpretation of Jacob and Esau: img source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jconnectseattle.org%2Fevents%2Fjacob-and-esau-whos-really-the-good-twin-and-whos-the-evil-one%2F&psig=AOvVaw2lUW0Bkmgll5fii-euhSZH&ust=1610159382571000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJjtr66li-4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Whenever I speak with people going thru turbulent times, I always try to remind them do not make desperate decisions, even if it seems like there is no other option. Desperation leads to an impulsiveness that can be hard to rectify. Impulsive acts are often foolish choices that can have big blowbacks simply because we didn’t take time to think of things in the long run.

img source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chabad.org%2Fparshah%2Farticle_cdo%2Faid%2F2372639%2Fjewish%2FEsau-Sells-His-Birthright-for-a-Mess-of-Pottage.htm&psig=AOvVaw3PO95klGIlCayCPkVg2Rtv&ust=1610159497418000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCNjMld2li-4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

This made me think of the story of Esau and Jacob, the two sons of Abraham. Esau was entitled to Abraham’s blessing being that he was the first born. However, Esau was unaware about how much value his birthright had and his younger brother would soon take advantage of that.

One day after working in the fields, a hungry and fatigued Esau entered the home as Jacob was making a pot of stew. Stew that probably wasn’t that good, but would probably taste crazy delicious to a man who hasn’t ate a thing all day long. Especially back in those biblical days, man the heat probably hit so different and he was probably funky, he just needed a good meal and a bath lol.

Anyways, Jacob seized this moment (he was plotting on Esau’s birthright the whole time) and offered Esau the stew in exchange for Esau’s birthright. Esau made a foolish rationalization, declaring that a birthright will be worthless to a dead man so he swore off his birthright in exchange of food.

After learning he was tricked by his mother and Jacob ( go read the full story in Genesis and you’ll see how that came about), he tried to get his birthright back but to no avail.

Here’s a couple things that impulsiveness/desperation makes you do:

1. REASONS THAT DON’T MAKE NO SENSE

In a desperate measure you start trying to convince yourself that the dumb decision you is about to make is a good one, you can usually tell its a foolish rationalization because it will involve extremities. I.E. Esau saying a birthright is no good to a dead man. I mean I guess that’s true but that boy wasn’t about to die, he was just hungry, yeah we all been at that point of what feels like starvation but like I always say, “it ain’t that deep.”

2. SHORT TERM EARN, LONG TERM BURN

Esau’s birthright had so much attach to it. It’s a literal blessing from God, you have a whole lineage covered in God’s divine grace. God’s grace covers a multitude of things in your life from health to wealth and everything in between. His birthright was long term gain, something he wouldn’t immediately feel the affects from but it was a sure thing if you let it play out.

But that food it was right there, in that very moment. You knew the instant effects of that food. You was hungry, bones aching, you been in that hot pre-historic sun, ain’t no nikes back then you probably in sandals made from wood, man you just wanna eat. You can smell that food and you can even taste it. But you can only eat that one time, once Esau eats that food and his stomach is quieted bet he came back to reality like, “this fool done stole my whole birthright, naw imma need that back on god”.

However, it’s no getting that back. Once you make a dumb in the moment decision its gonna take the Grace of God Almighty himself to help you bounce back and that was something Esau didn’t have.

FINAL WORDS

Your mind can play some tricky sometimes sick games in your head cues Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me , but you have to remember that if I make this decision in haste its 90% chance this isn’t going to go as well as I think it is. Remember to never trade your “birthright” for “a single meal”, its just never worth it.

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IS 3M THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO SNEAKERS?

IS 3M THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO SNEAKERS?

Air Jordan XIII, reflective side panel, you know the vibes, real 98’ energy

Air Jordan V’s with the 3M reflective tongue

Probably Not, but they are a super cool material, but I never knew why? All I can recall is people making a big fuss over any sneaker that had 3M on it. For those who don’t know, 3M is reflective fabric, that is typically used at night for safety workers. However, the sneaker world has made 3M be featured on some of the most classic sneakers ever.

If I can recall my first 3M encounter was with the Air Jordan XIII. Seeing that was probably way cooler to me because I was younger and then I saw it on the Air Jordan V I had in high school and it had me an awe. Again I do not know why its just literally cool.

I’m not the only one who shares this love for 3M, even Action Bronson talked about the importance of 3M in one of the latest episodes of COMPLEX’s SNEAKER SHOPPING. He talked about the reflective ‘N” on a New Balance sneaker. He specifically said, “When you taking pictures and you with a bunch of people and they don’t have the “N” thats reflective, you’re gonna stand out aka you’re beamin’ or you shinin’”. “If you’re running of course they’ll see you but if you’re taking pictures…wooooo.”

And with that said I think I finally found out why I love 3M on sneakers so much. It helps you stand out, plain and simple. Like Action Bronson said, “you’re beamin or shinin’”. Its nothing like “beamin’ or shinin”, that’s why we getting car washes, or buy jewelry, you get an extra glow when you’re shining and that’s exactly what 3M helps you do.

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RES IPSA LOQUITUR: our skin speak for ourselves.

RES IPSA LOQUITUR: our skin speak for ourselves.

“Our skin is evidence of crime” - Pastor Stephen Darby

I was listening to a message by the late great Pastor Stephen Darby when I heard the above quote. It made me think of a theory of law we learned in school, appropriately titled Res Ipsa Loquitur, which is latin for “the thing speak for it itself”.

It simply means one can infer a party was being negligent simply by a negligent act that occurred without actually proving the party’s negligence. 

For example, if a train came off of its tracks and killed a dozen people, it would more than likely be assumed as fact that this type of incident would not have occurred but-for someone’s negligence. In general, trains do not come off of their tracks without some superseding negligent cause. (Source: https://www.zavodnicklaw.com/blog/what-is-res-ipsa-loquitur-and-when-can-it-be-invoked/ )

In America, it is as if this theory of law is being used against the Black community itself. In America, our skin is being used against us  making it as though just because we have this darker skin it gives people the right to hurt us in more ways than imaginable.

Our skin is telling people we deserve to murdered, oppressed, shut out of opportunities, economically disabled, and a host of tragedies that can fill an entire book.

Racists isn’t giving black people the right to defend themselves. When they see blacks their mind infers an automatic wrong. Racists are often mislead by circumstantial evidence that leads to the wrong conclusions.

Oh he have a hood over his head and his pants are sagging he must be up to no good? How do you know the black man didn’t feel like showing his head because he doesn’t have his haircut and he mistakingly left his belt at home?

Oh she have her hair big chunky braids and not straight hair? Yeah she must be super ghetto. That black woman with the chunky braids could easily be a lawyer, doctor, or any other profession that is deemed prestigious.

What is it about skin color that make people think they could automatically assume the worst about someone? Even worst than assuming, what make people think they’re justified in taking violent actions against someone just because the color of their skin.

These are indeed turbulent times we are living in but unfortunately it isn’t nothing we haven’t seen before, I’m just the latest voice with an opinion on it. The question is, when will things ever change for the permanent good? Or will this be something we would have to fight for the rest of eternity?

America has a Duty. To protect its citizens and treat them equally no matter race or gender.

America has Breached that duty. Years of systemic oppression has shown this country isn’t on the side of right (at least its people in power isn’t).

America’s actions is indeed the Proximate Cause to black folk’s harm in this country. Years and years of police brutality, economic imbalance, prejudice, and much more makes the current revolt by black people entirely foreseeable by the country.

For my non-legal people what I just presented was the elements of Negligence. America has been negligent for far too long showing a blatant disregard for our race, no matter how much money you make or influence you have.

It shouldn’t be our skin that is “evidence of crime”, it should be the existence of the country itself that shows the greatest crime of all, the centuries of injustice against the people with darker skin.

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