I feel my life has gone from the abyss
to the utopia end of the spiritual spectrum. I've come from
an environment where I was spiritually dead. My conscience was,
for the most part, dormant. My way of thinking, speaking, acting
was an act of socialization. I am, now, at a point in my life
where I have acknowledged and accepted a responsibility to be
a role model and to sacrifice my life, if need be, to fulfill
the purpose God has instilled in me; inspire others. Through
God's grace and guidance, I have and will continue to do great
things with my life until the day I die.
From the age of eight,
I can remember having a realization that things in this world
are not right, not fair, not equal, therefore, not Godly. My
recollection of it all to this day seems like the opening of
an inspirational movie...
An eight year old child, drenched with tears after having been forcefully held down and having a bowl of cake and ice cream mashed onto his face by his mother, looks at himself in the bathroom mirror searching for the motivation to carry on as he chants to himself, "You gonna be somebody! You gonna be somebody! Aint nothin' gon' stop ya!" In the background, outside the window, there are muzzled sounds of screaming, cursing, fighting and gunfire. He uses self-conversing and the negativity around him as his motivation to get him through the "helpless" and "dark" times.The aforementioned synopsis is not just the summary of a movie but is my life's story. Although, most would contend it would be better if the gloomy part had only been the plot to a movie, I would disagree. An adage I use is, "What would triumph be without tragedy?" That is the dualistic structure of nature. To paraphrase the famous philosopher Rene Des Cartes, "How would one recognize good without bad-peace without war?" I am the sum of all my life's experiences. I would not be who I am today without them. I am an enlightened child of God that has recognized I was put here for a reason. My conscience has been awakened to allow me to empathize for those who cannot empathize for themselves, speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. "SHE told me purpose in life is to help others search for theirs' and on that journey you will find yours." I'd like to conclude by reciting a verse from one of IronE's(my parallel ego) songs entitled IronE… The Resurrection of:
He, inevitably, gets "caught up" in the chaos and mayhem that surround him. He is eventually molded into a reflection of his environment. He resorts to fighting, haphazard sex, carrying a pistol, and selling drugs which subsequently lead him to many near death moments he manages to avoid. However, under similar circumstances, his mother is not as fortunate. She dies from H.I.V. related illnesses. This traumatic event along with an aggregate of positive experiences outside his native environment tends to reignite his metaphysical passion to succeed.
He goes on to make family tree history by being the first to go to college where he receives a dual degree in Theater/Speech Communication. He has the good fortune of fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing division 1 college football. His exposure to many people from different cultures, ethnicities and "walks of life" along with his studies serve as the birth of his enlightenment which, subsequently, leads him to conclude it is all for one reason; to do God's work. Also, he receives several accolades and school-wide recognition for his community service.
In addition to being a role model for his relatives, he also serves the community at large by officiating youth and adult sporting events, serving as a mascot for organizations and schools throughout Georgia and participating in theatrical performances throughout Atlanta. From playing Shakespeare's Richard III to Charles Fuller's Captain Davenport in A Soldiers Play, he seizes every possible opportunity to inform and educate humanity.
I'm an awesome fighter with the eye of a tiger When it all goes down, what's wrong, I'm ready to right I put the wife and kids to bed and gently kiss 'em good night I'm ready to rumble in the jungle just like Ali and Foreman When you mention IronE, I guarantee you they know me I'm just an eagle in flight with a spirit unbroken. A dedication to my maker and an homage to homies I introduced 'em to the "game", they fell short, it's a shame But your memories live on in the E Hall of Fame For the record, yall some soldier's serving life in the hood Tell Pat Tillman and the rest of 'em, "magnifique- they did good Layin' it down on the line, that's what true soldiers do No matter what, at all costs, you sacrifice for your crew But I'll hol---ler, I'll be comin' thru But not befo' I handle business and do what I came here to do.