I'm Beamin'

What happens when any living organism is kept inside of a box? Better yet, with the lid closed and no holes poked through it?

The answer: it deteriorates and eventually dies.

This is what happens to so many people, specifically black people. More specifically, black people in the city of Detroit. And what is worse is I am not speaking of a physical deterioration, no. I am talking about deterioration of the mind, the worse kind. Since we all know that once someone's mind is gone, and they are not able to think, they become slaves. Slaves to their surroundings, slaves to other people's influences (albeit negative or advantageous), just slaves. Let's talk about it.

One of my favorite movies, "The Great Debaters" clearly emphasizes this point. It is the scene when Denzel asks debater Mr. Lowe to tell him about his father and he retorts," Why don't you tell us something about your father?" And so Denzel did, and he did well. He goes on to explain to him the methodology of Willie Lynch and how the premise of that methodology was to "keep the body,[and] take the mind." Well,how is that a way to live? That is right, it isn't living. That type of physical consumption of water, land and its inhabitants, is what I like to call merely existing.

Sadly, this is what all too often happens in my city: apathy. Or even worse, deterioration of the mind caused by a fear of the unknown and the lack of confidence and courage to fight that fear. What is even sadder is that the weapon that should and could be used to David that detrimental Goliath is education. Another discouraging subject that effects my city.

Bottom line, Detroit is a metropolitan of the living, breathing, dying syndrome. All because people are stuck in this tightly closed box.

Now that I have diagnosed the problem, lets talk about the cure. WAKE THE HELL UP!! People who are apathetic to their surroundings need revitalization, just as an organism trapped in a tightly closed box needs light. Let us be the light to each other, wake each other up!

Now, what is the worse thing someone could do to us when we are sleep; soundly tucked in our beds? That's right, turn the lights on!! Just the thought of someone flipping the switch and damned near blinding you as you wipe the boogers from your eyes so you can clearly see and shoot your victim irks you doesn't it? But, coincidentally that is what is needed now. Someone needs to turn the light on to remind our sleeping bodies (and minds) that daylight exist, that a new day is here; and every time we are blessed with a new day, we get another chance to learn, grow, change, act, dream, conceive, and to spread more light.

What it takes is those few that have seen the light and stepped out of that box to go back and tell people what is out there. That is what I want to do. Gain experiences and play the messenger, the light. Do like Lupe says in his ever-motivating masterpiece "I'm Beamin" (which is ironically so appropriate for this topic). He says in one line, "[it's] kids who wanna leave/and I encourage them/ go out and see the world/ never return from/yea you don't come back/ unless you learn some". And I want to add to that, "learn some" come back and teach what you know. That is how you spread light. That is how you wake people up. Damn it if they complain that their eyes are stinging from your rays, they will adjust. They always do.