I Must Have Forgotten…

 

September 29, 2023

Hip Hop is an influential force in shaping cultures throughout the world. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture. If you were born after the 1990s and/or not familiar with Hip Hop, it's more than music. Some of the most agreed upon elements of Hip Hop are deejaying, rapping, breakdancing, graffiti, knowledge, and fashion. And if you are from the San Francisco Bay Area, your contributions to Hip Hop are often overlooked by the world and by Hip Hop. I recently came across an article by NPR describing the connection of the Bay Area and Hip Hop. (NRP’s article on Hip Hop and the Bay Area.) Reading this article reminded me I must have forgotten some things.

 

It hurts to forget the things that matter!

There's a sweet spot that you strive for in this situation. You want recognition and you also wanna offer a nod to those who paved the way for you. Sometimes it is easy to forget your backstory. Maybe you forget because you don’t think you need it anymore…maybe you wanna forget because you are tired of the hurt from your past…When you forget sometimes it can hinder future success because you dismiss what generated your success in the first place.

In February 2019 I wrote a blog post about being in the thick of my journey to become a full-time faculty member at a community college. I mentioned how growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area made me embrace hustling to reach my goals. Here we are nearly 5 years later since that post, and I have hit a situation that I did not expect. I often talk about being proud of being from eastern Menlo Park. But lately I have forgotten where I come from.

When I say I forgot where I came from it doesn't mean the literal location; I am referring to the lessons and experiences of my past. ALL of my past shaped me. My past has fueled me in a way that made any discomfort that came with the journey worth it. Success is coming my way in ways I could not have imagined. And recently, I forgot what got me here. What got me here was operating on faith, working hard, loving hard, not living for success, and being unapologetically me. Lately, working hard has been the lone element that has remained. In addition, I discovered that challenges and problems don't necessarily disappear with success. Sometimes, new problems appear, and some old problems don’t go away.

I forgot how not focusing solely on the goal gave me energy (and drive) to do things most people were not able to do. Before this recent setback I was still parenting full-throttle, I was still being attentive to my fitness, and I was still seeking to be a hopeless romantic to my best friend that I get to spend the rest of my life with. My journey was not solo, yet I kept convincing myself it was. This made it easy to forget WHO my source is. The film Coach Carter (2005) has a scene where Coach Carter (who is played by the great Samuel L. Jackson) ties his shoes in front of his players and then says, "I did that!" He continued to be over the top in his communication at practice. He wanted the players to know they (as individuals) were not the source of their success. He wanted them to get their minds right. I needed to adjust my mindset and shrink my ego. I didn't achieve success alone. I was provided with people and resources from The Source who is greater than all of us. Now I'm not back where I need to be, but I'm back on track to get there.

Write down reminders of who you are!

I think everyone should strive to reach their goals. I think being focused has value…I think being disciplined so you can accomplish something has value. But living for success ain’t living. Success is only a piece of life. Just because I must have forgotten, does not mean you have to experience my lessons from the school of hard knocks to have the same epiphany. Don't forget where you come from. Don’t shy away from your story that made you who you are. Being authentically you is what has pushed you where you are. Stay true to you! "Remember who you are!"

 

Be well and let your uniqueness shine!
-Elgrie J.