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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
