The Great Debate

Originally after seeing the movie on Christmas day I wasn't going to write on the movie and share my thoughts with you all. You see initially I was hesitant to see the movie in the 1st place and felt Denzel may have made a critical error at this point in his career by directing and staring in this film. However, my mother a older southern black women loves Mr. Washington an insisted that we go out and support his film as he can do no wrong. I ordered the tickets for myself my brother and my mother and headed to the theater open minded. What I saw was what was truly a great movie containing a story of struggles, how to overcome adversity in tumultuous times, and what happens when you believe in yourself.

The story was set in rural Louisiana in what we consider the deep south down there below the Mason Dixon line. Denzel portrayed the great debate coach at Wiley college, Melvin Tolson a man who lead two lives all for the betterment of not only African Americans, but Americans as a whole. I became engulfed in this film and the multiple stories that were told within it. A young boy struggling to be like his well accomplished father and struggling with love, happiness, and adolescence all at the same time. See I could identify with particular parts of this movie and the struggle that certain characters encountered.

At one point during the movie the debate team is traveling to a debate against Pepperdine University and happen upon a Lynch Mob. For those of you not familiar a lynch mob was/is a group of whites who gathered together for the hanging of a black person and lighting them on fire. It was this scene that was most difficult to bear. See my roots are from the deep south, you know down there below the mason dixon line and the simple thought of knowing that this is what my family members and others before me had to go through in order for me to be able to having the blessings and opportunities that I have today was to say the least extremely humbling and emotional. I looked over at my mother beside me and saw her filled with anger, tears, and emotion. It wasn't until she reached out and grabbed my hand that I realized the significance of this movie and my elder family before me.

We spoke about it briefly on the way home about what touched her so much within the movie to spark such anger and tears. She spoke on things she witnessed as a child growing up in the south and spoke on how the movie brought back to reality many images and thoughts that she went through as child. You know it's difficult to hear someone speak of being in the car with their father on the way to church and having to drive through town and pass through a Ku Klux Klan rally every week. See Generations before us took unified steps to allow better more prosperous lives for us and we must be sure to do so for those after us.

Now I'm not saying that the word can be perfect or that racism will one day end, but what I am saying is that we can damn sure try if not because we want to but that we need to. We need to continue to move forward as a people and as brothers and sisters. No one is saying you need to go out and be some sort of radical and start a revolution, but what I am saying is that if we all do our part we will fair much better than we are now. The world is in turbulent times, countrymen are killing countrymen, brothers are killing brothers, and races are killing races. Lets ban together as those before us did for betterment of those that will follow.

I encourage you all to go out and see The Great Debators regardless of where you are and what the color of your skin is. You will surly be entertained and touched by a incredibly great story.

Peace

Misunderstood......

I'm starting to think I'm misunderstood......seen in a different light, or possibly not seen at all. I've never had a problem with people not understanding me because I don't understand some people. What I don't understand however is how you can come to a unbiased opinion on something you know nothing about. Everyone thinks they know everything and everyone is to worried about what everyone else is doing. Do YOU.....be YOU....stop forcing it. You don't have to have this or that just to try and be the person everyone else wants you to be. I wonder where everyone went wrong? For me...I remember the days. Most of you already know by now, but yea I mean shit....I'm country....I come from farms,grits,pork, and dirt. I've never claimed to be anything other than what I am. Now I'm not no saint nor have I ever claimed to be, but I do know that I come from value and have certian things institled in me. I don't know all of you and the ones I do know I may not know well. I've always stayed true to who I was for the most part. I never tried to conform to the masses, it isn't really in my "swagger" to do that. I'm way to proud of who I am and what I'm from. I don't claim to be hard or from the hood (even though I will smack your shoelaces untied) I don't try to dress like YOU or THEM. I just do me matter fact that's all I've ever done cause I've always wanted to stand out. Not because I wanted any particular accliam, but because I always felt like their isn't anyone else like me, nobody else on my level. In no way does that mean I'm superior to any other. What that does mean is that I understand individuality. It seems like I'm just rambling.......these are really just my thoughts you know........basically how I'm feeling at the time. I feel like people are focusing on all the wrong things. Kicks this Kicks that.....I'm tired of it...I'm out the shoe game for a bit too. It's saturated with a bunch of wannabees and it's hurting me because I've been in it since the beginning. I remember when Nike dropped the Bret Farve Zooms back in 95 and 96 and how I lost my mind and felt like I had to jump through hoops to get my Mom to pick them up. Shit, I remember me and Dennis were at the pool and had on the OG raptors and they got stolen out of our locker while we were swimming. I remember that feeling of being so hurt and not being able to understand why someone would do that. Looking back years later I don't know why that person took those shoes, but i hope they brought the same joy to that person that they brought to me. I know I had a shoe problem in 6th grade when we played Alex English's sons team in my rec leauge and the kid always had the craziest looking shoes. Since that point I've always been concerned about what's on my feet. Your not a shoehead because you get every SB that comes out, but really what the hell is a shoehead anyway? I've never called myself that....you all call me that. To me it's normal to have such a infatuation with beautiful art. I don't know maybe I'm tripping and it's just this mood I've been in Latley. All i've been doing is throwing on my Fav CD on the Ipod and just taking a walk or whatever and just thinking, reflecting, planning for tomorrow, and enjoying the beauty that life brings everyday.

-Living Fresh

He's Back....

So a new post has been long over due instead of re-capping the last month of my life for the sake of your reading. I'm just going to start with this past weekend and keep it moving. So lets see school is right around the corner it's already gearing up to be one hell of a year. The summer was Def one to remember many many good times. I hope everyone can say the same. I FINALLY got to make some much needed changes to my bike that I've been wanting to do which i'll toss in here later. Turned 21 on the 31st of July and it was just straight Bananas! I've been loving every minute of it. I got plenty of new pick ups over the past 3 weeks and I just copped the Rad blue/red Vans yesterday which are official. I'll be through tomorrow with some more post. As you know I'm still.....






AYO!





These are for sale still by the way. I haven't been pushing them much just here on the blog I'll list them and some olives in a 11.5 on NT this week.





Email me a offer at Futurerei@gmail.com

By the way just let me know I can take plenty of pics and can tag them as well with my other NT name VaGixxer.

R.I.P.........Jason Hendrick

I'll post thoughts and feelings sometime later. RIP.....one of the few people I met that was comfortable with life and I always respected that from day 1.

On this Day we Marched Together with our brothers in UNITY.....

Alright, not sure how to even start this one off today, but we'll see where this goes. I remember distinctively in the fall of 1995 how certain events unfolded. My family was very involved in my childhood and in teaching my brother and I information on our history as well as the struggles that many before us encountered in order to pave the way for the blessings I was bestowed in my own life. The scenery was much different from what it is now. I don't remember ever hearing the word "Nigger" I don't ever remember feeling out of place or like I didn't belong. This was back when I lived in South Carolina in a mostly black area and went to a mostly black school. I never understood exactly what my father was trying to say nor did I understand everything that he was doing, but as I sat here and reflected today after running across this picture on the Internet it all makes sense............

Both my parents come from a struggle. They've both encounter many things I've never experienced. My father grew up in what some call " the Ghetto" my mother was a farm girl from rural South Carolina. Each saw racism in different ways. I remember my mom telling me stories of growing up and not being able to cross over the fence in the backyard into the White families yard behind them because she wasn't allowed there. I think of the times when she remembers when schools in the south were integrated and the pain she had to endure on a day to day basis. I've never been through anything like that never felt THAT kind of FEAR. The Million Man March took place in October of 1995. I recall my Dad saying that he was going to go March For OUR people for OUR NATION. NO not for Blacks, but for the unity of America and the equalities of our rights.



He must have known I didn't know what he was saying, but new it would touch me profoundly some time later in my life. We have a War going on outside no one is safe from. Brother killing brother sisters killing sisters communities killing communities. On this day A million+ Black, white and men of other ethnic backgrounds marched together to show America that WE could ALL come TOGETHER. I wonder what it would have been like to have been there. To march with my fellow brothers and Americans for something I believed in. Everyday it is a fight to be able to be a black man in this country. Would I trade it for anything? No not in my wildest dreams. Why? because it has made me appreciate life and it's blessings. Coming where I'm from it wasn't any manicured lawns, school buses, blacks AND whites, or toys to play with. I'm blessed and thankful for how far we have come over the last 40 years. I remember my Mom telling me stories of growing up and never having any toys. That her and her sisters had to make their own dolls and other toys to play with. I admire her struggle as well as others struggle whatever it may be. It's like I just want to say thank you for all those who came before me for all those who continue to pave the way to allow me to be what I am and who I plan to be. My mother always told me "I raise you in order for you to provide a better life than I have provided for you to your family" and her mother told her the same thing. I guess what this all means is that we can come together and we can be thankful for our surrounding and to never take anything for granted..........This kind of got away from the Million Man March, but that's how it goes when your typing from the heart.



- Living Fresh

Some pictures from this past week......

I've been getting my days mixed up all week due to the holiday, but what a beautiful one it was. Got a bed for the new place from Value City thanks to Mom so the new place will have a good look or at least somewhere to start. A lot of things went down prior to the fireworks on the 4Th some good many bad....but I guess that just the way it is. Now for the pictures.....

I've been working on my picture taking skills and feel like I've been getting better. Compared to my fireworks pictures from last year these are incredible. I think they came out great though...

Also, I almost forgot Pickups from this week courtesy of the Gap....

- Living Fresh

Iphone=Copped

As I said the Iphone was purchased. Was in line Friday at 4 and out of AT&T by 6:30 and even had time to play with a demo device. I'm really happy with the fun and the amount of the lowered bill. it is without some features, but I'm not trippen it's all good.........been sick all day threw up for a few hours so I don't feel like typing much as of right now. Check back tomorrow I'll post some pics from over the weekend as well as new pick ups for over the weekend.

Here is a unpackaged pick....



And alil something from tonight.....





Living Fresh