Hello Future,
You probably won't read this.
Let's be honest, an adult in your life will tell you to read this because there is something here they have been trying to say to you that you did not hear. It's like that, young people don't always listen to the people closest to them, especially their parents. I'm guilty of that myself and my father is quick to remind me when I do something he doesn't particularly think is wise. My siblings and I are all adults now, some of the things we should have listened to we ignored - it's too late to retrace our steps now. It is not too late for you.
Let me tell you something, there is not much difference between your generation and mine. They called us Generation X. I have seen people get killed by police, watched events that changed the temperature of society like the Rodney King beating, the O.J. Simpson verdict, the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, the transition of Michael Jackson from black to white. I mean, seriously, life is not easy for any of us, death has taken some of my friends to gunshots and terminal illnesses too. Don't think that because I am older than you that I don't care or that I am oblivious to how pain can paralyze you and burn with anger at the same time.
Unless we are connected, I'm not the one who will stop you on the street and tell you to pull your pants up. I have seen people do that and get cussed out! I may not ask you to pull your skirt down because people on the street can see your panties, but I think about it. I think about human trafficking and rape that young women fully covered could not prevent.
My heart hurts when I ride the bus and a group of youth get on and disrupt the ride by talking in loud profanities about sex, drugs and other illicit things that even I as an adult don't understand. Check yourself sometimes. I have turned my head when I saw young people jumping another a youth downtown. This is all new to me, I'm from a small town in Ohio. People think I am country. But my heart hurts so much for you. Tell me, what can I do to help you? There is a great divide between us, our generations. It seems like you only listen to Beyonce or Jay-Z. Who are your mentors? Who are the people telling you that you have to put action behind your dreams? Who are the people telling you not to fall asleep on the job or to find a way to care about something, other than yourself?
There is an entire village of people wanting you to be great. I am one of them. I don't want to come to your funeral, I want to come to your graduation. I want to go to your first NBA or NFL game. I want to see your babies born. I want to see you become the future.
Don't let social media be your newspaper. It can give you the news but you never know if the news you are reading is real. Do your own research. Social media has caused a lot of harm too. Think of bullying by using memes created with people's faces and horrible words. People get deeply hurt, even committing suicide. This is not a world we want to create. Check yourself sometimes. We all need to do it.
Life is not easy. But life is an experience, not a a chore. If you are careful and choose friends who will support you toward greatness you will see that some of the things you cry about or get angry about today, will really be stupid tomorrow. I know some of you are hurting and feel lost right now, but please do not quit. There are people out here who love you and believe in your dreams. I am one of them. Now let's go change the world, you have goals.
Tweet this: Young people, life is not easy. Find a strong #mentor, check yourself, focus on #goals. You are #unpluckable .
In your corner,
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