Fair-Minded Dreams

"I'm not on the outside looking in; I'm not on the inside looking out; I'm in the dead f****** center looking around." - Kendrick Lamar - Ab-Soul's Outro.

That one lyric represents what I'm trying to accomplish in my life right now. I can't speak for anyone else's community, but in the community of Powder Springs, Ga, there are sides to take in everything. From being the Jock who is deeply respected by all your peers to the Ivy League bound scholar who is destined for greater things and runs almost every school club and school related gathering, those are really the only two roles that give you a respected reputation. If you aren't with either side, you are considered either a Pothead, a "Scrub," an Outsider, or a Follower; a "Scrub" is someone who comes to school, doesn't speak to anyone except maybe the teachers, makes average grades, and doesn't play any sports. I really don't know how I did it, but for some reason, I took every role there was. I was the arrogant, cocky AP student who could play a little basketball, read voraciously, and was VERY rebellious and followed the wrong crowd usually. This was my Freshman and Sophmore year when I was still trying to find myself; where you could have told me anything and I would've believed it. My Sophmore summer completely changed my whole perspective on my life, the world, and my future.

In a nutshell, at the Global Leadership Forum were the internatioanl leaders of the future who were hell-bent on ending the world's most persistent problems. I originally came there to look around and not really partake in activities because I expected it to be just like home, you pick a side and you stay there or you're a "Scrub". But from the first car ride to the Castle to the bus ride to the mountainous Colorado to a Wolf reservation, I realized quickly that this isn't like home. This is a place where you find yourself; a place where you find your passion; a place to determine what you really want in life; a place free from castigation and discrimination. So, I allowed GLF to take's it course on me. On one occasion, we were all in the mountains at a wolf reservation respectively named Mission: WOLF. Our mission was to gather firewood for the reservation and pack them up on a truck. We honestly had to pick up these huge tree stumps and carry them across holes, slippery mud traps, and over other logs. For some reason, when we were out there, a few people started fighting about who knows. Now myself, I was just going to kick back and just take the logs to the truck with no problem. But, as soon as I see the arguement, I just take on this role of some sort of leader who motivates us to get this job done while constantly yelling the phrase, "Teamwork Make the Dream Work." We must have gotten the wolf reservation enough firewood for most of the winter. It was so scary, the hidden potenital that was taken out of me at GLF. I learned more about myself there than I did from living in an two story house where Dad is never home and Mom's quick temper can seem even abusive  at times. I learned that I have to power to become an amazing motivational leader who can persuade even the most arrogant to do greater things. One of the biggest lessons I learned which turned out to be the greatest irony, there doesn't have to be sides in life. Someone can choose to be friends with one side of the social world and still hang out with the other.  Also, in politics, I do not prefer either side of the partisan government. I believe that both have very good intentions, but the way that they carry out their plans may come with negative repercussions. It still baffles me today how people can fight and fight without even taking the other person in concern at times. One of the biggest lesson I learned from GLF about the world, I believe that there is a middle ground in every conflict; if you don't find it that middle ground, then you stopped looking for it.

Wow man; Kendrick Lamar really spoke to me in that lyric. I had heard that line before, but sitting in the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, just reminiscing on the last two weeks while that line runs through my head, I finally see a glimpse of who and what I want to potray to others about myself and my thoughts. Until I hear otherwise, from what I learned this summer at GLF, to coming home and seeing my world with new impartial eyes, I believe that my role in society is to view this world from an unbiased standpoint and reflect it in a way that others can see it for what it really is while motivating the unwilling and educating the ignorant. Or, maybe life has another mission in mind. Only time will tell right?

I'll try to leave you with a quote that give a insight to what my next post will be, if it doesn't work out every time, then expect a surprise. Til Then,

Torran G.

A woman is not an object. She is not something; she is someone. You treat a woman with respect. She is not your toy. She doesnt owe you anything just cause you are a man. When she come to you for comfort, you listen to her; you dont make a move on her. Grow up and start treating women how they deserve to be treated.
                                                    - Unknown