2008

In a few days, 2008 will come to a close. It has been a helluva year. The economy is in the crapper, gas prices rose the highest in history while big oil reported record profits, the United States elected it's first non-white president while the Gov. of Illinois was charged with trying to sell the senate seat of the new president elect, R. Kelly got acquitted and O.J. got convicted, and Jennifer Hudson lost her mother, brother, and nephew in a horrific murder. The year has been a crazy one.

For me personally, 2008 was pretty eventful. I started a new life in a new city, I got my own family, I moved into a fantastic apartment, I experienced my first major snow shower, I took a major step towards commitment in my relationship, I had some major blow-ups in my relationship, I took a vacation out of the country, I decided to take my fate in to my own hands, and I most of all lived my life the way I wanted. As 2008 comes to a close, I pray that 2009 is even better to me. 2009 should bring some happy events, such as me getting engaged ;-), passing the Illinois Bar Exam and branching out on my own. I'm optimistic about the coming year. Life is what we make it. So if your 2008 wasn't that great, it's up to you to make 2009 much better. Even if you aren't where you want to be in life, there is something to be happy about and a reason to be optimistic about your future. Things change daily, so never judge tomorrow based on today.

I'm So Hood

Just because you are from the hood, it doesn't mean you have to act hood. As someone who grew up in the hood, I know first hand how typical individuals from that environment can act and how the rest of America expects them to act. However, I don't believe that you should let your environment define who you are. Like Tupac said just because you're in the ghetto, doesn't mean you can't grow. They are many highly successful individuals who saw their potential and made it out of the hood. This are the people who understood that just because you grow up in the ghetto it doesn't mean you have to act ghetto. There's no reason to walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always mad and yelling, always ready to fight and be just plain disrespectful. These are not flattering qualities. Why people embrace them I don't know. I do believe that anyone who grew up in the hood can let that hood come out when pushed to that point, that's just how it is. I don't advocate being "fake" or anything of that nature but I do believe in being respectful and acting like you have some common sense. That's what it boils down to for me: common sense. One should know how to act when in certain surroundings, it's just that plain and simple. It's a part of being an adult. Being ghetto is counter-productive and limits you ability to move up in life. That's just how the world works. And most of all its annoying embarrassing childish behavior often that is uncalled for. That's just my opinion.