As a young boy, I remember my maternal grandmother always telling me, among many other things, that we should always be careful about what we do with the gifts and talents that God gives us, because if we misuse or neglect to use them, they can just as easily be taken away. This adage was usually followed by a lengthy trip down memory lane, where she relived her childhood as a self-professed “talented and celebrated singer” in her quaint Southern Louisiana hometown, and the story always ended with her moving to the big city of New Orleans as a young lady and discovering (years later) that the beautiful voice she once had was no more.
I think now I possess that same fear about my voice. I’ve been dancing since the age of 4 and singing since probably the same time. I’ve gone back and forth throughout different periods of my life, pursuing one more than the other.... I was very active at the Conservatory as a miniature premier danseur of sorts at a young age. Then I switched gears slightly when I joined the Atlanta Boy Choir at the age of 8, and there I remained until about the age of 13. I switched back to dance while also balancing a short-lived singing group with a childhood friend and now-famed writer/musician (at least in my eyes, anyway), Matt Palmer. From there I did some of my own writing and demo work briefly before jumping back into dance wholeheartedly around the age of 16 (with some singing here in there in the church), and there I’ve stayed. It’s hard to say which one I enjoy more, since I find it hard to imagine my life without either one, but I do dread the idea that not using my talent could potentially result in me losing it. It might be just an old Bayou superstition to some, but I dare not question the logic or sensibility of my dear late grandmother’s words.
Sometimes I envy some of those around me, who have chosen to chase their dreams relentlessly, with absolutely no fear of failure and no desire to follow more conventional or practical life paths in today’s society. Unfortunately I feel as though I’ve been coerced into the latter, thanks in part to the coaxing and urgings of my family, which is filled with white collar professional types.... those who stand proudly behind their graduate degrees and prestigious Black Greek Letter Organization affiliations and Fortune 500 company positions. It would have pleased my heart to no end to pursue music and/or dance on a professional level, but those notions were quickly shunned by those around me, who saw a much different future for me.
Spike Lee came to Morehouse during my freshman year and said something that I’ll probably never forget. He urged us as Men of Morehouse to stop “pimping” our degrees and to choose a career that falls in line with our life’s goals and passions, allowing us to make a true difference in our own lives and the lives of others, instead of following society’s just-add-water “cash cow” professions. Since then, I’ve constantly heard from many different people and places about the importance of doing what you love and not what you think will be the most lucrative. I’m still kind of on the fence.... I’m a few months away from my accounting degree, so I might as well ride this wave as far as it’ll take me. Or at least until I just can’t take it anymore.
I think now I possess that same fear about my voice. I’ve been dancing since the age of 4 and singing since probably the same time. I’ve gone back and forth throughout different periods of my life, pursuing one more than the other.... I was very active at the Conservatory as a miniature premier danseur of sorts at a young age. Then I switched gears slightly when I joined the Atlanta Boy Choir at the age of 8, and there I remained until about the age of 13. I switched back to dance while also balancing a short-lived singing group with a childhood friend and now-famed writer/musician (at least in my eyes, anyway), Matt Palmer. From there I did some of my own writing and demo work briefly before jumping back into dance wholeheartedly around the age of 16 (with some singing here in there in the church), and there I’ve stayed. It’s hard to say which one I enjoy more, since I find it hard to imagine my life without either one, but I do dread the idea that not using my talent could potentially result in me losing it. It might be just an old Bayou superstition to some, but I dare not question the logic or sensibility of my dear late grandmother’s words.
Sometimes I envy some of those around me, who have chosen to chase their dreams relentlessly, with absolutely no fear of failure and no desire to follow more conventional or practical life paths in today’s society. Unfortunately I feel as though I’ve been coerced into the latter, thanks in part to the coaxing and urgings of my family, which is filled with white collar professional types.... those who stand proudly behind their graduate degrees and prestigious Black Greek Letter Organization affiliations and Fortune 500 company positions. It would have pleased my heart to no end to pursue music and/or dance on a professional level, but those notions were quickly shunned by those around me, who saw a much different future for me.
Spike Lee came to Morehouse during my freshman year and said something that I’ll probably never forget. He urged us as Men of Morehouse to stop “pimping” our degrees and to choose a career that falls in line with our life’s goals and passions, allowing us to make a true difference in our own lives and the lives of others, instead of following society’s just-add-water “cash cow” professions. Since then, I’ve constantly heard from many different people and places about the importance of doing what you love and not what you think will be the most lucrative. I’m still kind of on the fence.... I’m a few months away from my accounting degree, so I might as well ride this wave as far as it’ll take me. Or at least until I just can’t take it anymore.
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