Through The Wire

when you think you have it bad, someone else's struggle makes yours pale in comparison

I hit up TechBoston Academy's graduation ceremony yesterday. With both elation and nostalgia, the event - held in Faneuil Hall's Great Hall - formerly the home of Boston's greatest political debates and decisions throughout much of its storied history - was an happy one. It was the school's first graduating class ever. as in ever. numero uno.

I had the pleasure of highlighting in my program book the names five students with whom I had the pleasure of working with, coaching, or supervising during this past year. In some respects, i feel like a teacher even though i'm not. however minor and insignificant the work that you did amounted to in the grand scheme of things, it still mattered at some point. yet, to see such an accomplishment come full circle is always a marvelous wonder.

It took me back to those serious days of turmoil i endured throuhgout high school and the ecstatic joy and rush i had when I crossed that stage at Sterret Hall. it made me recall all those headaches i used to give folks who had no idea of all the juggling i was doing behind the scenes. i remember my aunt once telling me that a co-worker of hers who also happened to be one of my basketball coaches at on point had apologized to her a few months after I graduated. I read a snippet about me in the local newspaper and felt bad for all the drama and arguments we got in for my perceived lack of effort. i'm saying yo....i'm just run slow, nahmean.

But anyways, at the graduation there was a special presentation by a former Dorchester High graduate who wnated to endow a scholarship to a deserving Dorchester resident. But the major wrinkle was the NO ONE knew about the award or who was going to receive it. I the end, the senior class president, a young woman from a single-parent home, walked away with a $50,000 scholarship that she didn't apply for, but I'm sure will be very useful. just beautiful.

And then i read this article about another young woman who's been through some serious drama and ended up being the valedictorian of her class. For anyone who knows Bromley-Heath (or Heath St projects as they say around the way), it's always a beautiful struggle when you see butterflies fly into the distance with their wings aglow.

But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph
Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire

And wouldn't you know it, but as I'm picking up some pizza from Arizona's for Project Hip-Hop's social night this afternoon, I run into this kid that I was supposed to be mentoring through NBCA. Yet, we both acknowledged our shortcomings and vowed to link up. Add to the to-do list. Plus, he just graduated and is headed to Delaware State in the fall. beautiful. And then I spot another TechBoston student of mine waiting for the bus at Dudley. And what does she tell me? She just graduated and is headed to Boston U...on a full scholarship. tears, son.

And yet, shootings are still almost daily occurences. i even got hit up by my man in Philly with word that shT is outta control there as well. kids are still getting clapped but we gotta find the beauty in the hideous.

How do you console my mom or give her life support
Telling her her son's on life support