Purpose is not decided
It is discovered
From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
|
|
From starting in Detroit, to taking on the World
|
|
Today someone messaged me a story regarding a school shooter at Central Michigan University (CMU). Almost instantly my Facebook timeline was filled with the obsessions of strict gun laws. Before we even said a prayer for the lost souls we sparked a gun law conversation. Don’t get me wrong, there should be restrictions on what weapons regular citizens are allowed and how many they are granted. We have seen drastic changes in other countries when gun laws have been passed now it’s time for us to take that step. But why are we so quick to have a liberal versus conservative conversation?
My thoughts and ideas dig a little deeper than just enforcing gun laws. I’m tired of having the us vs. them or liberal vs. conservative conversation. America is dealing with a bigger issue than just gun laws. America is a masculine society where sharing your emotions and how you feel is considered weak. My entire life I've been hearing, “Hey, toughen up” or “Be a man, and get over it” and now I’m currently dealing with issues that should’ve been resolved when I was a child. I can’t speak for all of them but some of these school shooters have bottled up emotions and have never had an outlet to express how they feel. There is no excuse to harm others or take someone else’s life away but at what point do we realize that we need to emotionally, mentally, and spiritually help each other? Every single shooter isn’t mentally unstable. Some want attention, have been bullied, live in abusive and/or unstable households, while others deal with issues such as depression or loneliness. Lastly, before we enforce guns laws (which we should) let’s take a deep look at our society. Are we really for one another? Is there love behind our decisions and actions? And how can we prevent these egregious acts before they happen again? If you have the answer please let me know because at this point… I am completely confused.
0 Comments
After studying abroad in South Korea, my girlfriend and I decided to embark on a journey of our own around Japan. First stop was Tokyo where I found myself completely blown away! Seeing Shibuya Crossing in person was simply indescribable.
When I was planning my study abroad in South Korea, I was heavily concerned with how I would use the public transportation system. I expected everything to be in Korean and I had no idea how I was going to figure out the situation. The Korean language uses symbols instead of letters, which made my task even harder.
That's when I decided to give google translator a try to enable me to communicate with locals, as I used the public transportation system. I wanted to travel all over Korea and I had no choice but to use the bus or the subway. My first trip around Korea was exploring the downtown area in Seoul. I felt slightly relieved after discovering how cheap it was to travel around Seoul. You can travel around the city and back for only $2.50 U.S.D. Also, you can purchase a transportation card that gives you access to the subway, the bus, and even a taxi. This gave me both confidence and goose bumps as I felt the freedom of exploring a whole new world. However, my real task still lied ahead. After buying my card, I walked to the subway which wasn’t too far away from my dorm. The humidity in Korea is nothing to joke about as I was forced to stop and grab a few bottles of water and a towel just so I can wipe off my sweat. I finally arrived at the train station where I was prepared to face my challenge. I had my itinerary figured out but I still needed to try and understand a little Korean. I approached a map for more directions but couldn’t read a word. I stood there for at least 10 minutes trying to figure out where I was going when an elderly woman noticed that I was a lost and helpless foreigner in Korea. She spoke a little English which definitely came in handy as she gave me very precise directions. I must say that Korean people are very willing to help lost foreigners. Every time I became confused there was always someone there willing to help. After making a few transfers from subway to subway to get downtown, I noticed some of the signs were in English. I kind of felt bad that the transportation systems in America are written only in English. I couldn’t imagine someone from another country trying to use our public transportation; which is still confusing to me even though there are clear English signs everywhere. I feel like with a little help, anyone can use the public transportation system in Korea. Honestly, I feel like Korea has a better transportation system than we do in America! Ultimately I was successful facing one of my biggest challenge in South Korea. Opportunities to succeed takes more effort than you think. Success requires you to consistently prioritize your entire life, not just for studying abroad (which I had to prioritize), but overall planning for my future.
“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe” - Eric Thomas With school work as your number one priority as a student, multiple students feel they don't have time to fit other activities into their schedule. I had to prioritize my entire next school year by completing scholarships for school as well as study abroad over my entire Christmas break. Yes, even Christmas break! I plan to live for many more holidays but opportunities for post education don't come often. We have two, almost three weeks of break and I know if I want to achieve certain goals like having my college paid for as well as other opportunities, I must be ready to work. Most scholarships open top of the year on January 1st. I enjoy time with my family on New Year's going to church or do something fun for the holidays, but on January 2nd I’m back to work! The early bird catches the worm and I don’t want to be a minute late. After break I have less time on my hands due to the beginning of a new semester. I encourage students to relax on scholarships when the semester begins. Remember, school is still our number one priority and we can not get side track. That doesn’t mean we need to give up on working on scholarships altogether, weekends are still available. Yup, some of you are going to have to give up all your partying on the weekend. Opportunities such as studying abroad requires sacrifice and dedication. Whether you want to complete scholarships or just organize your life, you’ll need to cut some of the extra activities out of your regimen. Tell your friends you’ll be a little busy for a little while and if they’re real friends they’ll understand. If you put in the work you could easily go anywhere or do anything you want, If you don’t believe me take myself as an example. In January I began working on the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship which funds students looking to study abroad. I literally revised this scholarship essay about seven or eight times with the help of advisors and close friends. I knew they had to be getting a little tired of me asking for help but that’s the thing, I was willing to get those scholarships by any means necessary. I know that those I surround myself with only want the best for me and want me to succeed, so I really didn't mind reaching out for help. That means I had to also put my pride aside, which can be very difficult for me since it's uncomfortable and I prefer to do things myself. Only about 28% of the students who apply nationally for the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship receive it annually. I was one of the 1,475 students nationwide to receive the Gilman Scholarship. I worked on this particular scholarship essay until the day before it was due, I needed it to be perfect! Not only that, I received this scholarship as a FRESHMAN! The foundation of my work ethic comes from a special quote I came across during this time: “Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” I was overly excited for South Korea at this point. I was on my first flight alone and honestly, I didn't have a nervous bone in my body. I was confident that I took care of everything before I left so there was no need to worry about things back home like school work from summer I or packing up my dorm. The train ride to Chicago was a breeze and I just needed to make my way to the airport. Have things ever gone so smooth that you expected something bad to happen? That's how I am unfortunately. My mom called me crying thinking I was flying to North Korea when I continuously reminded her that I was going to South Korea, huge difference.
After arriving at the airport, I decided to finally relax and enjoy my last meal in America for a while. I ordered a juicy bacon burger fresh off the grill with freshly salted fries and a refreshing ice cold water, very unhealthy by the way but I tried to be healthy by getting a water. Actually, I just couldn't afford to buy a soda. While relaxing I decided to check my flight itinerary one last time before getting on the plane. After looking a little closer I realized I will be having a 13-hour layover in Shanghai, China before my second flight, boy was I pissed! After realizing my mistake, I just laughed at my foolishness. I swear I always miss the small details but I eventually figured it out. It was already a 14-hour flight to Shanghai, China then a two-hour flight to South Korea. I just needed to handle one thing at a time to make sure I don’t miss anything else. After an extra-long flight to my layover destination in China, I was hit with more trouble. My next flight was at a completely different airport! Wow! This is just nonsense! At this point I needed help booking a hotel because almost everything was in Chinese and I couldn't do it myself. I know this sounds crazy, but my Detroit mentality kept me extremely paranoid. It was getting late and I needed to book a hotel and get a ride to a hotel. Multiple people came to help me as they notice I was the lost foreigner in the airport. One of the airport employees scheduled a shuttle to take me to a nearby hotel but the shuttle driver looked extremely sketchy. It was a dude with a huge scar on his face similar to Tony Montana smoking a cigarette and couldn’t smile if his life depended on it. “Nope! Not getting in the car with him,” I thought. Google translator really came in handy as I cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood but I was still very cautious. I had to learn a few key things in this situation. First, I needed to learn to trust people somethings, everybody is not out to get me. Next I had to learn more preparation, these situations could have been easily avoided if I had paid attention to details. The next day I made it to the correct airport and finally landed in South Korea, Thank God! Coming from Detroit many people wondered why I would want to go to South Korea. My mom thinks North and South Korea are the same so she constantly worries, she thinks I won't come back. I consistently play into it as it gives me endless humor. When the idea of going to South Korea came up I wondered, “What did South Korea have to offer a young black man from Detroit.” I initially turn down the offer, I was comfortable in my comfort zone and knowing I was in a safe space. I was worried about how they would perceive me in Korea. I feel like I paid attention to all the negativity South Korea had to offer and ignored the positive impact. I was terrified at the idea of being the only one of my kind. And I somewhat believed my friends for some reason when they joked about me getting kidnapped and never seen again, I guess they thought I was going to North Korea too. But what should I have expected of someone who has never been outside of their comfort zone and never experienced a world outside of Detroit. The jokes were all fun and games until I had to make a real decision.
While praying about this decision I referred to some advice I received about a year ago from a man named Rico Spencer during a foster care youth conference, I never received so much great advice in one conversation. We talked before I came to Western Michigan University and again, I was afraid to be the minority in this situation as well. First off, as a black man in America I had to realize that I'll be a minority in most situations. Spencer made me realize the power and privilege within me as a black man. As a minority, he told me to never let others make you feel uncomfortable, but make them feel uncomfortable by just being who you are. I had to look inside myself and find who I was. Once an individual discovers who they are then no situation can faze them. Going to South Korea wasn't the challenge that I had to face, finding out who I am was my real task. In the past eight months being in college and facing adversity I learned numerous things about myself. Going to South Korea will help me discover another piece of the puzzle. And just a couple months later I made the decision to go to South Korea. As a public relations and journalism major this is going to be huge in my career as well. I plan to gain the tools I need in Korea to help my family and friends back home. No fear or anxiety will ever stop me from any opportunity because I know who I am. Also, I must know who I am to influence or help those around me. Overall Europe was a huge success! I survived my first trip outside of the country, THANK GOD! From Germany to the UK, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland and seven other European countries, I am thankful for every moment. Back to boring old America. Stay tune to where I will be traveling next.Please don't let my opinion sway you or mess up your experience in Paris. Call me crazy but I'm not a big fan of Paris. During the end of the Europe trip one of our last stops was Paris. I was too excited but exhausted at the same. This had to be the 12th country in Europe we had traveled to and I wasn't sure how much energy I had left. Also, we just left my favorite country by far which was Switzerland. I loved Switzerland for its natural beauty. The mountains, the lakes, and the culture all warmed my heart.
I'm more into amazing nature than cool buildings. When I'm in a calm environment where I feel completely free it's truly the best feeling in the world. Also I'm not huge on places where you can't move an inch without bumping into someone. I just have to laugh at myself because I know big cities aren't for me. Paris just didn't have much to offer me and the highlight of being in Paris is saying that you’re in Paris. Paris didn't give me good vibes and that is what I look for most when I travel. Don't get me wrong, the Palace of Versailles was amazing and the Eiffel tower incredible. Unfortunately for me, Paris was just okay, way too expensive! So, guess what I did today? I just jumped off of a mountain! And glided into the sky like an eagle as I felt the lovely air gently graze my skin and the sweet sounds of hummingbirds sang to me as I floated through the wind. Well it didn't go exactly like that, let me explain.
Let me start this by saying I am terrified of heights. We had just arrived in Switzerland the day before I never been in such a calming environment in my life. My girlfriend convinced me to go hang gliding and for some strange reason I agreed. It had to be almost a year since I was reminded of my fear of heights and I forgot that I was. While in Switzerland on my Europe trip, I was enjoying everything Switzerland had to offer. Switzerland is such a relaxing place that you can easily forget about any of your worries you have back home. I was caught in a vulnerable state where she knew I'd agree, I should have known better! On my way up the mountain to go hang gliding I remained calm. I truly forgot I was afraid of heights. I smiled and smiled even laughing at my girlfriend’s cautiousness. "This is about to be a breeze," I said as the instructor prepared me. Five minutes later I found myself nearly passed out as we flew literally ten feet across from a bird. I was quickly reminded why I never liked going to Cedar Point or any other amusement park. My instructor landed early due to my non-stop yelling and fear of dying while being in the air, I never held a man so tight in my life. I felt like I had to remind myself why I decided to travel and study abroad in the first place. Part of the reason was to face some of my greatest fears. It felt tremendous to look back at an experience and say, “Yea, I actually did that.” I’m a God fearing man and God never gave us the spirit of fear. I remember a Will Smith quote saying that bliss is on the other side of fear and I truly believe that. Europe was for sure a life changing experience. My girlfriend Alexis and I booked a trip with a tour company around Europe but decided to see a few places that was left off of the list like Rome and Milan. It was expensive but you can check out my previous post on how I earned the funds to pay for the trip.
We landed in Rome where the Italians could care less about any Americans and I quickly found out how Italians felt about tourist. It didn't help that I couldn't speak a lick of Italian coming to their country. Specifically waitresses had no patience for some stupid Americans that they couldn't understand. The people of Rome were preoccupied doing their own thing and didn't care for what we wanted or needed help with. The feeling reminded me of New York where everybody is in their own world and is too busy to help you with whatever you’re struggling with. In our situation they not only didn’t care but couldn’t understand what we were saying. There were a few generous Italians willing to offer help when needed. Though the people weren't too friendly, surprisingly Rome was one of my favorite places in Europe. The paintings in the Vatican are simply historical, mind blowing to say the least. I genuinely was invested in each and every painting as the detail brought every image to life. The scenery left me speechless as I stood there staring only inches away from some of the paintings. The security continuously reminded me to step back but I honestly couldn’t help it, I felt surrounded by greatness! I also appreciated the scenery of the Colosseum but it felt weird in my spirit being there. Thousands of Christians were executed right where I stood and It kinda gave me a spirit of worry knowing that I was in setting where such fatalities were acceptable. On a more positive note, the pasta lifted my spirit as I drowned in the luscious cheese that gave me a serious food baby, I legit looked three months pregnant. The price was ridiculous but I couldn't turn down pasta while in Italy. My most enjoyable memory of Rome was feeling such a historic presence around me. I watched "300" a million times but nothing could beat being in Rome for real. It may have been weird but I really wanted to walk in the middle of the street and yell," THIS IS SPARTA!" Maybe kick a guy in the chest down a couple stairs in the process. I knew it would've embarrassed my girlfriend so I relaxed. But Rome was truly one of my favorite places in Europe and that was just the start of the Europe trip. I definitely have to go back one day! |
AuthorJustin Black
|