Keep Ya Head Up, Keep Your Head Down

Dear Hakeem,
I see your struggle and it can't be easy
Seeing everyone around you doing big things
Feeling like your hardwork might all be vain
Wondering when you'll get your own break.
Keep ya head up
It's yours if you keep chasing
Keep your head down
Because their story is not yours.

Neopets & Nepotism

When I first heard the word 'nepotism' used, the memories came flooding back of the countless hours I spent as a child on Neopets. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Neopets is a website where you have ownership of up to four virtual pets (which are all random cross-breed looking creatures). You buy your pets clothes, food, toys etc... It's not as boring (and sad) as it sounds but, if you really want to know more, Google.

Public Property

Earlier this week I was looking at an article on The Guardian's website of a collection of pictures behind the scenes of the White House during Barack Obama's tenure, as taken by the official White House photographer Pete Souza (click here to see them for yourself).

A friend had shared this post on Facebook suggesting that the reason why it may have been of interest to him being 'maybe because he is just a normal man with a very important job' which  I agreed with and it also got me thinking, having been something that I have thought about in the past.

Unlived Nostalgia

Born in the 90s, been dope ever since. I don't even know why I wrote that, it just sounds cool (in my head).

I wanted to write about this topic in my last post, especially as it's inspired by Woody Allen's film Midnight in Paris. As someone born in the 90s, I was very fortunate to experience some amazing things:

The Monkey on my Back

Something I try not to worry about but inevitably end up doing so is living up to my previous work. In this case, my last blog post, which received more views than any of my other previous posts in the space of two hours, as well as the most responses/positive feedback. Of course, I am grateful for this, but I can't help but  feel like I could end up disappointing anybody who expects all my posts to impress them as much as that one. I'm not saying I'm incapable of this, but it certainly is the elephant in the room, or the monkey on my back.

My First Time

Over the last few years, I've amassed some pieces of writing that have just remained on my mac, hidden from the world for various reasons, such as having nowhere to post them.

From time to time, I'm going to post some of them. I can't guarantee the standard matches up to my work today but at one stage I was proud of them and, because of this, will run the risk of not rereading them before posting to avoid the inevitability of meticulously editing...

What I will say of this piece is that, two years on, it still remains one of my proudest pieces of writing. Hope you enjoy it.

My First Time 

Recently I was asked about my first time. After spending quite a while to think about this, trying to rumble my thoughts to think about this…I realised that if I’m being honest, I could never forget my first time. Sharing my experience with the world is only right. For privacy purposes, she will remain anonymous.

The Gift & The Curse.

Passion. 
Talent. 
Dreams. 
Self-belief. 
Confidence. 

I've lost count of the number of times I've heard someone say to either myself or someone else who has a passion for something and pursuing that dream something along the lines of:

"You're so lucky to be doing something you love and find fun, I wish I was doing that."

Or something to that effect.

And the only thing I ever think to myself when people say this is ''no you really do not.'

I am not a jealous person but I have a strange envy for people who are in stable, secure, well-paying careers. Generally speaking, via higher education. I don't envy what they do day-to-day, I envy that they do not have the same thoughts, inner conflict, fears, insecurities. But, most of all, I envy that they are happy/contented to just do something that will pay the bills, and it doesn't matter that they don't love it. Fuck, it doesn't even matter if they hate it if it pays enough.