To the Youth
written by: Brian Wayne Smith
@briansmith3575
Tell us what’s on your mind. Don’t hold back your powerful voices because you think we aren’t listening. You are the future so we need to understand the pain, heartaches and opportunities you have.
My voice is being heard because I was told
“You can do anything.”
To the youth, allow me to be the first or one of the many to tell you
“You could do or become anything that you want, so choose wisely.”
My youth is fading away, so I’m relying on you, to show me that I have made a positive impact onto your lives.
Open up your minds to different changes and explore your true purpose. Be the leader of your life. Don’t be led by foolishness in the streets or by what’s on television. Young ladies, don’t just rely on a man to take care of you. For my young single mothers; don’t use having children as an excuse for not becoming the woman you want to become. Take ownership of your life.
Gentlemen, I say that, because you are not “Niggas”, “boys” or “dawgs”. You are a strong presence in the community. Stop being called those names. Become “Mr. Smith”, “Mr. Morgan”, “Mr. Johnson” or whatever your name is. Stop thugging in the streets, doing drugs, and letting your education slip through the cracks. Do you not understand that you are the kings of households, the leaders of decisions, and the loving comfort to many? Your woman, children, and families will be looking up to you. The way you carry yourself makes a huge statement.
The question isn’t:
“Are you man enough?”
The question is:
“Are you man enough to become a positive role model to the youth growing up after you?”
(To which your children would be a part of.)
My youth is slippin’ away. Though my voice is still being heard, so before my voice is no longer, let me speak to my elders, and my generation. Please don’t write off the youth of today.
Don’t just say
“They need to grow up.” Or “Back in my day we didn’t act that way.”
My personal favorite: sarcasm
“I don’t know how to relate with them.”
Maybe if we tried talking to them. As well as start listening to what they have to say. How about becoming mentors so we can help show them the way? Think of all the things in our childhoods that we should share with our youth today. We are failing our youth for not being the role models we should be. For that I am ashamed.
I will use my voice to tell our youth
“I’m sorry, but please take our short comings and make them your strengths.”
These have been my words of love to our youth.
I'm a husband, father, business owner of BRAYNE, LLC, a clothing company that promotes positivity by way of fashion, a writer, a student and an electronic engineering test technician. Life is busy but I'm striving to live my dreams with my great family that I love deeply. There are times when I feel like a failure. Then I look at how many times I've fallen just to dust myself off and continue running the race. Now I can look around at my life and see that my "failures" were just locked doors that God wasn't ready to open yet.
- Courvoisier - January 16, 2018
- Why Tomorrow - December 30, 2017
- 10 Commandments of America - December 7, 2017
