Welcome friends to another fabulous issue of The Beat Within. We certainly hope you will enjoy all the wonderful submissions in this latest issue, there is so much good work being produced by our young workshop participants, as well as by our friends who take it upon themselves to reach out from around the state, inside and outside of the system. Overall, the work has been quite busy as we embrace 2022, but incredibly rewarding, as we continue to learn so much from you writers and artists who share your truths, your story, as you tackle our writing prompts. We are honored to have OT, address the editorial note this week. OT is a long time friend and college of The Beat Within. We met over 20 years ago when he was a youth in our writing workshops in San Mateo County Juvenile Hall. Today he plays a key role in our workshops and publication. We hope you enjoy his latest contribution!
This is OT reporting live to you from the land of earthquakes, and grand lakes, yes, you’ve guessed it Managua Nicaragua! Once again, I’m blessed with tasking you all with the editorial note. Today, I’m going to go ahead and write about something that I am really passionate about.
First off, I hope you all don’t take the following words the wrong way, because the only thing I’m trying to do is uplift you all and get you to see that you are all beautiful from the inside and outside. I want you all to be real comfortable inside your own skin, whether your skin is brown, black, white, caramel, red, yellow, freckly, birth-marked etc. We are all unique and special. But true beauty comes from the inside and trickles to your outside layers.
Listen, I know having a phone is a necessity to stay in contact with work, your family and truth be told, to be connected with the whole world. We all want to speak to our loved ones and those we care about as much as we can. I’m not going to argue with that. But I’m going to draw the line here, and it has to be here where I draw the line.
Nowadays, there are so many apps, that give you the ability to filter your pics and videos, supposedly making you “look better” or make you look goofy. It’s nice to have fun and take pics with filters. Even though, I don’t own any of these apps, but I have taken pictures and videos with filters because my little nieces, or my little sister wanted me to. Some of them were quite funny and made me laugh. Some distort your looks and make you have big ole noses, or big ole ears, and they’re hella freakin’ funny.
We all want to have fun. I get it. But what I’m addressing here are not those specific-filters, and wait, I’m getting to my point. Just be patient. This isn’t an anti-social media rant. Let me go ahead and un-filter my mouth.
I’m referring to all the filters that change your features. Yeah you know which ones I’m talking about. The ones that make your skin look lighter than it actually is. The ones that make your nose look more perfect. The ones that eliminate your pimples. The ones that make you look skinnier than you really are. The ones that make you look like a “movie star.” The ones that make you supposedly look better.
It doesn’t bother me so much more of the fact that you’re trying to look better through the app, but that effortless click, that effortless tap on your screen, is a tap against your soul. I see brothers and sisters with beautiful dark skin features trying to change the color of their skin with an app to make themselves lighter.
I see both men and women changing their facial features, like (make your nose rounder, your ears less pointy, your lips much bigger). It’s all fun and games, until you take that filter off and you look at your real self and your expectations are filled with disappointments. This makes you want to spend your whole time behind that filter, wishing you can be someone that you’re actually not.
I’d accept this, if it were only periodically, but the truth is, that many spend countless hours on these apps every day, just trying to look better, because the truth of the matter is, we are all uncomfortable in our own skin. There’s no more pride without a filter. “The filtered life.”
Is that what you want? Do you want to live a life trying to look like someone that you’re not? Or let me put it like this. Do you want to live your life pretending to be someone that you’re actually not? My point is, why spend so many hours a day, trying to be or look like someone, you’re actually not? What happened of being proud of who you truly are? What happened about being proud of your beautiful black, brown, caramel, light-skin, white, light-brown, or cream colored skin? What happened to being proud of who you are as a person?
That’s what makes us all unique. Our facial features, our big or small nostrils, small or big lips, or whatever. Where’s the app that you can tap the screen and make yourself a better person? Doesn’t exist yet, right? Because it never will. I’ll tell you what, and we’re all going to agree on this. You could be the most beautiful man/woman in the world, but if you’re a jerk, you’re going to look ugly. No one is going to put up with your shhh, if you have a negative, complaining, ungrateful attitude no matter how fine you think you are. The ugly you from the inside will eventually seep out through your pores from the inside-out.
No one likes jerks or mean people. But if you have a good heart and a good spirt, and a positive attitude, that makes you look 100 times better no matter how ugly you are! But you get my drift. We are spending way too much time on our physical selves, and not enough time with our internal selves. Everything looks great on the surface, to the camera, but that is only on the outside. It’s what’s behind those lenses and in your heart, that really counts.
I know sometimes, life is all based on trends and fashion, following people online with the latest stunt, latest shoes, latest “challenge,” trying to be funny, trying to be cool, when we should really be looking on ways to improve ourselves. We’re too caught up with the “looks.”
I know it’s fresh to look cool. Everyone wants to look cool but looking cool comes from inner-confidence and being comfortable in your own skin. I know what if feels like to feel insecure about yourself, heck I’m 5’ 7”, and I’m adding an inch there! I’ve been short my whole life! But I feel and walk around this world like I’m seven feet tall. Guess what? It has nothing to do with my looks. Although I do think I am kind of cute (without a filter).
My confidence level is so high, that I’m borderline cocky, but it’s not because I feel like I’m better than anyone, or look better than anyone, or because I got the freshest gear, or the sickest haircut, or the flyest car, it’s because I know where my heart is. I have a heart of gold. I love myself because I know I’m a good person that loves others.
I go out of my way to help people out. I’m there for those not just behind the walls like you ladies and gentlemen, (because I am here for you) but I’m there for anyone who needs me to listen to them talk, whether that’s my sisters, my daughters, my nieces, my aunt, my mom, my neighbor, my friends in the Bay Area, etc. I give them advice, if they need me to. In Nicaragua, I help people get jobs. I help them out on their resume, refer them to people to make something positive happen in their lives.
Now, I don’t say this to brag about the person that I am, or about the things I do. I do it out of the goodness of my heart, and therefore, I feel perfectly comfortable in my light-brown skin complexion. I feel perfectly comfortable in my 5’6” frame. I feel perfectly comfortable in my Adidas, or my J’s, or my bust down flip flops when I walk to the store to buy some milk. I don’t need any jewelry. My heart is what makes me feel this confident.
So, I challenge you all. Have fun. I’m not saying don’t use social media to have fun. Just stop worrying so much about your looks, and start worrying on what really matters, and that’s the real you, the inside you. The little thing that beats inside your chest, find out how to bring out the best of it.
Spend a little more time doing the things you actually love doing, and you will see that you will no longer need to spend so much time living your life through a “filter.” It was never meant to be this way. So have heart and have hustle. Hustle up to be the best you to make a big impact in this world, and a positive difference.
All of you ladies are beautiful. All of you young men are handsome. Just work on bringing out your inner beauty, because in the end, that’s what makes us all special! Be in an inspiration to yourself and those around you. And you better respect this, because it’s coming from my heart.
One love to everyone going through the struggle. OT is signing out with utmost love and respect for all of you…and The Beat keeps going and going.
Thank you OT for sharing your truths. Much appreciation, always. All right, enjoy this latest issue, there is plenty of solid pieces from our community schools, our TAY group, and the various institutions we visit each week. We can’t thank you writers enough for your time and work! Your story matters. You matter! Stay in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you, whether it is from the free world, or from the inside. There is no better publication than The Beat Within, when it comes to allowing others to weigh in and share their stories, ideas and inspirations with one another. 25 years and counting! Thank you all for being a part of this ride. See you in the next issue! Enjoy! Be well…