Nobody pays for creativity. Nobody pays you to be you. They pay you to be you but with a name tag and a positive attitude people will like and maybe a stupid outfit.
But Nobody pays you. Nobody is the one signin' your check.
Originality comes from bein' you and not bein' sorry about it. It's not always neat and clean. It's not always gonna be nice but if you're like me and you wanna do sumthin' creative the best thing you can do is be yourself.
People put on name tags and wear "smocks", otherwise known as ugly vests made out of shit material nobody actually wears, and surrender to bein' nobody. Nobody works for a lot of people. And there's nuthin' wrong with doin' that to pay the bills.
But if you wanna be happy you gotta be you. Make the music you wanna make, tell the stories you wanna tell, sing the songs you wanna sing. Don't let anybody tell you any different.
An original person is gonna have to work long and hard to get his way. Authors look decades before they get published. Bands tour and perform for just as long before they get signed. Artists make enough art to fill galleries before anyone appreciates a single piece. A few get lucky. Others are still tryin'.
But when you're an original person it often feels like you're meant to do sumthin' and even if you barely have the time to do it, even if it seems like a waste, even if people say you suck at it, you just keep gettin' up and doin' it.
You have to. You need to. Whether Nobody Pays you or not. You do it.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
16 and Stupid
Read an article today and it made me a lil sad. Somewhere in Spain a 10 year old girl gave birth. She wasn't raped or molested, that was my first instinct. Nope, lil girl's got herself a 13 year old man. Boy got her pregnant, she had the baby, and now granny is gonna have to take care of 'em all. Accordin' to one article, Granny says that's not even an odd occurrence in those parts.
As many of you know, I lived with a woman who had two kids for a year or so. Worst year of my life. You know why, no time to explain now. But I took care of those kids, I went broke, I busted my ass to provide for 'em as if they were my own. I was 22 and workin' full time. That was a bitch to do day in and day out. Goin' hungry so they could eat. Watchin' out for them every second. But as a parent it's what you do.
Kids as young as that girl ain't got any idea. They haven't even had to deal with pimples yet. They ain't worked a day in their life. No diplomas, no useful advice of any kind, can't even drive. They got no business tryin' to make a baby let alone havin' one.
Kids are stupid. They never learn. Most adults, not all but most, you can tell 'em not to do a thing because it's bad for 'em and they listen. Kids won't learn not to put their pecker into an electrical socket until they do it.
I wish I could give a speech that teenagers would listen to about all the dumb shit they're goin' through that they think no one gets and the mistakes they could avoid. I know they won't listen but I wanna tell 'em anyway.
Kids deserve to hear the truth. That the real world, the world after high school, is a bitch and nobody's gonna push you for much of anything. Doesn't matter if you're ready or if you ain't got the money or how sad your story is, the world ain't gonna stop for you. So that means you gotta get your shit together and show up on time (not that I ever really do) and be responsible. You gotta plan your budget out. You gotta be thinkin' ten steps ahead of life. Gotta account for all the lil things that are gonna go wrong. Life doesn't wait for you to have money for the road trip and a flat tire, that tire's gonna bust when you have half the money you need for it. Gotta hustle and figure out how you can get that extra cash asap.
Speakin' of cash, are you savin' your money from flippin' burgers or sweepin' floors? I wasn't at 16. Should be thinkin' of retirement the day you start workin'. Put away twenty bucks a week. that's 'bout a grand a year. Two grand by the time you're 18. By the time you're 65 you got a whoppin' 50 grand plus interest, if you're lucky. That gonna last you 30 years of retirement? Hell no. Gotta save, earn interest, invest wisely. You're bratty kids are gonna be too dumb and lazy and resentful of you to take care of you. If you're lucky you'll have at least one kid you can be a burden to.
The world is far from perfect. It all but sucks. Your dreams will likely be crushed and broken. You will have regrets by the time you're fifty. All we can do is roll with the punches, there will be punches, and keep movin' forward. If you want to be successful you have to bust your ass and push yourself to your limits. And even then all you might do is go over the edge.
Life gives you no promises, but it's full of promise. They'll tell you in school that you can be anything you wanna be. That's true. But you'll have to give it everything you got and then some. It's not instant. It takes patience, courage, and endurance. It takes hard work.
I think they don't emphasize that part enough.
As many of you know, I lived with a woman who had two kids for a year or so. Worst year of my life. You know why, no time to explain now. But I took care of those kids, I went broke, I busted my ass to provide for 'em as if they were my own. I was 22 and workin' full time. That was a bitch to do day in and day out. Goin' hungry so they could eat. Watchin' out for them every second. But as a parent it's what you do.
Kids as young as that girl ain't got any idea. They haven't even had to deal with pimples yet. They ain't worked a day in their life. No diplomas, no useful advice of any kind, can't even drive. They got no business tryin' to make a baby let alone havin' one.
Kids are stupid. They never learn. Most adults, not all but most, you can tell 'em not to do a thing because it's bad for 'em and they listen. Kids won't learn not to put their pecker into an electrical socket until they do it.
I wish I could give a speech that teenagers would listen to about all the dumb shit they're goin' through that they think no one gets and the mistakes they could avoid. I know they won't listen but I wanna tell 'em anyway.
Kids deserve to hear the truth. That the real world, the world after high school, is a bitch and nobody's gonna push you for much of anything. Doesn't matter if you're ready or if you ain't got the money or how sad your story is, the world ain't gonna stop for you. So that means you gotta get your shit together and show up on time (not that I ever really do) and be responsible. You gotta plan your budget out. You gotta be thinkin' ten steps ahead of life. Gotta account for all the lil things that are gonna go wrong. Life doesn't wait for you to have money for the road trip and a flat tire, that tire's gonna bust when you have half the money you need for it. Gotta hustle and figure out how you can get that extra cash asap.
Speakin' of cash, are you savin' your money from flippin' burgers or sweepin' floors? I wasn't at 16. Should be thinkin' of retirement the day you start workin'. Put away twenty bucks a week. that's 'bout a grand a year. Two grand by the time you're 18. By the time you're 65 you got a whoppin' 50 grand plus interest, if you're lucky. That gonna last you 30 years of retirement? Hell no. Gotta save, earn interest, invest wisely. You're bratty kids are gonna be too dumb and lazy and resentful of you to take care of you. If you're lucky you'll have at least one kid you can be a burden to.
The world is far from perfect. It all but sucks. Your dreams will likely be crushed and broken. You will have regrets by the time you're fifty. All we can do is roll with the punches, there will be punches, and keep movin' forward. If you want to be successful you have to bust your ass and push yourself to your limits. And even then all you might do is go over the edge.
Life gives you no promises, but it's full of promise. They'll tell you in school that you can be anything you wanna be. That's true. But you'll have to give it everything you got and then some. It's not instant. It takes patience, courage, and endurance. It takes hard work.
I think they don't emphasize that part enough.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
No Bitch, No Moan
I've let you guys down lately. I am often political here. I'm all about expressin' my own opinion. I believe everyone should be aware of what's really goin' on in the world. Not just on Facebook or in class or at work. People have an obligation to go and figure out what's goin' on politically.
It's the obligation of an adult and anybody worth their salt to know and understand what's goin' on politically. It's easy to bitch and moan about all the things that are wrong in the world but it takes some effort to find out what the policies are and who's side you should be on to change anything.
I haven't provided you guys with any info on what's goin' on politically lately. I feel like I let you down. I shoulda wrote sumthin' about who said what and what policies they stand behind. I been busy with the new job and Costa Rica. But by the end of the night Texas could have a whole new governor. But I haven't mentioned a word on it.
I'm hopin' for Bill White. Which is why I'm stoppin' here to go voice my opinion if I still can.
You can choose who you want. Just say some damn thing when you get the chance. If you don't care now, you'll care when the changes start screwin' you. Then you can bitch and moan til the next election.
It's the obligation of an adult and anybody worth their salt to know and understand what's goin' on politically. It's easy to bitch and moan about all the things that are wrong in the world but it takes some effort to find out what the policies are and who's side you should be on to change anything.
I haven't provided you guys with any info on what's goin' on politically lately. I feel like I let you down. I shoulda wrote sumthin' about who said what and what policies they stand behind. I been busy with the new job and Costa Rica. But by the end of the night Texas could have a whole new governor. But I haven't mentioned a word on it.
I'm hopin' for Bill White. Which is why I'm stoppin' here to go voice my opinion if I still can.
You can choose who you want. Just say some damn thing when you get the chance. If you don't care now, you'll care when the changes start screwin' you. Then you can bitch and moan til the next election.
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