Life Lessons Learned From the Ghetto

A few disclaimers before I proceed:

1. My use of the term “Ghetto” is the commonly accepted, colloquial version. It is not in any way meant to demean those who come from lesser-income neighborhoods. Rather, it represents a subculture that has formed within American society.
2. Some content of the music videos in this article may be considered offensive or inappropriate for those under the age of 18. There is no nudity or blood or gang endorsement, but there may be scenes that depict situations related to the daily violence experienced on the streets or scantily-clad women.
3. I was blessed to grow up in a few multi-cultural neighborhoods. My bloodline also represents a variety of ethnicities. Nothing mentioned in this article is intended to be racist, prejudice, or segragationalist. Rather, this is a viewpoint from a person who has experienced these cultures and lifestyles on her own or via close friends or family.

Lesson One: Honor and Respect

Kanye West:
Image source

Living in the ghetto, honor is one of the most important things to maintain of oneself. Without honor, you will be treated as dust and nobody will take heed to what you have to say for yourself.

Lesson Two: Pride

Always be proud of who you are and where you came from. Never let anyone make fun of you because you have an accent, a skin-tint, almond-shaped eyes, or scrumptious homemade cuisine. Whether you’re Vietnamese, Croatian, Indian, Samoan, Dominican, Eritrean, or whatever else, you must keep your head high. Don’t be afraid to show your true colors by flaunting your flag or inviting your new somebody home to meet the parents.

Lesson Three: Passion

Do not only exhibit a thrill for everything you do, but actually feel that emotion. Put your whole-heart into the things that you love… You won’t regret it. One of the young men,
Doral Miller, in the above photo (this was taken in high school when I was using a film camera… film?) is a prime example of the successes possible by following your passion.

Lesson Four: Enjoying the Moment

We have no idea how much time we truly have here. In the ghetto, you don’t know what will happen next… Will there be a drive-by shooting that claims the life of a friend (my best-friend from high school was murdered earlier this year by a stray bullet, R.I.P. Kebret), will you experience an act of violence that will physically/financially/emotionally disable you (like arson)… the point is, you never know what G-D has in store for you, so live life to the fullest … every second of it!