Life Work.

I saw on another blog a photo that said "I pretend to be religious because I want my life to have meaning". I started thinking if my religion defines me or gives my life meaning in such a way that I would be empty without it. In honesty, it does not. Although I do worship my God and Jesus, my religion does not make the Dedan Kevin Hedrick that you know today. I have not read the bible in it's entirety but I do respect many verses and stories which I have seen to be be true in my own life. Religion does not define me.

There are 3 things that define me. Death, the under served populations and poetry. The 3 are threaded together because when I was younger, I feared death soooo much that it kept me from sleeping and functioning normally. I looked to artists and poets and such who had their life work keep their name alive and that's why I started writing poetry. I wrote my thoughts on life and death. The works if Malcolm and King left such huge impressions on me that I started to feel inspired to work towards keeping their dreams alive. That's where my dreams formed to give back to the under served population. This is what defines me. Working on my dreams has allowed me to escape my fear of death because I've reached the position where I can help those who struggle like I have and I can publish a book of my poetry. My lifes work is what defines me.

I'll be teaching my children to believe in a God and have their own way of interacting with that God. I don't want my children to believe in any teachings because it is in print. The strongest way to believe is to SEE and FEEL for your own. If one were to read a book about heartbreak and never have been faced with such incident, the belief would be undistinguished until he in fact feels the pain and suffering of a legitimate heartbreak.

No It Is Not.

I've always hated the phrase "Life's Short". It begs the question 'life's short compared to what?'

Life's short in which aspect? I don't believe we were ever given a valid life expectancy and told it will never be reached. It doesn't work that way. This phrase is unfair; it forces one to believe it's acceptable to view their own life pessimistically.

Between a gang member and a billionaire, the balance of life is truly uneven. but who is to say the gangster won't live longer than the billionaire? Both see life through different paradigms. The hypothetical billionaire may die in a car crash in his lambo. The gangster outlives him but is spending life in jail. Who's life was cut short?

It is impossible to live a short life. Absolutely impossible. We each acquire unique ideals to believe in and that's what gives us an individualistic feel. One can accept death after learning the word of Jesus. One can accept death after receiving the most paramount love from a beautiful woman. It is impossible to live a short life. In my own reflections, I've learned that life itself is entailed with wonderful gifts such as the plethora of colors, laughter, reciprocated love, flavors of food, and art. It is impossible to live a short life.

What many people, especially my generation, fail to realize is that it is possible to SHORTEN LIFE. Life shortens when you abuse and neglect your body and mind through use of drugs and alcohol. Life shortens when you live by the phrase "life's short". The new Metro slogan is creative and on point, "Life's a trip. Plan accordingly." This is a double entendre, telling you to plan your destination ahead of time but also advising to plan your life. Plan your education, plan your family.

It is important to live life to the fullest. The never ending gifts must be appreciated daily. Never duplicate a day in your life. Yatta yatta yatta, just smile, man.

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring." Oscar Wilde