Dear little brown boy,

You are an outsider, accept it! Trust me, you will be fine.

At 6 years of age, you probably don't understand how awesome you are at the moment -- You get picked on, you sit alone during lunch, and the closest person you have to a best friend at school is the lunch lady; because she always gives you that extra scoop of vanilla pudding.

You're a weirdo.

You're new to an all-white neighborhood, only speak Spanish, and have no friends. Still, you manage to put on a smile for your mamma, and sisters when you get home. You tell them how great school is, every day, even on the day Jimmy dumps a carton of milk all over your curly haired head. You are an optimist. You see the world positively, even on the gloomiest days.

I understand, dude! It sucks. That knot in your throat that you get, when you try holding back tears, caused from always getting picked last for soccer or dodgeball games. It suuucks! I know, I've been through it.

But what if I told you it got worse?

Fast forward to "adulthood", on your own, in New York City, you learn what it's like being a real outsider. Oh yes! New York City kicks your ass, bro! No sympathy given. But you fight back.

You work several odd jobs as a bartender, waiter, and bus boy to make ends meet. You take a few college courses here and there, to help you get that next job you actually want. You get arrested; you run a half marathon; you intern at American Express. Finally, you get your own apartment.

Bad ass, right? Yes, but it won't be that simple.

From the time you arrive to New York, to the time you get your own apartment, you will have to learn to be street smart, and think ten steps ahead of everyone, to succeed. This will prove to be difficult to achieve, as you were a house cat all your life, never stepping foot outside.

As an outsider, you develop this insight, like no other on the "inside" could. You learn that looking from the outside in, you see so much more, and so much clearer. You realize that this new acquired skill is the way you survive, and interact with this world, strategically.

From the outside, you see the genuine kind souls in the crowd, and you see the not so kind ones, who are a bit ignorant. And you see how they all blend in well together, hiding their true nature. And you realize, that is how they survive, by meshing and camouflaging.

You soon realize that you were never meant to fit in, and that this system was not built for you. However, you realize you were meant to defy all low expectations of you, and pave your own path, despite the supposed disadvantages: The color of your skin, the lack of connections, and scarce resources. Yes, you will get bruised along the way, and get threatened, and so-called influencers and teachers will discourage you from challenging authority, and speaking your mind. But you won't listen, because you're hard-headed as fuck.

You become a boss, kid! Someone that makes his own rules, lives his own truth, and gives zero fucks of what anyone could think of him. You become a man, your own man, self-defined and free from the pressure to follow the brown-boy blueprint, society has created for him. Fuck that shit! Fuck social acceptance! And fuck tradition! You're the king of your own jungle son, and whoever doesn't like it, well, quite frankly, that is their problem, not yours. Wish them the best, because they are missing out. Ain't no one like you son!

Being an outsider is not a bad thing, kid. Having this outsider status is only an opportunity to become self-aware, and challenge yourself to be more, and to be the best version of you. Having an outsider status clears the fog to allow you to have a clear vision, without the worries of what your parents, siblings or friends will think.

So keep your head up kid, always! Keep that wide smile, and the positive outlook. And enjoy that extra scoop of pudding the lunch lady gives, because out in the real world, you'll have to work for it. And in the end, it is worthwhile.

Sincerely,

Future, bad ass, you.