I've been blessed with opportunities like being able to attend private schools, graduate from said private schools, attend college, and when I go home I indulge in the many things I've also been blessed with — whether it be engaging in a gaming session on my Playstation 4 or going out for a cruise in my brand new Buick Lacrosse. I say blessed because I truly do question why sometimes I have these benefits in my life when I've met people who don't necessarily need this leisurely devices, but instead I feel as if they deserve some of my blessings more so than me just due to how much I know about them and how far they've come. It took me a while to figure out, but having that type of mindset is severely unhealthy. Think about it, instead of cherishing what you have, you think of everybody who would be happier with your life, not you and how happy you are at the moment. Then there's the fact that thinking others deserve what you've been born into makes you subconsciously complacent towards both yourself, your leisure and overall life. The final thing you have to consider is this— you're your own entity.

Let me break down those three frames of thought: The first one where you think others deserve your life is just an unfair way to look at yourself. Why don't you think you deserve it? Is it because whenever you complain about a mishap or a debacle arises, an envious soul chooses to point out all the things you own while comparing your situation to theirs? Let Chucky clarify something for you all: just because you happen to own the day one edition of the brand new CoD, you happen to possess a high end vehicle, and just because you were fortunate enough to receive stellar education doesn't mean you aren't able to feel. And a lot of people who like to be this way towards the privileged demographic claim that really isn't their intentions, to them I ask what is? From what you're telling me, all because I drive a brand new Buick I shouldn't feel offended if you disrespect me or cross me in any way shape or form. But if I do confront you about said disrespect, I'm "entitled" or "uppity" or - my favorite one - "ungrateful". Keep in mind this is all due to the fact I drive a debonair vehicle. The whole "things could be worst" cliche doesn't always apply believe it or not, especially if the predicament weighs down on my shoulders. Why is it that you're allowed to fret and wallow but I'm not due to what I own and my status? You know the saying "money can't buy happiness"? It seems one end of the spectrum gets that, but the other end remains woefully ignorant and they prove so when trying to compare scenarios.

That brings me to the second frame of thought, and the "born into" is in bold for a reason. How can you help what you were born into? How many kids in poverty would've loved to been born in a suburban neighborhood and enrolled in a suitable school? OK, so why is it that we don't look at them like it's their fault they're poor and undereducated? Nah, instead we have the feel-good stories about the child who grew up with a no window house and suddenly everything he touches turns into gold. We hear about the kid who had to claw his way through the mean streets to get the top and still hustles to get his. But when it comes to privileged children-- I kid you not, the way some people chew you out for simply being privileged makes you wonder if they're just mad at your existence in general. Instead of supporting us and making big deals about our rise to the top of whatever field, it's far more common to hear about how so-and-so can't wait to hear about how person A can't handle taking over his daddy's business, how person B needs to get a taste of the real world and fall on his ass before he amounts to anything, and how person C wouldn't be as successful if it weren't for mommy and daddy's backing. That's the tip of the iceberg of what I hear, and once again I'm asking why that has to be the case. Put a low class person in person A's position and while there will be some detractors, the first breakthrough that person does will be heard throughout the local community. Said person will be held in such high regard, he may be viewed as a local icon as the years progress.

But put someone who inherited there family's business at the helm, let them experience a breakthrough and just listen to the onslaught of reasons why they succeeded. I guarantee none of them even remotely mutters a thing about the possible hard work and nights on end it took for the breakthrough to happen. I get that being privileged does enable you to do more, but actually getting to the "do more" part requires just as much fortitude and perseverance. And honestly, who wouldn't take advantage of what they were born into? There's a neat little thing called resourcefulness, followed by a neater thing called a foundation.

As we all know, having a solid foundation is vital in any man/woman's life. That being said, we also have our own distinct foundation, therefore hearing about other people's foundation or experiencing it doesn't serve any purpose other than minimizing your situation and to groom their ego. In other words; people who feel the need to chastise you about what they've seen, what they've gone through, what they've done, what's been done to them and so on is best served going out the other ear. To clarify what that means, you're your own entity. Yeah every now and again we need to hear about how bad we've could have had it, but there's an emphasis on "could". Ahhh the ol' could've, should've, would've. There's a reason this saying is used in a hypothetical sense, because it didn't happen. So them telling you about how many nights they had to sleep with one eye open, telling you about how they barely got from point A to point B using their auntie's hooptie, or describing how it was like to get mugged by a group of guys his "friend" sent doesn't apply to you. Therefore it bares minimum merit because here's the thing, it happened to them. What does it have anything to do with what you want aspire to be? What does it have to do with your current and future goals? How is hearing about their struggle helping me as an individual in society? Don't get me wrong and misread this as me being arrogant or uptight, there has been countless where I did need to hear about somebody's journey, but that random somebody was always in a higher position with a certain status with a organic, mutual understanding and connection between both parties.

But by no means am I going to get chastise by a person whose talking about his struggle as if he's past it. I refuse to listen to those who carry on about how they keep trying to shoot straight but for some reason they always end up at the "wrong place at the wrong time." There's absolutely no way you're going to teach me the way you hope if I know once the conversation ends, you'll go right back to indulging in foolishness. No matter what they tell me or what they try to spin to everybody else, the fact remains that everything they just tried to humble us on doesn't stick if they can't practice what they preach. You know how tired I am of hearing "If I were in your shoes.." or "If you was me ..." because even if that were the case they would still be the way they are. Yeah I know, the truth hurts.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I refuse to apologize for being a tall, dark and privileged black man. I encourage everybody who has faced these type of prejudices and neglect to feel the same way, don't let the envy of some people shake you. Aye, I'm not a huge fan of hers but Lady Gaga said it best when she said "I was born this way", because just like being gay isn't a choice, it wasn't your choice to be birthed and nurtured in preferable environments. Like what the hell was I supposed to say when I had an older cousin constantly trying to pressure me into leaving my private school and enrolling in some public school, "Yeah you know, I am getting a good education... my friends did come a little faster than I anticipated...and If I graduate from here, chances are I'll be an educated black man in society... yeah screw my private school!"

If you live a privileged life, learn to love it but never take any of it for granted, I guarantee your head will spin once you discover how easy it is to lose it all.

***By no means am I knocking or slandering the public school system or the students that graduate from them. This goes double for my utilization of poverty. Do not misinterpret my examples.***