MATTER, AS LONG AS I CAN DO THE JOB?..BECAUSE IN TRUTH, IT HASN'T REALLY ACTUALLY BEEN ABOUT THAT, BUT WHO GETS PAID AND WHO DOESN'T...BASED ON YOUR ETHNICITY...
I RECALL WHEN THE RUSE AND OR SABOTAGE AGAINST GWEN MITCHELL BEGAN TO INTENSIFY AND I WAS STANDING IN THE LOBBY OF THE POLICE PRECINCT OVER ON PICO AND I WAS ASKED WHAT I WAS, WHICH NORMALLY I WOULD RESPOND SAYING, "A HUMAN BEING I HOPE". I SAID I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN...AND SUDDENLY A RAY OF VIRTUAL REALITY SUNSHINE SHONE THROUGH THE WINDOW PAINES OF THE ALLEGED FACILITY OF THOSE WHO ALLEGEDLY PROTECT AND SERVE.
I RECALL THE FEMALE OFFICER GIVING ME A BORED EXPRESSION AND SAYING, "SO YOU'RE NOT FROM ARGINTINA?". LETTING HER KNOW THAT I WAS BORN A YANK, IN MORRISTOWN NEW JERSEY. AND I RECALL A BLACK MALE MAKING ANON VERBAL EXPRESSION OF EXUBERANCE AND QUICKLY LEFT THE PRECINT.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING APPARENTLY WAS THAT WHAT I HADN'T BEEN PAID IN OVER 60 YEARS, AND WHAT WAS OWED TO ME, WAS GOING TO BE GIVEN BY THOSE DISPICABLE INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIMED TO BE RELATIVES OF MINE, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR IDEA OF A TRUE HOLOCAUST AGAINST THE MORALLY SANE INDIVIDUALS WHO BELIEVED IN WORKING AND PAYING FOR WHAT THEY DESIRED.
ALLOW ME TO SPEAK NOT FOR ARTISTS, BUT ABOUT US...WHAT MAKES US TICK...YOU SEE THE DEVIANTS KNOW THAT WE'D ACT, WRITE, SING, PERFORM, ETC. FOR FREE, YET, WE DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR WHAT WE DO WELL, WHEN WE DO IT GOOD.
WHICH MAKES ME THINK ABOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE, OR THE NEED OR NOT TO ATTEND COLLEGE...FOR ARTISTS IN MY OPINION, IT CAN DESTROY THE CREATIVE SEED INSIDE OF AN ARTIST...AND THE PUSH TO ATTEND AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING IS PROMULGATED NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF CARING TO EDUCATE US, FOR WE CAN DO THAT FOR OURSELVES BY ACTUALLY GOING TO A LIBRARY, WHICH IS MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE.
BUT IT IS A WAY TO CONTROL OUR LIVES, BY THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO PURSUE WHAT GIFTS GOD HAS PUT INSIDE OF THEM...THEY PREFER TO KILL OUR DREAMS...THE PHILISTINES...THEY THINK WE ARE LIKE THEM, THAT WE DO IT FOR EGO GRATIFICATION, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL...QUITE THE OPPOSITE, WE DO IT BECAUSE WE MUST, A BURNING FIRE THAT CAN ONLY BE PUT OUT BY HAVING AN AUDIENCE THAT WE CAN ENTERTAIN AND MAKE HAPPY, TO PUT THEM IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WHEN THEY HAD ENTERED THE THEATER, OR WHERE EVER THE PERFORMANCE IS TAKING PLACE. I FIND THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE OF POLITICIANS AND SO CALLED RELIGIOUS LEADERS, ALL SELF-PROCLAIMED BY THE WAY.
THEY SPAR WITH US, TORMENT US, MUTILATE US, TAKE FROM US, KILL US, BECAUSE THEY TOOK THE EASY WAY OUT AND WE DIDN'T. WE ENDURE THE PAIN, BECAUSE IT MAKES US STRONGER, THE INSULTS WE LAUGH OFF, THEIR ATTEMPTS AT MOCKING US IS INEFFECTUAL, AND WE KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE, BECAUSE, AS A TRUE ARTIST, WE KNOW THAT WE CANNOT HIDE FROM THE REALITIES OF LIFE, FACING THE DEMON AND HITTING IT SQUARELY IN ITS FACE, AS IT TUMBLES BACK FALLING FLAT ON ITS BACK ON THE CANVAS, AND BEFORE WE TURN AND WALK AWAY, NOT STRUT, OUT OF THE RING, WE BLOW IT A KISS, AND GO OUR WAY, STILL UNDEFEATED, AND STILL SMILING.
HIGHER EDUCATION DESIRES FOR ALL OF US TO THINK ALIKE, WHICH IN MY OPINION CAN BE DEADLY...ONCE YOU CHOOSE YOUR CRAFT OF ENDEAVOR, YOU CAN INUNDATE YOURSELF IN YOUR PARTICULAR DISCIPLINE...IN RETROSPECT, THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME WAS TO NOT GO TO PRE-MED SCHOOL AS HAD BEEN PLANNED, WHICH GIVES US A CLUE HOW GOD AND MOTHER NATURE OFTEN TIMES KNOW WHAT'S BETTER FOR US THAN WE DO OURSELVES.
MY EXPERIENCE AS A WIFE AND MOTHER IS IRREPLACEABLE. AND THOUGH THE MARRIAGE HAD ENDED IN DIVORCE IT WAS NEVER A FAILURE, BUT ONE OF MANY LIFE ADVENTURES THAT MADE ME AWARE OF WHO I AM, AND IN TURN, WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE ME A BETTER WRITER, EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, A BETTER HUMAN BEING.
DON'T EVER LET ANYONE KILL YOUR DREAM. THAT IS YOURS. WHAT GOD BLESSED YOU WITH, AND IF YOU HADN'T DESERVED IT, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE GIVEN IT TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE.
(C)COPYRIGHTED BY GWEN MITCHELL ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017 AT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY ON 5TH STREET, 90071 AT APPROXIMATELY, 1:20PM AND UPDATED AT THE WEST HOLLYWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069 AT 4:52PM
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