AhtAht

These thoughts were triggered by the recognition of my propensity to be disrespectful…

**No response from the chat. No level of surprise from me.**

I’m not a sports girl. Outside of Marshawn Lynch…I have no idea who is who. So it’s fair to say I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. But I am a gossip girl. And the boyfriend of the Swifty was among the topics being discussed this week. I usually tune out when I feel like I’m hearing manufactured drama. No judgment, I just believe in the sanctity of real scandals. So when I heard about the antics of the non pigmented player, with the Boosie fade…I tuned it out. I managed to avoid being sucked into his business for some hours…until I saw the picture of him screaming in that older man’s face. The disrespect made me look into what happened and after finding out the surface of the surface…my mind wandered. I’m aware that 1989 has the ridiculously insane ability to influence her fanbase. And everyone in the nation is aware of her relationship with the Chiefer at this point. So when I saw him screaming in that man’s face…all I could think about was whether the young fans of this woman might start desiring males with the temperament of her boyfriend…solely based on their role model’s decision to date him.

I sat back and acknowledged how this is the first time I’ve seen that community’s youth be conditioned in ways I’ve seen the youth of my community conditioned, in regards to dating options. And I held my nose up at them for what I perceived to be a horrible example they chose to set…knowing how many eyes are on them. Then…my ‘Dad’ said aht aht. I was reminded that the disrespect shown to that coach was no different than the disrespect I’ve shown to ALL of the elders in my family, by way of the group chat. I didn’t have the privilege of screaming my displeasure in their faces, but the disrespect of my words carried the same weight. I looked at the picture of that player screaming and equated it to a temper tantrum. Because that’s exactly what it looked like he was throwing. But…so was I. And the elders in my family responded just like it appeared the coach did…with silence disguised as stoicism.

I don’t know if the reluctance of the elders to put disrespectful millennials in our place, is a result of fear or a result of wisdom. Nonetheless, everything in me wanted to stumble across a picture of that coach checking tf out of a man who could’ve easily been his grandson. Just like everything in me would’ve loved to see the elders in the group chat put me in my place and establish their position. But for some reason, the older generation believes the silence that got them peacefully through their youth, will garner the same respect it used to. In all actuality, all it does is incite more anger in those who desperately need guidance and direction. So after skillfully dodging the accountability that my ‘Dad’ actually wanted me to take for my own actions, I put it back on the boomers. Because what’s really shown from these exchanges, is that there are no consequences for bad behavior. And it would’ve never gotten this bad, if those put in charge of calling the plays…had the ability to use their voices when someone under their command…got ‘beside themselves’. Instead, they do what their parents did…allow life to teach lessons that they’re more than capable of giving. What a complete waste of wisdom.

Love,

Choosy