So, I'm currently listening to a song by Immortal technique, titled Dance With The Devil. Yes it's a song, but it's actually not just a song. It speaks volume to the rascalities going on in the street.
The song talks about a young boy that went into the streets. He was making some cash from doing illegal things - stealing and selling weed. He wanted to prove himself by edulging in something evil. Now that's how he went and r*ped a woman, not realising that she was his mom. Yeah, it's really dark and disheartening.
I see many young people, my age and younger, some are somewhat older, go into the street and live full time in the street. They brag of being part of the street. They lure these younglings that know nothing about life, into abandoning life, and going into the streets. Some street kids actually go there by themselves due to one issue or the other.
Poverty, neglect, parental disputes, peer pressure, divorce, personal decisions, name it, can lead a kid to the streets and make them witness, first hand, the brutality of the streets.
The streets is a very interesting place. A beautiful place for people who don't actually know how dangerous and disastrous it can be to them and others. It sucks ya'know.
These street kids feel on top of the world when they perform gang things. The stealing, the fighting, the beefing and dissing, the killing, smoking, crib walk, blood walk, street handshakes, aro mate, ayas men, capping, firing orientation and vibrating... just name it. When doing and saying all these things, they feel on top of the world. They feel untouchable. They feel like they can do anything in the world without being held accountable.
It sucks ya'know. It's sad to see how people who probably have a bright future, waste in the streets. They call themselves street smart. Being street smart is good, however, being book smart is better. Yes, I've seen a lot of things. Talking from what I've seen. Now that I think of it, it's quite sad... Honestly.
One thing I've come to understand is that not everyone that's in the streets are actually bad. Some chose to be there, but some are just unfortunate.
I've been in the streets too, willingly. I did it just to gain experience. Yeah, that's how far I can go to grow and develop. I stayed there for some time. Though I didn't experience fully how it is like to be in the streets as my condition was different from an average street child. I went willingly to learn something.
The thing is, some of these street kids have other options. They can betterment themselves but chose to be there. They enjoy the rascalities. On the other hand, some don't have other options. They are there to survive. Fight life, and survive the harshest conditions it can bring to them.
Truth is, there's absolutely nothing in the streets. Nothing at all. The ghetto is no mans land. It kills and it don't bring to life. There's no light at the end of the streets tunnel. It only presents gradual movement to ill health.
Thank you for reading.
All images are mine.