Knowledge Hoop

On Saturday, February 11, the world was shocked by the announcement of the untimely death of Whitney Houston.  As I planned this series, I had no intention of featuring entertainers, but due to the number of lives Whitney has impacted over the years, it seemed fitting to include her.  I’m sure that many of us, especially women, have found ourselves in the mirror, shower, or car attempting to ‘belt out’ one of her love ballads.  And, in our mind, our rendition of the song was just as good as hers.  We were fooling ourselves!

While I’m sure that we’ve all taken a trip down ‘memory lane’ and reminisced over our favorite Whitney songs, the intent of this Post is to highlight a few unpopular truths about money and fame.  In last week’s Post, I referenced Dr. Farrah Gray’s belief that as we seek success, we should first focus on being rich from within.  He also believes in the notion that money doesn’t change you; it simply magnifies who you already are.  I believe there’s truth in both statements, but as I thought about Whitney’s life, as well as other entertainers and sports figures, I contemplated the following question:  “What if you don’t know who you are?”

I’m sure that most people have developed their own opinion about what led to Whitney’s demise, but I urge you to be careful in how you judge her life.  What if all of your successes and failures were out in the open for the world to see?  Additionally, take a moment to think back to a time when you were ‘young and dumb.’  I’m sure you can think of at least one ‘skeleton’ that you would not want to share with others.

In our society, we assume that just because someone has a gift or talent, they are mentally prepared and mature enough to deal with the pitfalls that can be a part of stardom.  Additionally, many of us were raised to not disclose personal matters or things that occur in our home life.  The harsh reality is every single one of us has had to deal with some level of family or personal drama.  Although alcoholism and drug addiction are both a form of disease, many people begin to use them as a way of escape.  No one plans to become an addict.  I’m not a psychiatrist, but I wonder if our community was more open to seeking counseling and addressing mental health issues, would we see a decrease in the number of African Americans impacted by alcohol and drug abuse?

In the African American community, we are taught to ‘take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there.’  Growing up in the South, this was actually a song that we sung as we knelt at the altar every Sunday.  What happens when the burdens and pressures of life are so overwhelming that leaving them at the altar no longer works?  When I think about Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and others, I’m sure they lived a lonely existence most of the time.  Can you imagine wondering if people are ‘with’ you because of your fame?  What if you never had the ability to be vulnerable or ‘naked’ with someone because you were afraid of what they would think or share with others?  Let me be clear, I am not excusing anyone of their choices or decisions, but I cannot and will not try to compare my existence and ability to mature in a safe and private environment with someone that was catapulted into fame as a young teen.

As I prepare to close, it is my utmost desire to see more African Americans pursuing their dreams and increasing the wealth in our communities, but we must not forget the importance of preparation.  In addition to strengthening our natural talents and gifts, it is essential that we are mentally prepared to face the challenges that come along with the ‘next level.’  I recall someone using the phrase, ‘new levels, new devils,’ and I thought they were simply being negative.  There’s a lot of truth in this phrase and if you choose to ignore the possibility, you just might find yourself blind sighted.  Although Whitney is no longer with us, her life embodied one of my favorite songs, One Moment in Time.  As we celebrate her life and her contribution to the ‘fabric’ of our nation, we can all strive to seek our own moment in time.