IT IS WRITTEN

Derek Contreras
WITH

Darik Chandler
AND

Wasmy Massillon

Darik Chandler

Copyright 2014 Fogali Productions All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1502308096
ISBN-13: 978-1502308092
Printed By CreateSpace, an Amazon.com company
For more information about
It Is Written
Visit papasaun.com

iii

Special thanks to Raquel Luna and Leslie Alvarado.

I dedicate this book to those who have helped me succeed. God
gets the credit for everything I have accomplished.
My problems were the rain to nourish my faith. My family and
friends were the sun that helped me soak up the water and grow.
You have taught me to care about feelings. They are all we have. Life
is an emotion. Playing with them is bad for everyone. We should
only love. Hate and anger are the enemies. Sounds so simple, yet
hard to produce. We are here to love and live life, everything else is
extra. I will try to be consistent to continue making you proud or
begin to if I have not yet.
Thank you.

Table of Contents
1. This Better Be Important To You 1
2. Pretty Woman 11
3. The Square in Your Circle27
4. Handwriting on the Wall: Raquel Luna39
5. The Juxtapositions of Life53
6. Blank Stare 65
7. The Most Dangerous Drug in the World 73
8. Randumb Thoughts of a Boss97
9. A Day to God is 1,000 Years: Leslie Alvarado 105
10. 3x5s & Postcards  125

Disclaimer: This book is not for people who lower their music
when you cruise through a neighborhood attempting to find an
address. Do not read this if you post a #MCM or #WCW. To me,
WCW means Whos Cooking Wednesday. I hope you are illiterate
if you judge people by the color of their skin and not the content
of their character. For those of you who eat your siblings leftover
food after you remove the sticky note, this is for you.

Chapter 1

This Better Be Important To

You

- It Is Written -

Never let success get to your head and never let

failure get to your heart. - Big Sean

Darik Chandler

Being alive is not only a gift, but it is also a
choice in a world where you can easily slip, fall, and not live up
to your full potential. A wise man said, Pretend you are ninetynine years old, on your deathbed, and you have the chance to go
back and change decisions you have made, what would you redo? Ask yourself, would you graduate? Would you get another
degree? Would you change whom you chose to spend your life
with? These are just the easy questions to ask. Ask yourself the
real tough questions, the ones you would not want certain people
to be privy to. Start today and challenge yourself to be a better
person. A person of higher intelligence. A person who makes
others better. A person who values life and who will inspire
others.

I live by a unique mindset and with a mentality that
pressures my actions to compare to the great people who inspire
me daily. I try to apply this attitude each day the sun rises. I wake
up and I require myself to do something remarkable. I learn
a new word, practice my drumming, or learn more about the
world. I do this because I want to earn things in life, achieve my
goals, and be happy. Sometimes, it is not enough. Sometimes,
no matter how hard I work, I am unable to fix my shortcomings.
The world consistently raises the bar to success. Todays new is
tomorrows old and yesterdays forgotten. We must not adapt, but
jump the curve in order to stay relevant in life.

The world constantly inundates us with advertisements
that want us, the consumers, to act on. They tell us to leave one
product alone and purchase theirs because it is better. Whatever
it may be, we as individuals need to have a message as well. A

- It Is Written message that gets the people we want to be around to act on us.
We often forget that we are brands ourselves. We must advertise
ourselves according to the situations we want to be in. If you
desire to be a businessman, learn the lingo it requires facilitating
a professional conversation for sales. Devote your time to
yourself. Companies attempt to deliver value with every product
they create. Just like the corporate world, we want others to buy
into what we offer them. If you are a humorous or theatrical
person, you should want to attract like-minded individuals
that will help you in life. I call this exposing yourself in a
marketable way. When I was applying for entry-level career jobs
as a marketing graduate, I quickly realized I was not going to land
a position of worthiness because my image and talents were not
in tip-top shape. I was stuck in a mental rut and I did not take
the necessary steps in cultivating my brand. I needed to center on
who I am, what I do, and what I offer. I needed to do all of this
without embellishing, stuttering, or bullshitting.

We all know people who exaggerate and overstate who
they are. They try to boost their self-esteem with blown up lies.
They love to poke their own egos like-button. I did not want to be
similar to these forged individuals. I wanted to be a hard worker
who was valued as priceless. I stepped back and asked myself,
who the hell am I? I spent several months to a year finding out. I
learned that it would take months or years, and even more years
to get to a reliable conclusion of who you are. Do you want to
know how I found myself? Do you want to know how I cultivated
my brand for the world I wanted to be in?

I found myself by analyzing the people I drew close

Darik Chandler
to me and the friends I go out with. I discovered the better
version of myself by examining what I do, what I believe in, and
questioning my likes and dislikes. I found connections to link
all of them together. I created goals, but I soon found I disliked
that word. Goals. Everybody has them. I find a problem with it;
however, I do understand it is an inflated word that focusses on
the end result and not the steps to get there. I have concluded
that the term destination is much more suitable. It is much more
attainable.

The term destination is something that you are capable
of traveling to. Hence, one of my destinations is to dunk on a
standard 10-foot hoop. If this were a goal, it does not sound
achievable. Goals sound like an esoteric dream you can never
reach. As you stare at the finish line, you wonder where to start.
You are lost on how to begin. With this struggle, how do you
shape yourself as a person? This is a wonderful blessing about
the term destination. Destinations are little by little. If I want to
dunk on a basketball court, the first thing I need to do in order
to reach my destination is to start leg training. The destination
for my one-month goal is to achieve a two-inch vertical increase
in my jump. Ponder your destination and the first location
you need to be. You need to have driven in order to reach your
destinations.

Think of yourself as a product on the shelf. Will people
buy you, the product? Why would they buy you? What do you
offer that others cannot? This is important because we live in
a judgmental world with race reservations and overall hatred.
People do not give others a fair chance, but rightfully so, why

- It Is Written would they want to waste time as it is so precious and cannot be

recovered. Find yourself, get people to back you, and start living
your plan with your new destination. Without doing this people
will never use their full potential in life and will become average.
Average. Average. Average. Ask yourself if you like average.
With all this new information found you will be able to expose
yourself to get where you want to be in life. Do you want to date
the stunning Puerto Rican Natasha? Get up and market yourself
to attract women like her. Competition is more fierce than ever.
Almost everyone chases anything or anyone with value. When
you look in the mirror you must tell yourself you do not know
everything. If you did know, you would have everything you ever
wanted. When you are stubborn not much is insightful.

Change your thinking and surround yourself with
teachers. Be teachable. Be coachable. Be a student to life lessons.
Take away meaningful teachings from every conversation you
have. Yes, this also means with the dumbass down the street.
I understand he gets high all the time and has been going to
community college for five years with no degree. If you are a
follower you will be sucked into his indignant ways. Stray your
mind from the negatives and focus on the lessons to be learned.
Absorb what not to do. You do not need to be in class to study
from someone elses failures. Do this to arm yourself periodically,
but always be surrounded with like-minded people who share
similar interests and destinations. The general population follows
one another in a never-ending loop of stupidity. We can learn
so much from Americas celebrities if we choose to block the
ignorance and accept the educations.

Darik Chandler

Why the hate? Why the nastiness? Kim Kardashian is one
of the worlds best marketing geniuses of this digital age. Do you
remember the moments you thought of what she was famous for?
You lambasted and degraded her because she made an adult film,
which was supposedly her rise to the bright lights. You are angry
she is always on TV and you are not. Be as it may, she could
disappear like Tila Tequila or Rebecca Gayheart. Did she fold or
falter in the face of failure? No. She used her platform to benefit
ten-fold. Kim Kardashian manages to remain relevant every year
with several business ventures making her fifty-thousand a day.
Instead of criticizing her success, we should understand how
she remains pertinent. Give your undivided attention as to why
she increases her success and how she reaches her destinations.
Kim is a master of branding and exposure. Real brands know
their value and she knows that better than anyone does. She will
not stop until she gets her value. She is a testament to growth,
a symbol for achieving dreams, and a model for adapting to an
ever-changing environment. No matter what the tabloids say, she
focuses on the opportunities and takes every advantage she can
acquire.

The point here is to learn from the successful people
who come before you. There is always meaningful wisdom and
information to learn from people who have made it. We know
she has a strong family base. Her mother helps and manages her
success, who is, in fact, the genius behind the prodigy. The lesson
we can learn here is the importance of grounding a strong family
base into our lives. Her mother taught her to never give up on
failed businesses. She taught her how to exploit every opportunity
given to her. We now know Kim networks effortlessly in a realm

- It Is Written of celebrity friendships. We know she markets herself with her

God or not God-given beauty by always looking stunning to
attract future business deals that are selling beauty or fashion
products. Her mother taught her how to build a brand and use
her diversity to gain followers.

It is important not to wrap ourselves into celebrities
lives. Study and grow from their talents, but remember they are
keeping their followers in a bubble of false hope. Their only goal
is to make themselves richer. Do you think that you are happier
with their endorsed products and life? Learn from the people
in the limelight, but you must seek real wisdom and knowledge
from greats like Julius Caesar, Peter Drucker, Sigmund Freud and
the related. You are a brand. You are a product people will either
accept or reject. Offer value and over-deliver with each statement
made in your favor. As hard as it might be, challenge yourself
to not judge people and start to take bits and pieces from them,
good or bad. You can still defend your point of view and hate
certain things that you have unbiased experience in. The point
here is to learn and improve your own life and then reflect your
progress on others genuinely. Go out and live the new you.

As your grandchildren sing your 99th Birthday song,
take the actions to build your brand today so you will not regret it
tomorrow. Everyone will eventually be buried underground, but
only few will have statues remembering who they were.

Chapter 2

Pretty Woman

- It Is Written -

So tell me what were fighting for. Lets make love

not war. - Novel

12

Darik Chandler

Tupac once said, And since we all came from a
woman. Got our name from our women Why do we take from
our women? These days, men really degrade the members of
the opposite sex. I do not want to generalize all men or claim we
view women as sexual objects. If you have not noticed, we have
taken it amongst ourselves to give a woman her value than let
her decide what it is. From here on out I will categorize all of us
men in the same level because it takes one side to admit to all
mistakes to facilitate change. You know how forgiving a person is
after a fight, I wont say sorry until he/she does. Our gender war
will never end with both sides being too stubborn to apologize
and write our wrongs. As a man, I will be the first to apologize.
These days, everyone is a critic. Everyone is a judge in their own
right and they believe their opinions are facts. So many men are
immoral in their actions and only believe their way is the right
one.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, men are acting like
women more and more as the time passes. I would not be
surprised if women evolved to accomplish their needs without
us. Forget a civil union between the genders; it seems fights are
more prominent than any time in history. Men have decided to
tell a woman who she is upon meeting her. We make assumptions
rather than speaking with her and finding out the beauty that
lies within. As men, we only find out what we want to hear.
The world develops us to react to our desires and vices. Society
produces women to be caring and nurturing. Ironically, the
social order breeds males to be their protectors and providers. It
is only natural for each gender to assume a gender role because
each has their strengths and weaknesses. What happens when

13

- It Is Written the men who were supposed to safeguard women suddenly turn
and decide to protect their selfish desires? A woman only has so
many defenses for herself. Women help men transform from a
good lonely man to a great, empowered leader. Why do men treat
women unfairly? Why do men take advantage of someone who is
willing to give it all? I do not mean to make it sound as if women
are only supposed to be there for men. Not even close.

Once upon a time, the word chivalry was designed to
help men reciprocate the very same love women give to us. Even
today, chivalrys design generates equality between the genders.
The year is 2016 and we have stopped treating these beautiful
ladies correctly. We stopped opening doors for them, pulling
out chairs, making sure they are before us in simple instances,
and being courageous enough to stand up for them. We created
a society where men are quick to call women bitches just as
fast as women call us thirsty. Chivalry is a standard to protect
women. As time progressed men started wearing skinny jeans,
now all hope is lost. Does chivalry protect men? I am starting
to believe so. 59.6% of males have better eyebrows than their
female counterparts. I digress. Men, ask yourselves, what have we
done for women this past decade other than sexually demoralize
their self-worth? We must respond with swift action before this
problem spirals out of control.

Side note: If you never opened a womans mind stop
reading this and find an incredible woman to embrace her mental
capacity. You will be appeased with the articulate thoughts that
come from a woman.

Back to the topic. Women are emotional beings. Over

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Darik Chandler
time they have learned to manipulate men with their bodies
similar how men have control their emotions. Confusion is in
the air. Men make girls fall in love over and over again. Each time
their heart unevenly breaks it creates a new hatred towards us.
Look at modern day women. We have lied to them so much they
have transformed into amazing CSI detectives towards our lies
and bullshit. It is unbelievable that a gender war is going on. We
used to fight for women, but now the fight is between us. Men
really hate taking care of women for the most part. Maybe it is
because the younger generation began wearing Diamond t-shirts
and Jordans every day. These days, guys will say anything to get
into a womans leggings (pants was too clich for me) and get
mad when she coins all men the same. Standards are invisible and
the perfect spouse seems like a dream. In 2016, I realize people
have a hard time saying thank you so how can I expect men to
say sorry and own up to mistakes in a relationship? Through
societys twisted lens, a woman must know how to cook, clean,
and be beautiful every day in order to have approval. Apparently,
all men have to do is bring home the bacon. We are so delusional
from these rules telling us we need a perfect mate from the getgo, we bounce from girl to girl trying to find these traits as if we
could.

I have long said love is not found, it is created. If men
realized this, they would comprehend no beginning has the
benefits that the end of a journey contains. A man could have the
perfect girl to grow with, but he will cheat on her with a girl who
shows more up-front. The ability to develop with one another
is what we should pay attention to rather than the better choice
right now. You do not find greatness so why would you assume

15

- It Is Written you could find the perfect woman or love. In order to be great,
you have to work at it. The same thought entertains growing with
your significant other.

For some reason, we think love is free. Everybody does,
but I will stick to patronizing us men. Love is not priceless. It
takes time, money, and effort to build a kingdom fit for two.
Across the board, trying to be a perfect man or woman is
impossible. Trying to be the perfect woman is impossible. We are
all flawed and there is no way around it. Some of us men are bad
for the women in our lives and some are good. Be consistent with
your actions. If you are good, remain a great guy and let her make
sensible judgments about your character. Consistency will allow
a woman to decide and react to who you are without fluctuating
her emotions. It will allow her to decide if she wants to stay or
not. Just invest consistent efforts into developing her for herself
and she will do the same for you.

The genre of words men speak comes from a slang
derived from pop culture and immoral upbringings. Children
are innocent. It is not until they learn from television, music,
or our parents the way to treat others. As a little boy in 2003,
I remember listening to Nas. The song was Popular Thug. I
never understood why Kelis sang her chorus in disappointment.
She knew he was a player and was somewhat appalled when
she found out he was who he was. I never knew what a player
was, but we can break it down to play-her. Only then does it
make sense. Pop culture has shifted the perception of the world
to celebrate men for each additional woman he can pimp. The
same pop culture has taught our women to be a princess and

16

Darik Chandler
subordinate to men. Either way, no matter who wins, society
loses as a collective whole. Kids learn and absorb everything
and anything from their surroundings. This molds them into
who they will be for the rest of their life. It would appear the
society does not teach the millennial generation how to care for a
duchess. Unfortunately, girls by the age of sixteen claim to know
what every man wants. The youth have lost their innocence. They
run around saying, make it nasty because Tyga made it cool
on the radio. Sadly, by the age of twenty-five, a woman has an
extensive preconceived notion of men. The gentleman needs to
make a return sooner rather than later.

I should have started the chapter with this thought. Do
men know what it takes to be a gentleman? Do you walk on the
outside of the curb to protect her from swerving cars? Do you
hold doors open? She spent hours perfecting every strand of her
hair. Do you roll the window up so the wind does not mess it
up? Do you let her steal your sweaters in the winter even though
you know you will never get it back? Do you let her reach for
her wallet during dinner? Does an unhappy woman make you
sad? Do you investigate the strange noises during the night? Do
you pump her gas? A gentleman exemplifies these simple traits.
This is a list of relatively simple things young men have avoided
performing. If you put your thinking cap on you will see doing
these things for a woman will make her appreciate you. It will
make her go out of her way to cherish you. I am no psychologist,
but people tend to reciprocate actions and behavior towards
them, then again, half the things that come out of my mouth are
rocket science to our youth. I reminisce to when I was a troubled
adolescence. I was called a nice guy.

17

- It Is Written
These two words carry a negative connotation for
whatever reason and no man ever wants to be labeled a nice guy.
It means the guy never gets the girl. He never gets anything he
desires from a girl. A nice guy tends to represent most of the
gentleman traits. The only bad element about performing these
actions for a lovely woman is the laughter it would generate
amongst my friends and random folk. I would pay for her meal,
treat her with respect, make her laugh, make her comfortable,
and carry intellectual conversations. Once my friends found out
about these dates they would laugh at me because I would not
get laid or have a physical encounter with them that night. By
that time, I was done being the butt of every joke. I did not want
to hear the voices of others laugh at my expense. I became what
women would call an asshole. I crashed on the other side of the
extreme. I was either a nice guy or an asshole. Did I speak to
more women because of it? Yes. Did I get my way much of the
time? Yes.

Halfway through college I realized I was not an asshole
but a dumbass. I was a mutt who cared too much about the
opinions of men when dealing with women. I was a punk towards
these beautiful ladies all because I was scared of being called a
simp. Many women were already fighting the challenges life had
to offer. If that did not defeat them my actions would put these
damsels in distress. I neglected to do right to a lady because I
was afraid of the thoughts of men. I was terrified of a label that
could damage a reputation I made up in my mind. What is wrong
with me? Furthermore, what is wrong with us men? Are we more
worried about what other men think rather than the women we
are dating? At the end of the night whose lap am I trying to lie

18

Darik Chandler
on? His or hers? As a man I want to snuggle up with a woman
who smells like a Yankee scented candle. I am not going home to
another man. I only want to go to the gym, USC games, and fight
crime with my male friends. I want to do everything else with a
woman. How is that gay or being a simp? I dont know. I was lost
back then, but now I found women.

Taking care of someone such as an elegant estrogen filled
body is not as difficult as it seems. Now ladies, youre probably
shaking your head like, well duh, men are just stupid for not
knowing that. Men are shaking their heads like, Dude, you
havent dated the women Ive been dating. Both are equally
notable notions. But for the sake of this message men will assume
all faults for the war that is ongoing between the genders. As men,
we make it hard to treat a woman admirably. We spend so much
time showing them to our representatives, when they find out
who we really are they become appalled. Time reveals that most
men end up being boring, shallow, and self-interested. These
women soon leave us to find someone who will fill their voids.
When a woman leaves me I move on with the feelings I have and
deal with them. Unfortunately, the generation we live in does not
abide by this emotional state of mind. These days, men bash the
ladies of our time by calling them names. Men call women a hoe
or bitch for the simple fact they do not want to be with him. At
what point in time did men resort to this type of bigotry? When
was it justified to commit these heinous acts towards women?
How can we call ourselves men if we call every girl a bitch and
expect to find a lady?

Getting back on topic. Treating a woman with delicacy is

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- It Is Written not a hard thing to do. The rewards are plentiful for a man if he
abides to stay true. Before I continue let me state an observation.
Biology deems that men are more logical pertaining to each
gender. Women are poised to be emotional beings. With this
being said, happy is an emotion. See where I am going here? A
happy woman will want to please you in various different ways.
Although emotions fade, come, and go. Keeping her happy
will vary throughout your career with her. It will be difficult at
times, but just as a crusader seeking for knowledge, finding her
happiness should be rewarding to you as well. Ask who she is
when you first meet her. Converse your likes and dislikes with
her. Bottom line; be a man and caress her mind before anything.
Here I go sounding like a simp again to those immature minds.
The irony of having a simple conversation with a lady is that
men really do not have to do much talking. They only have to
ask the right questions. Research by Louann Brizendine, at the
University of California, found that women speak an average
of 20,000 words daily compared to only 7,000 words for men.
This means that on average, women talk nearly three times as
much as men. Men, do you know what this means? Women love
to communicate and share ideas. They are searching for a man
whose ears will allow them to channel their thoughts. A woman
who talks your ear off is a woman who is comfortable with you.
Appreciate that sentiment.

Stop worrying if she is going to cheat on you with
another man. You can never own her so your best bet is to treat
her right. If you opened up her delicate mind and searched for
her desires you can please her in every way. She will not have
to run off to another man if her every need is fulfilled by you.

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Darik Chandler
Talk to her and find out what she is yearning for in life. If a lady
is a physical caregiver and nurturer, why do we not care for her
mentally? Men are so busy trying to treat women the way they
want to be treated we never stop to see if we are treating them the
way they want to be treated. A great rapper once said, You take
care of me and Ill take care of us.

Stop telling your girl to sit down and shut up when she
voices demands. Do not forget the phrase happy wife, happy
life. In part, it is true, and for a reason. A man can reach a
level in life but without a womans support it is still only part
complete. Men are great quality foundations to what can become
significant. Women are what make us great. That is why Jay-Z is
who he is. His career was nearly legendary, yet it was not until
Beyonc entered his life that changed everything. A gangster
transformed into a well-respected family man and rapper, which
is the result of a woman. Beyonc is his queen and in retrospect
the world now views them as an example.

We need to change as men. We need to stop dressing like
women in order to make a six-second Vines. So many of you are
busy being women, how can you cater to one? Stop taking selfies.
Only women having the clearance to do so. Substitute the man
you are for the man a mature woman wants to marry.

Your words should smell like fresh flowers to her
psyche. Caress her daily thoughts with your ears as she walks in
the door from work. Soothe her troubled mind with lines that
sound like they came from a Maxwell album. Tell her the rest
of forever starts now. Tell her your problems will shrink as you
grow together. Tell her the carpool lane is better with her in the

21

- It Is Written passenger seat. You cannot enjoy her beauty in the fast lane. Tell
her she is your favorite book you like to read and the next chapter
is the story of your life. Tell her that her coke bottle figure is the
only thing you want to bottle up. Tell her you will make her a
queen the same way you want your daughter to be. Tell her you
will give her more if she becomes your amor (Spanish word that
means love for the slow readers). Tell her breathing air means
nothing if the wind cannot blow through her hair. Tell her there
will never be a plan B, the plan or the pill. Tell her that her kiss
is the cape she wears that saves you. Tell her you are the cuddle
champion and she cannot win but it is worth a try. Tell her you
are sensitive to her five senses and her sixth sense never has to
worry about you cheating. Tell her forever is the only reality
and eternity never ends. Tell her you have more dreams about
her than Martin Luther King Jr.. Tell her you want to become
advanced friends with benefits and you will benefit more by being
best friends forever in marriage. Tell her wearing heels to the club
will not heal that broken heart. Tell her you do not want to miss
the opportunity to make her a Misses. If you do all these things it
will be easier for her to say, I do.

The thought that hurts is I cannot tell a woman these
things. At times, I do act ignorant and downplay the role of an
excellent woman. As I continuously grow up I will attempt to
control my actions and attitudes towards you ladies. I often forget
that learning how to treat someone with respect does not come
naturally. Just as with anything, it takes practice to perfect. When
I do not practice is when I tend to hurt you. Then again, there
will be times I am corny in my approach but me stuttering before
you should only inform you that you have left me speechless.

22

Darik Chandler
Enough of me being a cornball. From this point on, I will
challenge myself to embody everything you want. I will continue
from here speaking like the man you want to exist.

Girls, women, goddesses of every color, size, and
personality. I appreciate you. Men of our society degrade you far
too often. We are busy criticizing rather than making attempts
to upgrade you. The horrible realization of this statement is
there is nothing wrong with you. It is us who are mentally out of
character. We have a list of needs for every girl who crosses our
path yet we are unwilling to reciprocate the same qualifications.
Men love saying what they want from women, but most cannot
provide anything noteworthy in return. Everything about a
woman is admirable, from the innocent laughs to the hours of
make-up you put on attempting to enjoy yourself further. You do
not need to put on make-up for me. There is nothing you have to
make up for. You are perfect the way you are. We cannot ask for
unconditional love if it comes with contingencies.

You have been trained to follow the minds of men, but
when was the last time you followed your heart? Yes, sometimes
we think you are all crazy, but when you are crazy in love with
us, that is what keeps us running back. A small boat of friendship
is what we will be fond of. A titanic relationship is what we
will adore. I believe Gods first rapture came in the form of you
because you saved us from our own self-inflicted demise. A man
knows when a woman is fed up. Amazingly, we do not make
things better while the sun is still up. You deserve a man who
will meet your expectations like the first day he met you. You
deserve a full course meal of infatuation that graduates into love.

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- It Is Written Whenever you feel weak, you deserve a man who will worship
your tired, graceful body. Of all the choices a man can make, I
vote for the devotion of your fragile wine glasses. I love the way
you smile at me. The best part is knowing that I put it there. A
woman is priceless. Do not take complacency for what it is worth
because you deserve so much more. I am sorry I did not help you
pray because you became my prey.

With every word written just know that empires have
fallen because of you. You have the power to build a great man
and destroy one. Here is my pledge to construct a better me that
will only compliment you. Richard Gere once asked a prostitute,
What happened after he rescues her? Julia Roberts simply
replied, She rescues him right back.

24

Chapter 3

The Square in Your Circle

- It Is Written -

Every night I text her. I want to save the world I

think I need your help. She texts me how you gon
trust somebody when you dont trust yourself.
- Troy from Community

28

Darik Chandler

There is an awful epidemic seizing the minds
of everyone who walks this earth. It is a disease that seems to
destroy confidence. It is so deadly, people find themselves alone
in a room full of laughter. The conscience of these very same
people scream, Booooo! whenever they take a shot in life. Life
is pummeling peoples self-esteem. People despise themselves.
The mindsets of the human population are plagued with selfdoubt and self-fulfilling sorrow. People do not love themselves.
I hope we can all see this as a tragedy in need of a resolution.
Nevermind liking yourself when you never felt loved.

I identify with the problem of not loving myself at times.
This feeling has existed for quite some time but I am working
on finding a vaccine and a cure. At a point, I did not understand
what it meant to accept you for you. I did not know the meaning
of acknowledging your flaws and working on them. This led to
me searching for acceptance and validity in different places and
other people. What is worse than being alone? The answer is
feeling alone. Who are children supposed to look up to when we
look down on ourselves? We tend to feel our sorrows more than
a message from the church. We listen to the deep voice from
within telling us we cannot push on when our pastor is telling us
to practice what he preaches. Your conscience is your own grim
reaper that greets you with a devilish grin. The only ballin in
life you participate in is crying, and your tears are reminiscent of
raindrops from the proverbial black cloud. You can see the pain
vividly and happiness is a dull lightbulb. You pray people see the
winner in you and hope the loser brings out the best in you. Your
problems would not be the same if you had someone elses life.
It doesnt matter because then you would have their problems.

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- It Is Written You can have the world, but you will hand it back because you
do not know what you want. Love is the only thing you want to
embrace and you cannot even afford that for yourself. People
tend to ask themselves, What am I doing wrong? when they
need to focus on the few things they are doing right. The news
will make you sad. Do not even turn on the TV to watch the
news unless you are going to watch old Nickelodeon shows. The
hard part is justifying the fact that people do not know how to
love themselves anymore. I cannot tell you how or when this all
started. I do not know who the first clinically depressed person
was. You dont care who was the first, you just know youre the
last person anyone is going to care about. You see people happy,
but for some reason, you never want to join. You color yourself
bad. You limit yourself to the point where happiness is off
limits.


I have spoken to various individuals during my lifetime.
There is never a time the conversation will not leave me shocked.
It is less about their story, more about a real life situation I could
not imagine fighting through myself. Not one person flinches
when they tell their story, but I will always jump back twice
in disbelief from the things I am hearing. I like to ask people
questions and far too often do these people never have answers.
I believe the most revealing question I ask is, Would you date
yourself? This question stumbles everyone. At first, they say of
course. Each person flaunts his or her flamboyant characteristic
traits that everyone supposedly adores. Over the course of a
few minutes added with silence, their facial expression seems
to overshadow their will to hide it. It is evident they would not
date themselves by this time. Self-doubt always shatters their

30

Darik Chandler
confidence. I sit there staring at the person. After a few more
minutes the conversation usually sways from the topic at hand
and we speak about something new.


From the lessons time has allowed me to learn I have
concluded that I should not be asking people if they would date
themselves. I should be asking them whether they love their
own self. I wanted to write a chapter about virility and saving
the world. I wanted to write a chapter about being a hero, but
apparently, people cannot find a way to cherish their own self,
so how can they care about anything else. If you want to build
a house you need a firm foundation or else all progress from
thereon will be void. I remember hearing from singer JMSN, I
dont love myself, so how can I expect somebody else to do the
things that I cant do myself. We are afraid to love ourselves.
Forget loving another person. Maybe we have been looking at the
world with the wrong pair of glasses. The Bible teaches us to love
our neighbor no matter what. I agree, but we were never taught
to love our own selves. If we lack emotion for our own soul,
how can we share the same to another. If we blame ourselves for
everything, will we do the same with others? We can easily point
out the flaws in other people. We can quickly state the problems
of others. How often do you look in the mirror and say, Damn
(Insert Your Name), you need to relax and think straight. Do you
ever give yourself compliments rather than judging yourself in
the mirror. Do you look in it and say, I think youre pretty dope.
I realize it is rare for us to do that. We all carry a faade. We put
on a fake mask to hide what it is truly there. For example, I have
talked to amazing women. During my interactions I act as if I
am perfect on each date. I pretend to love who I am just so they

31

- It Is Written can love me. For some reason I always tell them I like them down
the road even when I do not even like myself at the time. I never
claimed to be perfect I have a lot of issues. I never claimed to be
perfect or complete for a woman, but it comes to the point where
we all have to look in the mirror and appreciate ourselves to a
degree.


I know people who will sell themselves short. I know
people who think their personality repulses the opposite gender.
I know girls who believe they do not deserve a good man
because of their family issues at home. Some men feel if they
cannot provide support through their money it will exclude their
chances of ever dating a woman who will love them. As good
comes with evil, is there a reason doubt fails to have a yin to its
yang? With doubt should come faith. Why is it that people doubt
themselves, but cannot have faith in what they do? Self-doubt is
related to fear. Do people know that? Are humans designed to
have compassion for others and not themselves? Humans seem to
have so much success in everything except for making sure that
they are okay.


I was watching TV one beautiful day and Buzz Lightyear
was hopping from each themed area at Disneyland investigating
the scene. In the background, numerous princesses were
entertaining the children. I thought of the image a princess
personifies. They are a damsel in distress who is in constant
need of a man to liberate her. In every story the princess is
apprehended in captivity, whether in a tower or held hostage
by an evil stepmother. Sadly, the only way for her to escape is
to be loved by a strange man who will rescue her. What are we

32

Darik Chandler
teaching little girls from the moment they lay their innocent
eyes on a Disney movie? Are we teaching them that they must be
codependent on a man in order to live? Each princess is gorgeous
so why does she have such a hard time finding a man become to
begin with? I understand some princesses are hidden from the
world like Cinderella, but finding a man seems difficult for each
of them. Fairy tales tell us they do not need a man. Fairy tales
tell us they need an esoteric prince that no man this day and
age can live up to. Do you realize the world teaches women to
be princesses who are saved by men who do not exist? What if
each princess loved herself? Would a knight in shining armor be
needed? Would a plethora of fairy tales cease to exist if a princess
learned to love and save her own self? These lovely women do
not need a man who is dressed like Capn Crunch to save them.
They need to do it their own damn self. The nerve of these fairy
tales. I do not have a grand steed to ride and save these girls. In
the words of the ghetto proverbs, I cant save these hoes. I used
to drive a 97 Nissan Altima that is comparable to Donkey from
Shrek. Am I supposed to rescue a princess in that car because
these movies told her I would? The nerve. The audacity. A man
should never have to save a woman. She is not leftover food for us
to put foil on and put in the freezer for later.


Talented people around the world desire success.
Unfortunately, they want success for the wrong reasons. Millions
want success to show off and brag. They want to prove others
wrong, which is the wrong step to take towards loving yourself.
See what I did there? They long to show people things they do
not have in order to boost their own ego. The problem is jealousy
focuses on others rather than you, the one person you should be

33

- It Is Written focused on. Whether you are envious or making others jealous,
you are spending too much time attempting to advance in life
with others controlling your intentions. If you loved yourself, you
would do everything solely for yourself and for the betterment of
those around you. If you give love to yourself, eventually you can
reciprocate that to those around you and watch it multiply.


Vacations are the new trend for my friends who have
graduated college. What are vacations? Is it a getaway from a
job or school? Why do people feel the need to get away? Is it to
get away from others or from their lonely version of their self?
I think people travel at times to find out who they are. Is the
purpose of finding you an analogy of loving yourself? I believe so,
and if not, they are nearly synonymous with one another.


I do not have all or any answers to this plague. I only
know people need to love their self in order to create true love
in the universe. All I know is self-inflicted wounds are the new
hugs. Pain should be a drug itself because people are addicted to
it. From my time on this earth I have seen sadness overpower the
will to be happy. It is almost as if being happy is a job that does
not pay well. Ironically, sadness is the fun activity to bathe in
for eternity. With this statement, it is almost impossible to know
what we need to. We should give each other more hi-fives instead
of us fishing for compliments on Instagram and Facebook. Have
you ever given someone a hi-five after an achievement? Even if
the accomplishment is small, their self-esteem rises tremendously
off a simple gesture of approval. Read and learn. Maybe part of
the remedy to helping someone love their own self is to show
them how good they are. I understand this is hard to reach,

34

Darik Chandler
especially when advertising screwed up the world.

Marketers have been telling people for decades the
person they are is not enough to meet the expectations of the
world. The world is judging you so you better buy this product
or purchase that service. The ROI is you will feel better, look
better, and be better. Every product puts a Band-Aid on for you
not loving you and accepting who you are. Do not get me wrong
ladies, you spend hours posted in front of a mirror creating a
masterpiece from the earth colored pastel you dip your brushes
in. Hours of make-up to cover up and look different than what
you are. Wearing it cannot make-up for what is not there. I wish
you could enjoy yourself the way I do. When you do not love, it
feels out of place to like yourself. Even my favorite rapper uttered
these words, Nothings ever good enough. The baddest girl
wouldnt be good enough. So instead of being good enough. I just
want to be better than good enough.


With every word inscribed on this white sheet of paper
my visions become clearer. The only thing I know is I do not
know how to convince you how to love yourself, especially if you
are a pathological liar. I know possible ways it takes to achieve
this goal however. I believe the fear of loving ourselves is the
downfall of humanity. We spend so much time loving objects
and vices rather than investing that interest to ourselves. I refuse
to sprinkle this page with generic phrases and sentences of love.
One thing is certain, in order to love yourself, you must first be a
courageous person. You can like the thousands of faces you have
in various situations, but at the end of the day, who do you love.
Do you love the real you or the image you give so others accept

35

- It Is Written you? You can let your guard down and let others accept you for
the person you are, but when was the last time you let it down for
you? Have you ever faced your insecurities and rehabbed them?
Do you cover up your insecurities by talking to different women
on the regular or put on make-up to hide your self-addressed
flaws? Do you have more excuses not to enjoy yourself than
reasons to accept who you are? For every broken heart, most
believe they can heal the shattered pieces with something more
than friendship. An old wise black man once told me, Once you
love yourself you wont need the love of multiple women, you will
only need one.

Vices are the multiple partners you run to in order to
cover up the fact you do not love yourself. Stop trying to find
answers to made up questions in your head. Let down all of the
preconceived notions you have of yourself and give yourself a
new beginning. No more vacations. Put down all of your inward
baggage and move where the heart is. For once, have the best
interest for yourself. God loves us for who we are so why are you
unable to love yourself for who you are? Have faith in yourself
the same way you have faith in the Lakers winning another
championship in this decade. Do not validate yourself by placing
your confidence in others. Place most of your time within
yourself because you are an investment. To love yourself is to
accept who you are and what you are capable of. Remember no
love can be lost if you never created it in the first place. Grow up
and love you for you.

36

Chapter 4

Handwriting on the Wall:

Raquel Luna

- It Is Written -

She was young, but she spoke of it vividly. And her

hurt is what built our affinity. I wish I could make
her better. I heard the excuses. Truth is. She thinks
that shes useless. - Eddie Caine

40

Darik Chandler

Hello Derek,

I dated a guy for four years. The first two and a
half years were the greatest, but after, things started going
downhill. By that, I mean I found out he had been cheating
on me from the start. It completely changed the way I saw
him. Youre probably asking yourself why I didnt leave him.
I believe I stayed with him because I was used to him and
didnt want to restart another relationship with someone else.
I shouldve been stronger than that. It hurts. He showed other
women more love and attention than he gave to me, and I was
the one with him. He would try to show me love, but once
I caught him I could never fully forgive him. It came to the
point where I would only think about all the girls he showed
that love to. I didnt feel like the only one, I felt like another
one. The last year and a half was on and off and we all know
how those couples work out.

Am I that weak of a person to devalue my self-respect
and be with a man that has brought so much pain to me?
Maybe it was the memories I was in love with and not him. I
thought if we tried to fix things that someday I would feel the
love I once did, and our lives would balance into the norm
once again. After that crappy relationship, I tried to date
someone new, but trust became a new issue. Whenever the
next man would tell me goodnight I would assume he was
driving over to another girls house to be with her. I would
begin thinking what if with the thoughts that resided in
my head. Im over here believing hes sound asleep, but what

41

- It Is Written if? What if hes kissing another woman and has me sleeping,
hoping I enjoy the good morning text hell send. I couldnt
cope with that idea.

It is not easy to trust someone after your first
heartbreak and two years has gone by not being able to trust
someone. How can I move on? How can I learn not to blame
other men for what my ex did to me? Any insight would be
helpful. Thanks.
Yours Truly,
A Heartbroken Heartbreaking Lover of Love

42

Darik Chandler
Dear Sad Lover of Love,

First, I admire your courage to learn more about the
situation from anothers perspective. People are not fans of
listening to anyone but musical artists. The smartest people are
the ones who ask questions every day and do not assume to have
all the answers. To put simply - I question myself more than my
ex-girlfriend ever questioned me. Look at how smart I am. I
digress. It is honorable to hear a woman speak in large volumes
about her past because that informs me she is ready to move
on. Youve packed up every negative memory and grudge in a
suitcase, unloaded every argument from the U-Haul storage unit,
and packed away every what-if into a giant metal dump to
delete the bad forevers that reside in your life.

Secondly, welcome to a place where we admire those
who have been hurt, rather than those who have had it easy. This
is a place where dangerous thoughts can find a safe haven and
communicate their fears, wishes, and desires. I must apologize
on behalf of my gender. Fornicating with others whilst being in
a physically joined union is against my code of ethics. In a world
where soccer and football triumph the screens, it is apparent
this man is a baseball fan who adores the Yankees. I am sure this
mans name was Derek Cheater. I do not condone men that steal
home plate with one woman and keep their foot on first with
another. It disgusts me that this man was trying to play for two
teams at the same time. Who does he think he is, Michael Jordan?
Men have to understand a woman will not have their back when
he is scoring points for the opposing team. Simple logic, I know. I
know this scoundrel picks his nose and flicks the boogers on the

43

- It Is Written wall. I am sure he uses the restroom minutes after he showers.

You cannot trust a man like that. Again, I digress.

Four years is a lot of time to invest into someone. You
could have devoted those years to personal growth. Sadly, not all
cases are meant to last forever. Sometimes, right now is the best
thing that could ever happen to you. That is why it is coined right
now. You can realize you were wrong later. Just remember to
take those cases as a lesson and not a mistake. Finding out a man
cheated on you is supposed to change you. It is not just supposed
to hurt you and impede your growth. It is supposed to make you
grow up. Everyone needs to be cheated on at least once in his or
her life. Not really, but it is a way to humble you and realize even
the best of us can fall. The important thing is you stand back up
instead of lying with him in bed again.

You are supposed to have a little fear of the next mans
actions. Honestly, you should fear being fearless. Not being
slightly afraid is how you get hurt more. If you never feared
anything, would you prepare yourself for failure, or wait until
things happen to do something? Fear helps you become a better
person so you can find yourself a better man, someone who will
be better for you. Do you want to be a better woman for a good
man? I will allow you to answer the rhetorical question in your
free time when you are running around in your black leggings as
men stare at you, wishing they were your boyfriend.

This sounds strange, but bear with me. The great thing
about being cheated on at such a young age is the new friends
you will encounter. You will meet people with such names as
Drake and Mary J. Blige. These types of people will relate to you

44

Darik Chandler
more than your ex ever did. That is a blessing, right? I understand
you were used to him, but look at how he used you. A complacent
relationship will only allow one of you to grow. It takes only one
person to better himself or herself. It takes two people to argue. If
you two are not bettering each other, naturally you will gravitate
to another person. Be grateful you do not have to bicker anymore
and can create another version of yourself.

Do not be sad, be great. I resent the fact you wish you
were stronger than that. It is only when we are weak do we
actually learn lessons that life has to offer us. Mistakes are only
made when you do not learn a lesson. He hurt you once, shame
on him. He hurt you twice. I must assume you must really like
pain or are really gullible.

A man should want to give all of his love to one girl,
but sometimes you can only accept so much of it. Love comes
in a variety of forms. At times, you realize a particular type of
love just is not for you. Cheating is never the right thing to do
except on math tests. Take away the ch and start eating up the
knowledge lifes sour lemons has to offer. If he never broke your
heart, how would the better man have the opportunity to fix the
faults? I understand it sucks to start over, but you started the race
with your ex and you both were racing towards the finish line of
happiness. Unfortunately, for you, he won. Start over with a man
who wants to run a life marathon with you. A race where you
both end up tied, but proud of each other at the end of it. There
are men who want your spiritual love and not your physical love,
then there are also men who want to introduce you to the Take
Care album. Stay away from those men.

You are still a young woman. No man is supposed to

45

- It Is Written understand your decisions when you barely understand your

thoughts. Just do not become what the new kids say. Do not
become a THOT. You are allowed to think about it. Rome was
not built in one day and the Lakers have sucked for the past three
years. The moral of these cohesive words is building you takes
time. Time embodies hurt, different men, various jobs, broken
dreams, clogged toilets, and the attempt of having the same
confidence in life similar to the nights you were intoxicated.

I have come to know many women who do not know
if they genuinely love their man or continue their relationship
because they are content or used to it. Sometimes we like the idea
of a person we are with more that than the actual person. We
fall in love with their representative. Everything they promised
to be and the signs that still shine towards progress. Thinking
about the person gives a better high than their actual company.
The problem with our culture is we love representatives. Think
about this, we like commercials and the promises of the product
rather than the actual thing. Coincidence, I think not. I know
you daydream about the smiles and happiness he receives when
watching a Raider game and wished he were just as enthusiastic
when he had a chance to make love to you. Not all men are built
to be men. There are lovers and there are fighters. Then there are
those who fight for love. This is a problem with men and women.
If we fight for love, how can we spend time enjoying it if we are at
war? We cannot. The love you are fighting for belongs to someone
else. In your case, you cannot fight for love that is owned by
another woman. Love only cares for the two people in it. You are
now the nuisance and he must eradicate you. There are hundreds
of men with your name on them waiting for you to have their

46

Darik Chandler
initials in your Instagram bio. Go find your husband.

After a bad breakup, people often forget to leave their
baggage at their last nightmare vacation. These same people
hope another will take a trip with them. You must be trippin if
you think that could ever work. No man wants to solve your
problems from another man. Men want to grow with your soul,
not fix it. Whenever you meet someone new you have to assume
they are going to be good to you. This does not mean destroy the
wall that protects you. It means entrusting the person to roam
within the mental castle of your thoughts. You can never fully
accept someone for who they fully are if you do not trust them.
In my world, people are trustworthy until proven to be a snake.
Life is supposed to fight you. Life is not supposed to be fair. It
is supposed to make you second-guess everyones actions and
make you triple guess yours. In the same statement, life is about
making assumptions and proving them wrong. Do not trust your
gut feeling. It does not know what it is doing. Do you know what
your gut feeling is doing? It is picking a number in a game of
Russian Roulette and betting the odds on the best chance. Life
gives you more evidence to make conclusions about someone as
time progresses. In retrospect, if you do not trust someone, tell
yourself you are going to find out if it is true. It is wrong thinking,
but be the assumption buster. You need to change the what-if
into, can this person make my half full glass more complete.
There is only one way to find out if a person is honest and that is
by trusting them.

If you satisfy someone mentally, physically, emotionally,
and in some cases spiritually, why would he ever have to look

47

- It Is Written anywhere else for these things? Maybe you focused on the girls
he could be with. This could have taken away your attention to
him and fulfilling those voids in his life. I am not here to point
fingers. I apologize for trying to find a reason he cheated on you.
I acted like a sucka for a quick minute. Anyway, we all know the
saying. Life is a bitch. Yes, we all know society claims life as this
complicated entity that is hard to thrive in. Sadly, the people of
this world may be correct, but if life is hard, it has to be easier to
trust another man and face life with him rather than alone.


Sometimes, moving on is not a feeling. It begins with
actions and the emotions will one day follow. You have to move
your legs in the right direction and stop following your broken
heart. One day your heart will realize that logic did the right
thing. Every person you date from here on out should help make
you a better judge of people. This should in return help you find
out who you are. A great man named Confucius once said, Love
is dope. They say that marriage is made for only the union of
a man and woman. I will not dive into that for debates sake;
however, a two-seater was made for you to be in the passenger
seat while he drives into the future. A man made the first queen
sized bed with his princess in mind. Bottom line, moving on
is something that does not feel right at first. Loneliness is an
addiction. Sometimes, a person feeling sorry for you is better
attention than the recognition love has to offer. People are meant
to build each other up despite the norm of todays beliefs. There
is a man out there for you. Your past has held you back while
the potential future with a better man has moved on. One day

48

Darik Chandler
you are bound to slingshot forward if you keep pulling back. Let
today be that day. As you sit in the Jack in the Box drive-thru,
look at the menu. Overwhelmingly, there are hundreds of options
to select from. Funny for you, life is more natural. There are never
more than two choices to make. You do or you do not. Order the
move on and continue to the next window.


The fact that you focus on the past lets me know you
tend to be a pessimistic thinker. You are probably someone who
looks at the glass half-full of vodka and attempts to drink your
problems away. As the next person fills up your DMs, do not be
so thirsty to call him thirsty. He is looking at the optimistic glass
and wants to get to know you. Let him, or at least use him to get a
free meal on your first date. See what he has to offer. Knowledge,
wisdom, insight, and a great time are what the new guy could
bring to the table. Dating is like exploring new countries, you can
be glad you do not live there, but can enjoy it for the meantime.
No man wants to hurt you, it only happens because life is
dealing you life lessons. Learn from them and do not enter every
friendship or relationship with assumptions unless you plan
to destroy each one. Sometimes you have to compare the new
person to your ex to see what a great man he is.


Do not waste time being alone because if it were a
currency, you would be dead broke instead of investing in stocks
and bonds. It is better to move on before your ex does. That way
the pain is lesser and you can laugh back at him. Remember if

49

- It Is Written there is no love lost, there no love can be found. Love life, and like
him if it is too much for you. I pray you find what you are looking
for.
Sincerely Yours,

50

Chapter 5

The Juxtapositions of Life

- It Is Written -

This life is funny cause despite the money, nothing

stops the rain from pouring. Life aint always bright
and sunny. - J. Cole

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Darik Chandler
You ever wonder if the story ends Happily Ever After.
Or the story is being cut short to avoid real lifes chapter.
You know, the chapter they dont speak of and made is behind the
scenes.
The reality hits the main character hard and is not easily foreseen.
I grew up reading all the books, where the endings remained
positive.
But it doesnt display reality, just an authors skewed prerogative.
How about we expand our genres and stop thinking like a tale.
Where you can actually feel what is going on, similar to reading
Braille.
Real life isnt depicted the way it is on sitcoms.
They ostracize the negatives with circles around it like its lip balm.
Why are the stories fake and scripted just like actors?
I highly disagree these fairy tales end Happily Ever After.
So I abandoned predictable books and read more about suspense.
This forced me to use critical thinking skills more than common
sense.
I was focused how the book would end, I guess a gift and curse.
So focused on the ending that I always read the last page first.

55

- It Is Written The ending was the deciding factor to see if I kept on reading.
I mixed my bad habits with thinking skills, where it kept on
breeding.
It is like building a time machine, where you can see you in the
future.
Attentions on the highlights and we all skip through the bloopers.
Everyone relates to books when starting new life chapters.
But I cannot compare the two since I must know what happens
after.
Maybe stories arent meant to be realities, just a temporary picture
in a frame.
Books and movies, altered plots, and nothing was the same.
I wrote this poem from the ending and watched the course it took.
I welcome you to my thoughts: The One Page Book.

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Darik Chandler
The scene opens on the coastal shoreline of South Beach in
Miami Florida. The skies are partly cloudy. They attempt to
block the sunshine every couple of minutes or so. The water is as
clear as crystal. You can see your reflection through the flow of
medium ripple waves. Tiki Torch and salt water fragrance the air.
A group of family and friends inhabit this secluded oceanfront
for the big day set to happen. Today marks the day where Howard
is set to marry his long time fiance, Rebecca.
Howards long-time friend from high school and
best man (Roman) pulls Howard to the side before the
commencement begins
Roman

You look kind of nervous there. Are you mentally
prepared for this day?
Howard closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he musters
out his reply.
Howard

Yes! Ive waited eight long years for this day and the fact
that its finally here is making me a little jittery.
Roman

Youre just psyching yourself out and probably just
anxious to finally see her. Knowing you, you probably saw her
anyways and broke the tradition.
Howard laughs and pats Roman on the back.

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- It Is Written Howard

You know me too well buddy, but I make sure I didnt
break this superstition. Not trying to start this marriage off on the
wrong foot.
They both stare silently at the sailboat in the distance. The men
watch it move slowly in the horizon until Roman breaks the
silence.
Roman

Sorry about last night man. I tried to drink as much as
I could with you, but I ended up blacking out quicker than I can
even remember. How did the rest of the night go?
Howards ears turn red slowly. This happens to him regularly
when hes embarrassed or nervous.
Howard

The party gradually started to end after you passed out. I
had to start kicking people out because it was already 3 AM and I
knew I had to get up a couple of hours later.
Roman

(Gives Howards a nudge and smirks) How were those
dancers?
Howard

They were...

Through the door comes Romans wife Veronica, and her friend

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Darik Chandler
Stacy with drinks in their hands. Stacy walks towards the two
as if shes drunk, but she is known to move very clumsily so its
very hard to tell. Her and Veronica walk arm to arm as if theyre
getting ready to square dance on the beach sand.
Veronica

What are you two doing out here all alone? Thinking
about taking a quick swim before the marriage ceremony?
Stacy is the only one that laughs, but her laugh was a little
delayed.
Howard

Were just out here reminiscing about old times and how
it used to be.
Veronica

You mean going out and partying all the time and
coming home drunk out of your minds?
Roman

Baby that was a long time ago. You know we cut back on
our partying habits and shifted our focus to just playing some
Texas Hold em with the bros.
Veronica stares at Howard and Roman unconvincingly. She
knows when two guys hangout together theyre up to no good.
Roman

Seems like Stacy had too many drinks. She probably

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- It Is Written needs to drink some water and try to sober up before she throws
up everywhere during the ceremony.
Stacy becomes alert and attentive after she hears her name in the
conversation.
Stacy

Im perfectly fine. The hot sun and the little amount of
alcohol in my system are just not mixing well right now. Ill get
over it.
Howard

Well, drinking more alcohol is definitely not going to
make it any better.
Howard takes the glass away from Stacy and takes a whiff of it.
He recognizes the pungent smell and knows it is very strong
alcohol. He pours the drink out on the sand. He looks at his
watch and realizes the time. The Ceremony is about to begin in
20 minutes.
Howard

I think its time to head back to the gazebo. Seems like a
bigger crowd is forming over there. The four of them walk back
to the gazebo where the couples family and friends are gathered.
Everyone waits for the marriage ceremony to start. Veronica
does her best to keep Stacy walking upright to try to hide her
drunkenness.
INT. GAZEBO - Morning

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Darik Chandler
The Couples family and friends are having a great time mingling
under the huge tent. Everyone is dressed comfortably in their
sandals, Khakis, and Hawaiian-related dress shirt. The Pastor
(Henry) is going about introducing himself to everyone. Kids are
running around the gazebo and playing in the sand. Everyone
seems to be having a great time except Rebeccas parents Samuel
and Claire. Since the beginning, Samuel has had a hard time
accepting his daughters marriage decision. Samuel and Claire
whisper in the corner...
Samuel

I cant believe shes actually marrying this fool. I had
a bad feeling about him since she started dating him in high
school. Shes lucky Im only here to show my support because I
would be at home relaxing and watching my Sunday football.
Claire

Dont ruin this special day for your daughter with all that
negativity. We always told her we supported all her decisions so
dont go back on your word now. Look at your blind hatred on
Howard. Put a fake smile on your face and at least act like youre
having fun.
Samuel sighs and puts a fake smile on his face. The two walk
to the other family members and converse. The Pastor yells on
the megaphone and instructs everyone to be seated because the
ceremony is about to commence.
INT- Marriage Ceremony - Morning

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- It Is Written Everyone sits down as Howard stands before the crowd. Right
beside him is Pastor Henry, and behind him are the Bridesmaids
and the Groomsmen. Howards parents and siblings are sitting in
the front row with Rebeccas family. Behind them are Veronica,
Roman, and Stacy. The rest of five rows are filled with their
extended family and additional friends. The piano plays the Here
Comes the Bride melody. Howards ears slowly turn red again.
His 4-year-old niece Selena (who is the flower girl) walks down
the aisle in sync with the tune. She is throwing red rose pedals.
Behind Selena is Rebecca. The beautiful bride is clothed in an allwhite, one-shoulder ball-wedding gown. Her father Samuel walks
her in. All the attendees stand at this point. For Howard, things
move in slow motion and he is now noticing everyones miniscule
movements. His eyes wander back and forth. His eyes lock onto
Stacys face. It is full of tears. She runs off from the second-row
sobbing as Veronica quickly pursues her.
CUT SCENE: INT- Howards Hotel Room
Howard wakes up and gazes at the alarm clock on his nightstand.
The room is darker than ever and the only thing his eyes can see
is the red illumination from the device reading: 5:23 AM. The
smell of alcohol and throw up poison the air. On the nightstand,
right next to the alarm clock, is an open bottle of Hennessy that is
completely empty. Howard tries to fall back asleep. He knows he
has to get ready for his wedding day in four hours. He pulls the
covers to get comfortable, but they wont budge because it feels
as if theyre being held down by something. He rolls over and
notices a naked woman lying right next to him. Howards heart
races from the unknown. His eyes are blurry. He cannot make

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Darik Chandler
out the figure that rests beside him. He blinks a couple of times to
sharpen his vision. His eyes adjusts. The view is clear. In disbelief,
he realizes it is Stacy.

Why is infidelity more prevalent in our generation than
ever? As the days pass by and new marriages accumulate, the
divorce rate from infidelity is also increasing. Are we so focused
on having more that we cannot stay satisfied with what we
already have? Is it because our lustful thoughts overpower our
loyal ones? It can possibly be both, but this trend of adultery isnt
going to stop anytime soon unless we make a motion to stop it.
Rather than until death do us part, we should have until these
we mutually agree to end this marital contract.

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Chapter 6

Blank Stare

- It Is Written -

The difference between false memories and true

ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false
ones that look the most real, the most brilliant.
- Salvaldor Dali

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Darik Chandler
I Grew Up Thinking My Pupils Were Black
Am I the only one that grew up thinking my were my pupils were
black?
Rather than appreciating my accomplishments, they always
reminded me about the skills I lacked.
Maybe it was because I went to a black school and thats all I saw.
Where the system was made to drag you down with the sharpest
of claws.
Maybe it was because I wasnt one of the brightest, thoughts were
full of space.
Where every situation can be easily blamed on race.
To soon learn that black wasnt a color. How can that be?
Black was always an option in the crayon box. Its something my
eyes can see.
Black is the visual impression when no visible light reaches the
eye.
So how were we considered colored if the rules didnt comply.
So this whole time I thought black was a color, it was really
considered colorless.
Maybe its just my stubbornness or another thing controlled by
the U.S. Government.
Why cant we live in world that doesnt emphasize on color?

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- It Is Written Where were all sisters and brothers and love one another.
Then I saw the light. You shouldnt be judged by the pigment of
your skin.
Because were the same color if you really look within.
Just imagine a world where everyone is blind.
Where you can only feel things and hear whats on peoples
minds.
Good and bad are the only versions of black and white.
It doesnt matter what you can see with sight.
There is something within you that lets you know whats right.
The content of my character is something that rests inside.
Just set aside your pride.
I hope you wont judge me with the black pupils in OUR eyes.

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Darik Chandler
ARTist History
A picture is worth 1,000 words. And those words are called
music.
When you give these words rhythm, the music becomes more
fluid.
Some rappers live their raps. Some live to be a fiction.
Some claim that theyre the king of rap like they are Egyptian.
We have lyricism, club music, and music that tell short stories.
These sub genres make it difficult to put rappers in the same
category.
We have rappers like Young thug who came in the game with his
own flow.
His songs will become an earworm and make you want to rip
your ear off like Van Gogh.
Whatever happened to rapping with a substance? More gold and
less glitter.
Rather than well thought bars we get random lines from
characters just like Twitter.
Feels like these rappers use 140 characters to express themselves.
Then they create an album with these characters and stock store
shelves.
They release so much music that they flood their fans with their

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- It Is Written craft.
Which sounds like an incomplete product or a rough draft.
I appreciate rap. I relate to messages theyre portraying.
Its like today I hear calligraphy because I cant understand what
theyre saying.
Its amazing how some people will consider that hating.
The food for thought they relay is causing our minds to decay.
Why be stuck in a box when you can be more dimensional like a
prism.
Dont let the rappers youre influenced by trap your mind in a box
like cubism.
The words they use paint the bigger picture.
The best can Photoshop their words because history is written by
the victor.
Maybe heroes come in all forms, some with powers and some
with a pen.
They can speak what were afraid to say, they tell the now from
then.
Were supposed to think and embody what they say.
But the best musicians help us to relive what we feel today.
Ode to those we owed our lives to.

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Darik Chandler
If a picture paints 1,000 words, I hope were never lied to.

71

Chapter 7

The Most Dangerous Drug in

the World

- It Is Written -

I still love her the way Common used to.

- Joe Budden

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Darik Chandler

The year was 2004. My oldest cousin Jacob had

given me a massive zip-up folder of his collected CDs. I had just

bought my first iPod ever then. It was a first generation with a
screen of black letters and a blue background. In order to make
it a cherished item in my life I needed his Music plus the illegal
Music I downloaded from LimeWire to fill it up. I was so excited
to listen to the same Music my biggest cousin did. I looked up
to him because he always wore the most fly clothes, and in my
eyes, he was a fresh dude who got everything he wanted. I wanted
to do exactly what he did. When I received his CDs, I carefully
pulled each one out of its own personal slot and ripped each one
to my iTunes. The Living Legends, DJ Quik, N*E*R*D, and so
many others had become a monument in my life at the age of
thirteen. I remember playing N*E*R*Ds In Search Of... and
DJ Quiks The Best Of albums religiously. I had never heard
of these sounds. They captivated me. They gained my undivided
attention. It felt defiant listening to gangster Music like DJ Quik
through my earphones as I would walk past my mom in the
house. For nearly two years I would listen to DJ Quiks The Best
Of every night before I went to sleep, albeit he was rapping
about things I did not relate to. I was too young to gangbang or
even be involved with multiple women nevertheless one. There is
one song on the album that struck a chord from within. The song
was Summer Breeze. Even to this day I become flustered and
flooded with emotions as I tune into the song.

As a little boy I swore I would never grow up. Time
would never affect me the same way it aged others. DJ Quik
would take me through a journey as I grew through the years. I
first heard Summer Breeze at the age of thirteen. It was his only

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- It Is Written song I connected to. Coincidentally, in his first verse, he spoke

about hanging with his friends at the same age. The cares and
worries of the world did not exist as a new teenager. At the time,
I never heard a song relate to the same age I was. I only listened
to songs intended for a mature audience. It felt relaxing to hear
a rapper express his thoughts of my age at the time. The first
verse concluded and he continued with his second. This second
verse was referenced to the ages of, 17 or 18. I was a young
teenager. I never worried about the problems of the future. I was
more concerned about kissing a girl in middle school and trying
to face my fears as they presented themselves. I would never grow
to the age of eighteen, one day I did. I became what I thought I
never could. I was growing some fuzz on my face the same way
DJ Quik did in his second verse. I laid in my bed and shed a tear
after I turned eighteen and realized life was passing me by. The
years will not stop for me. I kept listening as I grew up into the
man I am today.
I am currently twenty-two years young
as I write these words.

I reminisce of a particular day. On the way to get a
haircut my iPhone shuffled itself to play this song by DJ Quik. As
his third verse finessed its way through the speakers, his words
crumbled my heart, Now Im twenty-three and I remember the
times... he raps. I am only one year away from his third verse.
Regardless of my age, I indeed felt the numerous emotions he
associated himself within the song, And when it seems like
things just aint gon be right, I gotta thank my creator for letting
me sleep last night, and waking me up in the mornbecause I
shudder to think that could be me dead ... I shrug away from
the song if I can. It becomes harder to listen to this song every

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Darik Chandler
day. When I turn twenty-three I will have listened to this song
and have related to it for a decade. This is something I have never
had with any other and with all honesty, I am surprised I am
alive today. Music has been a time capsule for me. When
I listen to Summer Breeze and other songs I am immediately
reminded of the memories and special moments with friends
and family. I remember what I was doing when I first heard
each song. I remember the situations it helped me survive. As
with this one particular song, it is timeless to me, even though
it shows how much I have aged. It has been a decade of listening
to a five-minute song that has spoken my trials and tribulations
through the years. This song does more than remind me of my
memories, it reminds me of my great grandmother who passed
when I was young, whom I faintly remember. It reminds me of
other family members whom I can no longer visit because they
have traveled to the spiritual world. Everyone who knows me is
familiar with the 256 Megabytes of memory I have to store my
thoughts. The things people never forget, I never remember. For
some odd reason when Music speaks to me I instantly remember
everything.

Music is unique to me. When I feel alone, it is these types
of songs that whisper in my ear, Summer Breeze, flowing like the
wind. Boy you need to know that you got a friend, and Ill always
be here. I sense the words of my great grandmother telling me
she is watching me from Heaven. Adverse situations want to kick
my ass. The universe wants to tell me I cant succeed. Depression
wants to be my best friend. None of this matters because Music
has always been the friend who comforts and consoles me. I
believe Music is a woman because of her caring nature. She will

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- It Is Written empathize with me when I am feeling down and will ride with
me when I am ready to conquer the world. Her love is the only
unconditional love I have found. Even if she is my only friend at
times, there are instances when I feel like she is my only love. The
support of my deceased family members is present. When she is
near I hear my lost family and friends say, Push harder. Youve
done so much to let this all be in vain.

I feel as if the music was Gods creation to help us find
comfort when there are no shoulders to cry on. When we are too
selfish to speak to Him directly, Music takes His place. She is a
personal angel sent to the people. God only gave us one mouth
and two ears to listen. His emphasis is on paying attention to the
words the Bible and what Music has to offer. Music is the diary
we do not write, but somehow it already knows what we want to
say and speaks it to us. No matter the emotion, she goes through
the motions with us. Music puts herself in our shoes during the
difficult times. One thing I have realized is Music negates the
clich born alone, die alone. When you are born, Music is there
in every genre and album ready to write your life. You are born
with Music and die with your thoughts. Either way, she is always
present.

Music is my calm nature that lives from within. She can
chauffeur you to a better place. She acts as a vehicle to drive you
down memory lane. Your earphones connect to your soul and
fill the voids you carry. She drowns the voices in your head with
the sounds of companionship. Misery likes her company. I do
not need drugs. She is my high. She reminds me who I am when
I forget. She captures every moment through instruments. If you

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Darik Chandler
are selfish, she will be selfish with you. When you are in love,
she will express the happiness you are indulged in. Each one of
her words argues with you to better yourself. She will help you
meet your expectations. She utters the words your mouth cannot
speak. She helps two individuals relate with commonalities.
Music is just what feelings sound like. You may not be the center
of attention and the world may not revolve around you. That does
not matter, she will be your blanket in a cold world. When you
can no longer think, Music will become your train of thought.
Music is not only present to represent the sad realities of your
life. Whether depressed, happy, or empowered, she will be there
cheering you on through the speakers.

Music takes you into a state of bliss where you do not
need ignorance. Music makes you want to remember good
moments for the rest of your life. She is in the background of
every party and soire. She is the life of the scene. She is the
only one who can make strangers dance in unison and bond on
the dance floor. She creates mores smiles than any other form
of entertainment. People party with her, workout at the gym
with her, cry with her, make love with her, and so many other
important activities. She comes in many genres from Old School,
Freestyle, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock, Country, to EDM. She is not
exclusive to any race or creed. She does not pick favorites. She
does not discriminate.

She has many personalities for everyone. Music is my
life but somewhere along the lines, somewhere during our
relationship, she changed. She began speaking to me differently.
She stopped caring about how I felt and what I wanted. I wanted

79

- It Is Written the best for her, but she wanted someone else. I guess it is true,
nothing gold can stay. In the year 2016 Music has changed
drastically. I hardly recognize her, especially in regards to HipHop.

Music is no longer a method of expression for millions.
Sadly, she has been raped by the media, revolutionized by record
labels, and stripped from her purpose by the government. In
the altered words of Gil Scott Heron, [Music] is now blood
and tears instead of milk and honey. I am aware that Music has
been on a downward trend for decades. A musical insurrection
is occurring now. I turned on the radio one fine morning to hear
the same song repeatedly. I was dumbfounded from what I was
hearing. The DJ must have played the same song multiple times.
Maybe I was crazy. Maybe the DJ did not press repeat and the
songs were different. It could not be. How could every song be
about money, sex, drugs, and infidelity? Where do they do that
at? Does this sound clich to you? This is because it is. A person
cannot turn on the radio these days without hearing this ear
damaging nonsense. You can never escape the vocal chords of Lil
Wayne, Chris Brown, or YG. You cannot avoid the production
of DJ Mustard or MikeWillMadeIt. I grew up listening to real
Hip-Hop artists like Joe Budden, Wu-Tang, Talib Kweli, and XV.
Yes, I know how talented Chris Brown and other artists are, but at
one time we deemed Lil Wayne as the greatest rapper alive. What
happened? These musicians focus on being the hottest right now,
not the greatest to ever do it. Nowadays, these highly esteemed
artists are writing songs about hoes who have failed to be loyal as
if that was a surprise. The more I give my attention to the radio,
the more I realize what is happening to our society. Not too

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Darik Chandler
long ago, there was a balance in the force. Excuse the Star Wars
reference, but there once existed a balance of ignorant and good
Music for the soul. There stood Music that touched you, and
Music that was for fun. Somewhere during my lifetime all morals
got lost. The worst part of this downfall is Hip-Hop has risen to
be one of, if not the most dominant form of Music in America.

Since the inception of Music, she had expressed emotions
and created changed. She helped generate revolutions for the
people, by the people, just as Public Enemy spoke their words of
uprising and hope. There was a time when Music was only for
the population and our benefit. Outside of Hip-Hop, there were
The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Michael Jackson,
and Van Halen. This is a small list of artists whose lyrics have
inspired the masses. Listeners gravitated towards their moving
words. Much of these artists did not abide by the social norm or
follow trends. They [fought] the power and despite many drug
and alcohol references, promoted unity around the world. Listen
to the radio for ten seconds and you will hear, Girl Im trying
to beat the p***y up. I laugh when I hear, If they aint looking
I dont want that girl. Radio music praises a pretty face rather
than a beautiful personality. The airwaves pollute our ears with
misogynistic messages. Radio artists stunt on their peers. They
do not pick them up when they have fallen. Countless artists
claim to be the man but are not even men themselves. My words
sound like I hate todays Music. I do not. My only hope is for
people to realize how ill-mannered our music is. If people knew,
I am sure their attitudes would not be so bliss. If you backtrack to
the 1970s, 80s, 90s, even the early 2000s, we will see meaningful
Music that only started its downfall. During the beginning of

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- It Is Written Hip-Hop, artists gave us Music that carried the substance. Their
albums were a body of work. There was an intro, body, and a
conclusion to nearly every album. Most of the music came with a
message just like cereal boxes used to come with toys. Music had
character and a wow factor. I am an avid Music listener. I am a DJ
who downloads hundreds of songs and albums each year. I have
seen the transition and I noticed how she has changed over the
year.

If you buy a Tyga or Wiz Khalifa album what do we
get? The same music I used to know. Do we embrace thoughtful
messages at all? Do we receive bars or disposable words?
Everyone sells drugs, shoots guns, and none of the new content
differs. So many artists sing of the chains they do not actually
own. It seems Hip-Hop went from telling the truth to being the
biggest faade ever. We used to have albums such as My Beautiful
Dark Twisted Fantasy, Doggystyle, The Chronic, Enter The 36
Chambers, Ready to Die, All Eyez On Me, Be, and Straight Outta
Compton. These albums were truthful representations of life and
no matter how right or wrong, they were an accurate depiction
of people at a time. I understand nearly not all of these albums
incited a revolution as I have stated. These albums, I believe, did
facilitate growth amongst many individuals however. Some of
these albums challenged the social norm. They did not accept
many of the standards of police brutality or abusive relationships
at the time.

During the 90s, there was no shortage of controversy.
The nation was stirred with Eminems words. Protests and riots
followed his album releases because people genuinely cared

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Darik Chandler
what was on the radio and what was being shared amongst
the community. Thousands protested his Music because of his
profanity and messages. He was an exceptionally talented man
many did not want to see prosper. I want you to think of our
society today. When was the last time anyone cared about the
output of todays Music? Are concerned parents on the street
protesting Lil Bs mixtapes in hopes their children will not listen
to such atrocious music? I think not. Music has changed to a
state of not caring. The fans do not care about what the artists
are saying anymore. They only care if they can have fun to it.
Whether young or old, there is no shortage of ignorance.

Todays artists no longer produce Music to challenge
societys train of thought. They have let the power of a dollar
annihilate them. All of these mainstream artists do not care
about the culture and definitely do not concern themselves
with advocating a positive image to a genre that has the biggest
influence in America.

The influence that Music has is one of the most powerful.
Rappers Joe Budden and XV taught me how to love myself. I
became comfortable with myself because their words identified
with me. Musics comfort with me is more important than
needing the company of others. A surprising fact about the
Hip-Hop genre is it is not exclusive to any race, age, or mindset.
If you analyze her from a marketing standpoint she targets
herself towards the youth. It is easier to influence the younger
generation than any other age group. I spoke of Eminem, yet
NWAs words generated a ruckus in America as well. They did
not only direct their Music for the urban youth to listen to, they

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- It Is Written made Music for the youth to make a difference to. Our Music
artists do not embrace their power to advocate change the way
NWA or any Music genre has. In this time, very few Music artists
have genuinely stood up for the murders of Oscar Grant, Eric
Garner, Trayvon Martin, or Mike Brown. Countless artists do
not identify themselves with social change the same way people
identify themselves with Music. NWA and others paved the way
for current artists to make a voice for the people. They showed
how powerful Music was. If there were an issue, Music would
stand behind the movement and encourage it. She altered the
perception of the police department and showed how corrupt it
could be. Now she never voices her opinion about the troubles
the world is enslaved in. Tyga has not stood up to fight police
brutality. He continues to rap about his gold chain in various
ways as if he does not do it in every song. It is probably easier to
rhyme about pimps and hoes than create a message that could
generate a movement among the nation.

Throughout history technology has allowed healthcare,
electronics, cars, etc., to advance and further improve. Why does
it feel as if Music is the only one thing that is regressing? HipHop is turning into Benjamin Button, who is now youthful and
oblivious. Labels are more concerned with signing a hit single
than cultivating artists for a credible album. Music now has
fewer fans and more critics. If a distinguished record is created,
someone always has something overly constructive to say.
This has led to the term hater. In addition, opinions are now
categorized as hate if we have anything to say towards a record.
There is no longer any such thing as constructive criticism. If I
say the radio songs have no substance I am called a hater. Dances

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Darik Chandler
are more significant than the content of songs.

When did twerking become more important than the
wisdom of lyrics? Are people more concerned with the beat
than the lyrics? Poetry was created before the instrumental. It is
supposed to complement the words that the artist speaks. Poetry
and a beat created Music, and now people follow these artists
and every Music trend that comes with it. My eyes have watched
a girl I love transform right before me. She no longer cares to
please me. She walked away and only runs back when she needs
me. Ever since the change, I worry my six-year-old sister will be
influenced by grown women shaking their asses on television.
I sit back in my recliner chair and ponder my thoughts. Tell me
what happened. Where did my woman get lost in this world?
Did society change her perspective on life? Maybe she got sick
of tending to peoples emotions and wanted to have fun? What if
someone approached her and forced her to turn? What if all of
this was planned? America fell in love with Music and all she had
to offer. Could it be that the government realized her spectacular
persuasion and decided to take advantage of her?

I was getting a haircut and conversing in barbershop talk.
We start to discuss how bad the radio is. The Music, the culture,
and the influence. One man stated that the only reason artists
create genre specific Music, is to appeal to a demographic. In
each demographic, the genre will negatively affect the population.
Hip-Hop, Pop, EDM, Rock, and R&B are the frontrunners. The
people will be oblivious to the fact this Music will control them. It
will influence them to participate in the same acts that artists rap
or sing about.

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- It Is Written
What if the government accepts the influence Music
has and decides to utilize it for their own devious plot? What
if the government controls record labels? The record labels in
turn only sign artists who speak about drugs, money, fashion,
and everything that contains messages of egocentricity. The
Music artists are now heroes and heroines. Children and the
urban youth want to be just like their idols. Maybe there are
on to something. Kids grow up wanting to be Kobe or Jordan
on the basketball court. Every child fights for who will be Iron
Man when playing make believe in their backyard. Teenagers
and adults want to be like the people they look up to. It is only
natural. People are conditioned to follow a leader. Todays Music
provides these leaders, the ones who glorify wasting your check
on material things to impress people who do not care about you.
Our nation does not know the difference between a good leader
and a horrific one because our cream of the crop is atrocious.

You do not tell people your intentions when you want
to control them. The best way is to deceive. When influence is
destructive, we consider it manipulative. Music can be a way for
higher powers to control without anyone noticing. What is the
best way to control people without being noticed? The answer
is to use things people love against them like Music and film.
Music is dominant due to the fact people listen to it every day
and anywhere. The only time you cannot listen to it is when you
are asleep. What if the government has a secret plot to take over
the world and create a one-world government? They do not want
us, the people, to catch onto their lies and deception. What if
they use music to draw our attention away from their politics and
illegal activity? To achieve such a deception they only need to hire

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Music artists, actors, and celebrities to manifest their own destiny.
Artists should speak the concerns and voice our political agenda
to the government. Artist should defend our civil liberties so no
one could take advantage of it; no one like the government. Are
we in a time of need? Does Music assert our focus on everything
but our rights and well-being? What if the radio is a proponent of
the government? The feds control the stations to lower our IQ so
we cannot stand up to their tyranny. In the words of rapper Jon
Connor, I feel like they have us getting dumber for a reason.

What if Music is the greatest form of mind control
there is? What if the people do not agree with the agenda of
the government so they employ Music artists to convince us
otherwise? These artists not only help through the music we
listen to, they lend a hand through Twitter with all 140 characters.
They brainwash through every image posted on Instagram. The
heroes we look up to are the villains. They brainwash our heroes
as well. They are obedient to their master in exchange for wealth,
power, groupies, cars, attention, or whatever tickles their fancies.
What if a Music contract is an agreement to sell your soul to
these corporations? They sell their souls and choose to deal with
their consequences later. They are not political activists. They are
trendsetters that do not benefit anyone. They are false gods whom
people worship. If you can tell me the last time LilWayne made
an album that encouraged people to better themselves, Ill tell you
of the time Jessica Alba and I went on a date together. I will tell of
you the time I saw a flying pig. When was the last time we heard
something positive? Why do we not fight for an encouraging
product? What if the government succeeding in taking away our
ambitions and motivations? Rihanna sings, I love the way you

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- It Is Written lie. Dumb woman, (I told my mom I would not use profanity in
this book) should we love the ugly truth more than a pretty lie?
You can ask me what is wrong with Music. I will ask you what is
right with Music. The radio has little girls dressing as if they are
grown. Reality seems fake and the truth is almost as believable
as Santa Claus. Music is supposed to free us, yet somehow it
enslaved us in gold chains.

Without a major label, there is a small amount of artists
who have been successful. Independent artists are as rare as the
Raiders making it to the playoffs. Macklemore is a recent notable
artist to generate a buzz without being signed. Creating music
costs money and copious amounts of it. Studio time, equipment,
and features are impossible to afford with a small salary. Music
labels understand this. In an alternate reality, record executives
have signed a deal with the government to only recruit artists
who are down with their agenda. The airwaves have artists at
their disposal.

A rapper or singer dreams of a contract. The bright lights
are enticing. Until they sign, they can only sing at their local
church or talent show. No one listens to unsigned artists. First,
people do not believe the artist has talent if they are not signed.
Second, with no promotional team or distribution, there is a
great possibility you will never hear his or her name. Unsigned
artists can only release their own mixtape or demo. It is rare
for an unsigned artist to generate sales with no album. What if
one day a contract lands on their table? After they sign it they
notice in order for them to create music, the label has a hand in
the development of their musical creativity. It has been noted

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by music connoisseurs that artists tend to have better mixtapes
that are free, than albums that are sold for profit. Labels cannot
control a free project like a mixtape. The only downside is no
money is made from a mixtape, and distribution is left up to the
artist. They can only profit from shows and merchandise.

Suppose the artist is done with their album and has to
send it in for consent to release by their Music label. What if the
label doesnt like the message the artist articulates in each track?
If my crazy theory is possible, does the government only want
Music that will dumb us down? A message with substance will be
shot down until the artist creates something more governmenty.
The easiest way to control what the people listen to is by
controlling what the artists say. The artist will eventually become
deprived of no record sales and a worldwide country tour. The
artist will also run the risk of aggravating their fans with no new
material. The artist finally bends and creates an album fit for the
governments agenda, and in exchange, they receive their benefits.
I have seen so many artists start on their own, only to become
horrible musicians once they sign. Rapper and singer, B.o.B., is
an amazing pianist and guitarist. His mixtapes are phenomenal
and his first album was amazing. His words healed people. His
songs encouraged his supporters to work hard. I believe his label
finally utilized him for their goal if ever that was possible. Since
2012, he only makes radio music such as Headband glorifying
fat asses and twerking. Did this mysterious government influence
affect his Music or is it just my imagination playing games with
me? I am under the belief Big Sean is a victim of this hidden
monstrosity as well. His career started with soulful music and
later turned into a radio machine. I bashed rap artist Tyga earlier

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- It Is Written in the passage. Was I too critical? If I believe the government

destroys our Music, is it his fault the message is absent? Before his
contract, he delivered profound music. What happens when great
Music is created? You guessed it, you become a signed artist. Has
he attempted to provide meaningful music since? I think the
answer is not in my archives, but I do know an artist who brought
forth the positive music that has been missing. Let us review the
example from the charcoal of burned dreams.

Pop artist, M.I.A. was denied the release of her album in
2013 since her message in the album was deemed too positive.
Her Music label, Interscope, said verbatim, You need to darken
it up a bit. We built you as public enemy No. 1, and now youre
coming out with all of this positive stuff. Bottom line, a positive
message was rejected for a reason and not a coincidence. My
friend and signed rapper stated, The dictionary is absent from
rap and kids need meaning. Not just rap, but the Music in
general. I am sure many artists share secret messages in their
music to promote the injustice these labels implement. Let us
review individual artists who have sent messages of hope before
this generation.

Tupac Shakur was a man with a purpose. His words
encouraged unity amongst the minority whether Black or
Hispanic. He told the truth about the racist, capitalistic power
structure that enslaved our country. He supported the betterment
of welfare for everyone with an open mind. Tupac was an
amazing man and artist. His positive music triumphs his fun,
arrogant pieces. Sadly, he died before his time. I become sad
when I realize men like Tupac died before his impact reached

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his prime. I revel, why do so many greats die before God wants
them home? What if Tupac was not killed by the alleged gang
members who were beefing with him at the time? If there was
any possibility that existed, what if he was murdered by the
government? What if he opposed his contract with his record
label?

In this imaginary world, the record execs and
governments goal are to belittle the intelligence of the human
population. What if Tupac was not only a poet, but also a
revolutionist? What if he was not only a thug, but also a
humanist? In a fantasy world I have created, a secret society
controls the world behind closed doors called the Illuminati.
Tupac signs his contract to work for them until he realizes how
evil they are and wants out. He produces his last album before
his death called Don Killuminati. Kill the Illuminati is the
essential meaning. The poet wants to exploit his words in his last
album to oppose the oppression this secret society held on the
people. What if he was tired of being a tool in the construction of
our fate? Tupac is angry he sold his soul for the fame and wants
to convert back to Christianity. In this fantasy, the Biggie and
Tupac beef is a cover-up for the Illuminati murdering their own
rebellious artist. A man tempted to release its secrets. Before his
death, Tupac severed the strings from the puppeteer, and he had
to be silenced. He was too dangerous to keep alive and the only
way to leave the contract is death. As an artist, you obey or you
are left six feet underground. The man everyone knows as Tupac
is assassinated because his influence is greater than the control of
his superiors. He was a hero. He was the peoples rapper, not the
governments slave.

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- It Is Written
What if The Notorious B.I.G., Kurt Kobain, Jimi Hendrix,
and many more did not die because of an apparent overdose or
suicide? Is it possible their voices were silenced because they
began to speak their minds instead of repeating orders? What
if Kurt Kobain committed suicide because he could not handle
being a puppet anymore? The only escape from being a false idol
was death. We will never know if any of this is true. These are
only theories I have. Products, people, and wine are supposed
to get better over time, not regress as Music has. Maybe I am
petty with this whole approach to Music. Lately, I feel like Music
and I rarely speak to each other despite the fact we grew up as
best friends. We watched each other reach so many pinnacles
in both of our lives. As we grew, she changed, similar to Jenny
in the movie Forrest Gump. She went to college and turned into
a promiscuous woman. Every rapper and singer has hit it now,
male or female. Whether I go across the world and experience life
in various ways, at the end of my story she will be there. She will
always be my girl.

It is amazing how my girl has turned into a bully since
we became departed. She has recruited Hip-Hop mogul Nicki
Minaj to bully other women. On the radio she raps, where my
fat @$$ b*tches in the club? F**k the skinny b*tches, f**k the
skinny b*tches in the club. Music tells our young women they
need to adopt a particular trend or be a specific way in order to
be accepted. Who is doing the accepting by the way? Nobody. We
allow imaginary people to judge us in our heads because we are
so concerned about the thoughts of people who honestly do not
care. In my belief, God should be the only idol we have. These
new artists do not come as friends to the people, they come as

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gods themselves. Their lyrics are the new bible for many of these
young folks. My girl preaches for little girls to alter their bodies
and faces for attention. She tells ladies to get butt and boob
implants to be like every girl in the Music videos. Attention is
not love, but in the music industry, it is all you have. In the words
of poet Rodney Hazard, we alienate women with plastic bodies
and orange skin. Its kind of scary, nightmarish like looking at
porcelain. She stopped being the healer of souls and has become
a vocal abuser in the world. She does not care about my wants or
needs anymore. She does not care about the people who follow
her any longer. Whether she is controlled by the record execs
or a secret society, she has an ulterior motive for her people. I
entertained so many possibilities as to why she changed. Am I
wrong or is the state of Music wrong? Did we hurt her or did she
hurt us?

Can anyone pinpoint the day she changed? The Music
community asks who killed Hip-Hop? I ask who killed Music?
Maybe she died because of one hit wonders. Maybe YouTube
and infamous Twitter opinions did the job. Big Boi and Rikki
Martinez claim their radio station, Power 106, is where Hip-Hop
lives, but EDM is taking over its airwaves. The radio could have
killed her. Maybe MTV stands for Money TeleVision. Maybe
she outgrew me and appeals to a different audience. She could
be suffering because people care more about the chorus than
the verses. Maybe she was murdered when artists promoted
their own self-interests than standing united. She could be hurt
because of excellent singles and ghastly albums. Did ringtones
slap her? Did DJs spinning with no turntable kill her? Maybe
she turned her back on us when Dr. Dre refused to drop Detox.

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- It Is Written Perhaps the consumption rate angered her, and she wants
revenge. Artists are focused on quantity over quality. People do
not recognize her before moving onto the next song. What if she
died with Tupac and Biggie? I can complain or drive assumptions
into your head, but one thing is for certain, I still love her.

Despite the negative feelings I have towards my girl, I
often forget to enjoy the small things. I am not perfect. I demand
so much from her when I should be helping her improve. She is
not always boujie towards me. Every once in a while, she reminds
me of what made me fall in love with her. She shows me that I am
the only one who knows her truly. When she visits me, she shows
me there is no lying or cheating. She picks me up at my lowest
and I hold her down when I DJ. No matter how long she is gone,
she always returns when the sun goes down. She speaks through
Joe Buddens mood, XVs hipster ways, Big K.R.I.Ts soul, Kanye
Wests drums and hi-hats, Childish Gambinos high notes, Jon
Connors dedication, Novels love poems, and JMSNs guitar.
Music is where the heart is, and she takes care of half the rent.
She sees something in me others fail to acknowledge. Music is my
diary written through the words of others. I will forever love you.

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Chapter 8

Randumb Thoughts of a
Boss

- It Is Written -

While staring at the world I decided I want to

change it. - The ILLZ

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A thought is a small glimpse of scenario in the life you
have or have not lived. These thoughts are randumb, with an
unexplainable reasoning as to why they have crossed your mind.
Our best thoughts form when we are estranged, and away from
what is currently in front of our life. Many are fragments. We do
not exercise our full thought process to explore these impartial
ideas. Unable to find a safe haven to speak of them, I decided to
dump these on a blank page. I welcome you to: The Randumb
Thoughts of a Boss.

Biased opinions are beliefs. Do not get it twisted. If you
get too emotional over an opinion it may just be a conviction you
live by.
Two things I want to know upon meeting a woman is her
faith and she looks like without make-up on. Now that I think
about it, I am taking the next girl to be baptized as our first date.
Legend tells us to chase your dreams, not women. What if
you want to chase your dream girl?
If I have to do it for you, when will you learn to do so by
yourself?
It is a weird state of mind to be in when you cannot celebrate
a friends success because your downfalls are their ammo in
future arguments. Sometimes you just have to ignore the hatred
and spread the wellness of a positive attitude in order for both
parties to grow.
Ladies, do not tell your friends how much of an ass your man
is. Do not tell them all of the bad things your man does to you

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- It Is Written because it creates hatred towards him. If you ever break up with
him and get back, your current friends will not want anything to
do with you. If you get with the enemy, common sense dictates
that you are now the enemy as well.
Time is never a problem. You have as many hours in the day
as Beyonc. Stop being lazy and strive for something. If she can
record albums, learn choreography, and tour at the same time,
you can go to work and workout at the gym after.
If you want to judge someone quickly, check his or her top 25
on iTunes. This is some of the most revealing information ever.
Music speaks the personalities of many people.
What if ghosts are human souls stuck in purgatory who need
prayer as well as a fulfilled purpose to get into Heaven? Makes a
lot more sense than ghosts partying at the Haunted Mansion.
68% of relationships that start through texting will fail in
2016. Pick up the phone and call someone.
If we go on a date I will tell you, order anything you want.
When our plates are served do not ask, can I try some of your
(insert food item), as you stab your pitchfork onto my plate. A
question followed by an action is not my definition of a yes. I am
not a fan of sharing food unless we mutually agree to exchange
equal portions, given the foods value. Some of you ladies are
savages (Insert a lol).
Oddly enough, pregnancy is the only mistake society
celebrates.

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If you become who others want you to be you will miss who
God wants you to be.
There are two different types of people. The entertainer and
the entertained. The entertainer can bring life wherever they go.
The entertained says, Im bored. How are you bored with all
of this technology and your mind at your disposal? You are not
bored, you are boring!
Getting mad is natural. We are all human. Staying mad is a
choice.
No one has a trademark on self-pity. Allow other to pity you.
People who complain about their situation repels any help friends
would pass onto you. It will take longer for someone to care about
you if you carry self-pity.
The major problem in this world is clichs. People love saying
actions speak louder than words. I am sure we use more words
in one day than actions. I believe many are not efficient in using
words to their full capacity. In turn, they rely on repetitive actions
to solve a problem. With words, you can better manipulate and
persuade at times. We listen to music artistswords, not their
actions. Actions are great at reinforcing words.
Your negative thoughts will kill you faster than your enemies.
I do not discriminate against those who are substantially
older than I am. I love talking to you for the wisdom you have.
Age is a number, but when you replace a yes or a no with a
grunt or voluntary grumble, you are old. You are an old grouchy
person. This includes some of my friends as well.

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- It Is Written Slow changes are better than quick fixes.

I am deathly surprised Target has not made a commercial
showing Wal-Mart is ghetto, and the consumer should shop with
them.
I know too many people who avoid the subject at hand to
prove how smart they are at something else. Okay, you win, but it
still does not relate to the topic at hand.
I hate when people ask me questions that have no logical
answer to bringing them joy. Babe, why were you checking her
out? I can lie which will make you mad or say, well, because I
think she is an attractive woman that compliments the image of a
strong gender for you. Cmon now, do not do this to me.
Truth is, I would rather find a new girlfriend than a new
barber. A bond between a barber and his client is crucial to a
great line-up.
When you date, is it okay to have standards that you cannot
meet yourself?
If your family asks you to bring the plates to every beach trip
or BBQ, the family recognizes you cannot cook and thinks you
are raising your kids wrong.
It is easy to fall in love with someone when you are on drugs
or depressed. Do not confuse love for emotional dependency.
There is no such thing as double standards. There are only
standards that men and women have to abide by. Idiots twist
these to ensure someone always gets their way and someone

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hurts because of it. Do not follow these suckers in life and do not
befriend them.
I have come to the realization women do not know how to
cook and men do not know how to make money anymore. That
is cool and all (I guess), but what other talents have these genders
picked up to balance what was lost?
People are fans of relevance. They despise the better thing and
follow the trend.
I never understood why people rep where they are from. Why
should I care? It is less about where you are from, more about
what you are doing presently in this city.
Before Twitter and Instagram, what were people doing with
their creativity?

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Chapter 9

A Day to God is 1,000 Years:

Leslie Alvarado

- It Is Written -

Lord help me because I need you. Im on drink

number two. But its all to soothe the pain from this
cold, cold world. Sometimes I think this could help
me, but this was here temporarily, so Im talking to
you.
- BJ the Chicago Kid

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Darik Chandler
Dear Derek,

I need someone to talk to. I will tell you my story in
hopes that you can bring me some peace and help me restore
this emptiness that has been brought to my heart. Before I
can do this, I first have to give you a little background of my
life. As a little girl, I was raised in a very traditional Mexican
home. My parents immigrated to the United States in hopes
for a better future. Growing up, I was never the type of girl
who flirted with boys or saw myself romantically involved
in a relationship. I was definitely never the type of girl who
had dreams of a wedding, or who spent her nights thinking
of falling in love, and meeting the man of my dreams. Yes, I
had many friends who dated one person, then another, and
then another. Many of my friends relationships made me even
more concerned about men. I witnessed too many friends cry
over heartbreaks and infidelities. There were many guys who
attempted to make me their girlfriend. Some wrote me notes,
others waited for me after every class to give them a chance.
There was one guy, who almost won me over, but it was just too
complicated. Those long distance things never work. Instead,
I kept him as a friend and he now plays for a division onecollege football team. Many of my friends always questioned
why I did the things I did. My answer was simply, I just dont
want to get hurt. The day that I choose to date a man, it will be
because I see nothing but a future with him. Silly me right?

I was afraid to get my heart crushed by a suave man
who used his words to get his way. Ever since I was little, I
have been going through one hardship after another. I was

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- It Is Written too afraid a man would add onto the burdens my life already
carried. Life hasnt been easy on me, but I have never given
up or stopped fighting back. Each man offered something to
me. They offered an escape from the downfalls that seemed
inevitable. I was raised Catholic. My mother taught me God
would save me from my problems if I prayed hard and trusted
him. The problems that pressed me to the floor would fail,
but not without taking its toll onto me and my family. I would
pray that a knight in shining armor would ride on his horse
and save me from everything. Ive always had everlasting faith
God would deliver to me the things I prayed for. I asked him
to give me a man to take on the world with me, not only just to
save me. Speaking about these men. As I have stated before, I
pushed each one of them away because I was scared they would
compound their hurt onto mine.

In high school, I met that guy. I met a guy who knew
exactly what I was thinking right before I said it. Cheesy?
Definitely. It was young love and it was my first love. He was
just the man I wanted, and it came unexpectedly. I wasnt
looking for love. I fell in love with everything about him. I
wasnt alone. I knew he was madly in love with me. I could just
feel it, everybody could. Years went by, and college was just
around the corner, he wanted us to go to college together, so we
did. I changed some of my plans because everything seemed
perfect.

In college, we were always together, and when I say,
always, I mean always, with, of course, the exception of
different classes. Through college, we had our ups and our

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downs just like every relationship. We cooked together, worked
out together, studied together and even ended up landing the
same job together. Some weekends we drove back home to our
parents. My last year in college, everything changed.

My second quarter, I was done with all of the courses
needed to graduate. I was done early and if I wanted, I could
make my last quarter a fun quarter. Instead of graduating early
like many of my peers, I made it a quarter to take anything I
wanted. One of the classes was considered very fun and easy
so I took it. I thought, Easy A. I attended my first dance
class and I met a girl who seemed very familiar. I introduced
myself and after she told me her name I said, Oh, I have Bus
105 with you! She looked at me and said, Ohhhh thats right!
Nice to meet you. My name is... Right after that, we paired up
and became partners in this class. We walked to class together,
learned about each others life, and became good classmates!
The last day before our big performance, she stopped me and
asked if she could speak to me. I will never forget the look she
had in her eyes that day. I told her, Yeah, whats up? You are
scaring me. The very first words that came out of her mouth
were, Im very sorry.

After that, everything seemed to blur. For the very
first time in my life, I felt dead. I survived through so much,
but I didnt feel I could anymore. A woman who I had spent
nine weeks with confessed that she had been dating my
boyfriend on and off for quite some time, and she had no idea
that he was in a relationship. I never told her his name. She
didnt know. As soon as those words came out of her mouth my

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- It Is Written eyes broke down. My heart was just not ready for that amount
of pain. My greatest fear had come alive. I walked home to his
apartment shaking, crying, angry, confused, and asking myself
so many questions. Where was I when all of this was going on?
Why would God allow this to happen to me after everything
that has happened? Why would my man do such a thing when
I have been nothing but loyal? What had I done wrong? Why
would he intentionally do this to me?

I got to his apartment much calmer, I sat down and
told him, She told me everything. Once those words came
out he knew it was over. He tried to deny it, but seconds later
he admitted to everything. I poured out my soul and told him
that he never deserved me. I left crying, ready to forget him.
I was angry at the world and I was lost. I went home numb. I
just could not understand why God would do this to me. Why
would my man do this to me when I waited so many years the
right one? Why make a fool out of the only woman who truly
loved him and understood him? How could he sleep at night?
I could not understand why I was being punished. What had I
done in this world to deserve such betrayal?

He begged me, he cried, he refused to let me go. I had
missed calls, missed text messages asking me for forgiveness.
Nevertheless, I always asked myself, would I hate him forever?
Did he deserve me? Can people change? Have I lost all the
faith I once had? Do people deserve a second chance? Every
thought that entered my brain eroded the ground of faith
that kept me going. I dont need a man to help me take on the
world, but I am just confused as to why God would allow this

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to happen. My faith has been the most powerful entity that has
pushed me through adversity. With this new problem, I begin
to question my faith. I know it is wrong, yet I cannot remove
these thoughts.

I come to you in hopes that you can help me restore
my peace, my love for life, and love for God. What should I do?
How can I forgive this man, when all he has done is bring pain
that could have been prevented?
Sincerely,
A Lost Soul

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- It Is Written Dear Self-Proclaimed Lost Soul,

Allow me to start by affirming you no one is lost, you
are exactly where you need to be right now. It is up to you to
decide why you are there and the lessons to learn. If home is
where the heart is you are always found. In speaking of God, I
am eternally grateful from Earth to the Heavens that you have
selected me to confess your doubt. Although I am not a pastor or
a youth minister, I have had my fair share of meetings with the
man above. The word of God can come from the least likely of all
places. Each one is more profound than the next. It is a relief to
know that you are asking where God is. These words inform me
that you are searching. I will attempt to be delicate as I answer
your questions. I pray the insight I offer you is enough currency
to fill up your collection plate of hope.

An empty heart stems from a lack of love. This love
comes in many forms, all but one are an illusion, hence the ill
in the illusion. They are misleading iniquities you can entertain
for quite some time. Eventually, you will find those vices are not
what you were searching for. Allow me to say finding a man will
not refill the empty heart that lusts for love. As I rant about how
dangerous these vices are, you should collect your thoughts in
these moments to discover yours. Maybe your man is your vice
or the new purse you have purchased from an overpriced Gucci
store. Let the record state the vices you indulge yourself into
every day. Ask yourself this, how often does another replace this
vice? Why do I ask you to ask yourself? It is because humans do
not like to question themselves. For every vice you hold to your
heart, you gain a false impression of what you should love.

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From my time on this earth I have come to learn those
who love God with all of their heart seem to be the happiest
people in the long run. You see what I did there. I said the long
run, not right now. There is a strong misconception that loving
a powerful deity such as God will remove all of the problems
that once sought to destroy you. I am a firm believer he will give
you more problems at times to test your faith and to break you
down to create a better character. All of the vices you indulge
in are only temporary Band-Aids. They do not aid in building
your character. You cannot print an imaginary Golden Ticket to
permit you into Heaven. I will not offer a denomination for you
to side with in trusting God. I believe in being spiritual and I will
avoid referencing to a specific religion as I continue. At the risk
of being tasteless, I will give lessons through the images my eyes
have scene, rather than biblical lessons to avoid interjecting my
religous beliefs.

You gave me your background and allowed me to find
out how a little girl sprouted into a woman. You did the police
work for me, thank you. Just as I have entertained you with my
talk about vices, it is pleasurable to see a nice woman hold onto
her faith than false escapes. Men hurt women 75.34% of the time
and it is hard to know when, or if God sent a person into our
lives to help us. Life is one of the greatest mysteries. We never
know why we endure something and we often fail to understand
why some of these things can even happen. As you grew up,
you had faith, and it allowed you to fight through each trial and
tribulation. The fights were never fair and the tribulations came
with soldiers who destroyed emotions. You know the clich, God
never gives you something you cant handle. I laugh when people

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- It Is Written drop their faith and say, I just couldnt handle it anymore. If
you are still alive and breathing, you handled it. I am able to be
a personal life coach to many because they will learn from me
rather than attempt certain failures. Do not be foolish to walk in
a temple of non-believers. They will only bring you down to their
level of solving their problems with vices.

I am proud that your faith has remained steady until now.
Most people question their faith every day, and that is normal
and to be expected. What you failed to tell me is the problems
endured by you and your family. I imagine you have dealt with
ridicule because of your ethnicity or religion. I am sure along
the lines, family members and friends have passed away without
a moments notice. Through the fire you remained faithful. It
was not Gods intention to make your cry, but only make you
stronger. In return, you made Him smile by never giving up and
trusting in Him.

Before I spend the rest of my time writing about the
man who broke your soul, allow me to touch upon death. Crying
seems to be a torture for the happiness you want. For every
person that has died, someone has lost their faith and become
dead spiritually. I know friends who have lost family members
and question the actions of God. God calls for his children when
its time. Everyone has his or her appointment to see Jesus. There
is nothing we can do about it. When people in our lives pass
away, we call their names to come home. Do you think if they
had a choice they would rather stay on Earth or living an eternity
in Heaven? Everyone in heaven is smiling down on us laughing.
The ones who have passed away received what everybody wants,

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an escape from hell. Now we have a personal beef with God and
lose faith at the same time. It hurts having to take the bitter with
the sweet. No matter how bitter the taste, you remained a lovely
woman.

This amazing woman met her knight who wears denim
jeans and an Abercrombie and Fitch polo. Your trust became his
advantage as time progressed. He apologized for his mistakes. He
knows his actions can never be covered or replaced with dignity
or trust. The result, you lost your faith in him and God. It would
appear you have not lost your faith. It has diminished slightly.
To enter Heaven, it is noted in the Bible you only need faith the
size of a mustard seed in order to join. I get a haircut every two
weeks, but it continues to grow. This analogy should be a lesson
your faith will grow and become attacked at the same time. It is
foolish to believe things only get better and never fiddle with the
worst. Losing is better than winning at times. A critique is more
informative than a complement. USC is better than UCLA. I
digress.

You must practice what you preach. I understand you
are questioning your faith. God likes to give you a plateful every
day. That has to let you know he understands your appetite to
learn more about him. I have survived from being cheated on
and I must say the sting is life changing. You begin to view every
member of the opposite sex as unfaithful. Your trust in your
closest friends dwindles. You even begin to question what is
wrong with you. What made them cheat on you?
You asked
if he deserves you. No human being deserves another. We are
not items at the store. If someone works their ass off, it does not

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- It Is Written make them entitled to the soul of another. Only God deserves us
because He created us. He deserves our devotion and loyalty. You
continued to ask if he deserves a second chance.

A second chance is a weird concept. It obviously
implies someone messed up in the first place. Let us review first
impressions before we dive into this train of thought. When has
a first impression ever concluded the way you would have liked
it too? I know all of mine are not smooth first impressions. If
we could revisit many of our first impressions, we would recant
many, if not all of them. In no way will I ever justify cheating. I
believe it is despicable. I review your situation with caution not
to offend you or anyone. I want to review your first impression
of the situation. I know you believe he does not love you. When
I was cheated on, I instantly assumed she hated me which
encouraged her to find love elsewhere. If you spent high school
and college together I am sure he loves you. I have come to this
assumption because you have not mentioned any other ill feelings
towards your interactions with him. Thus far, it is implied you
rarely fight or have separating disagreements. With this being
said, let us review the second permit.

The second impression is more fruitful than the first.
This may be hard to swallow depending the size of the pill, but
I believe he acted selfishly. I believe he only acted with selfcentered intentions and nothing more. He acted with his wants
carrying out the order, not the needs. Because of this, you are
staring at the blank ceiling pondering your next move with him.
Love can hurt you, but forgiveness can heal it and repair it for the
stronger.

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I do not propose you stay with him. I am simply
proposing you forgive him. The length of the relationship should
carry weight as you scale the good and bad of the situation. To be
together this length of time is rare. Men and women are bound
to slip especially when you are this young. Life is a slippery slope
for relationships. It is the right thing to do and will cleanse your
burdens. God has forgiven us for our sins, so it is only right to
reciprocate that same sentiment with your man. It would look
as if he made you happy until this point. It is obvious he made
the sun shine in your direction. He solidified your faith that God
had created a princess ending in your lifes fairy tale. Prayer is the
course of action you should take in order to help.
I know
you are probably reading this thinking, Why the hell would I
pray, look at where it got me.

I am here to tell you God delivers in ways you cannot
wrap your head around. This reminds me of an acronym I once
heard called Push. PUSH, an acronym that stands for Pray
Until Something Happens. People hope God will hear their
prayer and grant it at His earliest convenience. It does not work
like that. You have been praying your whole life for things to get
better. Things have gotten better. Yes, we will entertain many
problems throughout our lifetime and it seems this situation
is not different. You should not only pray, but you should take
action right now. God will not help you if you do not try to help
yourself. Forgiveness is the course of action. Even the Lord said,
Forgive them, for they know not what they do. Stop and think
all of these trials and tribulations. What is there worth in Gold?
God given lessons are priceless. They have to be. God does not do
random stuff. He is a very calculated, divine being. In the Bible it

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- It Is Written reads, Suffering builds character and from what I have read you
are in no shortage of such. What if your character is supposed to
help others believe in God? I will not doubt that your boyfriend
is a believer. What if you forgave him and his faith strengthened.
A domino effect occurs. Your man fosters relationships between
God, his family, and friends. A small act can really manifest itself
into a snowball effect, but pray until something happens, and
then what? Are you actually going to do something? Maybe the
action is forgiving him to spread that faith. Here is an example of
PUSH as it was given to me:

A terrible storm came into a town and local officials
sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon
overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in
the town to evacuate immediately.

A faithful man heard the warning and decided to stay,
saying to himself, I will trust God and if I am in danger, then
God will send a divine miracle to save me.

The neighbors came by his house and said to him, Were
leaving and there is room for you in our car, please come with
us! However, the man declined. I have faith that God will save
me.

As the man stood on his porch watching the water rise
up the steps, a man in a canoe paddled by and called to him,
Hurry and come into my canoe, the waters are rising quickly!
Nevertheless, the man again said, No thanks, God will save me.

The floodwaters rose higher pouring water into his living

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room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police
motorboat came by and saw him at the window. We will come
up and rescue you! they shouted. However, the man refused,
waving them off saying, Use your time to save someone else! I
have faith that God will save me!

The floodwaters rose higher and higher and the man had
to climb up to his rooftop.

A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A
rescue officer came down the ladder and pleaded with the man,
Grab my hand and I will pull you up! Nevertheless, the man
STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. No thank
you! God will save me!

Shortly after, the house broke up, the floodwaters swept
the man away, and he drowned. When in Heaven, the man stood
before God and asked, I put all of my faith in You. Why didnt
You come and save me?

And God said, Son, I sent you a warning. I sent you
a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a
helicopter. What more were you looking for?

Have we caught the moral lesson the story is telling us?
Prayer is important only if you are willing to help yourself. In
no way is saying a prayer wrong, I pray often and have lengthy
conversations with God. What I am getting at is the fact that
circumstances always change and things always happen. At some
point we must respond. Just because things are not happening the
way you envisioned, do not just sit back and watch life happen.

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- It Is Written After you pray, pay attention to what life is showing you. If you
do not like what you see, pray and then make something happen.
If you ask for a better life, God will challenge you for each thing
you want to be blessed at. Prayer must be joined with action to
mold you with the trials God will send your way.

In your case, I believe God wants you to take action
and forgive your boyfriend. You should pardon his mistake and
accept him for who he wants to be. There are those who claim,
Once a cheater, always a cheater. I believe life does not merely
give you mistakes to learn from, it also gives you opportunities
to become better. The only way to know if your boyfriend is
serious about your relationship is by giving him another chance.
If you revel in examples of other girls immediately dumping
their boyfriends who cheated on them you will be just as sad as
them. Remove the infidelity and communicate what was lost in
translation. Never follow the standard procedures set forth by the
common person because most of the time they are pathetic. God
preaches forgiveness and we should be wise to listen. He does not
encourage us to pick up things and put it down when we are sick
of it, especially when these things are of great spiritual benefit to
us. By now, the world is spinning uncontrollably. Since you are
in a pending relationship, every problem magnifies as you feel an
assault on your soul.

Freewill allows us to make decisions without help or
exclusive punishment. God honors us with free will; the power
to make decisions on our own rather than having Him or fate
predetermine what we do. Do not blame God for this happening
to you. What happens with a cheating boyfriend is a result of

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freewill. All you can ask is for God to help you through the
situation. Have you ever heard, God will walk side by side with
you? If you do not walk, He cannot walk with you. Be Bold.
Put your arm around his shoulder and allow him to guide you
through the pain. This world is bathed in sin and God is the only
route you can follow to escape it.

It is no secret. People doubt Gods existence when
problems crash like a massive wave. Never forget that doubt
is essential to faith. I have said this before, real faith has no
easy answers. When you stand by your faith you will question
everything. Do not let your faith become silent. Call to God and
He will answer. Do not collapse from within. God may be using
you to teach others a lesson. He may change lives through you.
Do not let your imagination become your biggest enemy. Do not
let your make believe to create a sin that will help you escape. I
have seen people take that road and still question the path they
are taking every day.

I find it funny how people do not have faith in God, but
they do in other things. They have faith that their car will get
21 miles per gallon when it only gets 18. People have faith their
fantasy teams will not be destroyed because Tony Romo threw
three interceptions to the 49ers. I know I have faith my scratched
Usher CD will still play U Remind Me without skipping. People
have faith in the dumbest things but not God. Does your faith
ever waver towards the miniscule things in your life? No? Then
why does your faith shake when it comes to God? I will allow you
to answer these questions on your own time.

Overall, faith is a hard thing to keep. As with many

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- It Is Written things, it takes practice to keep strong and sharp. Why do you
think NFL players are called seasoned veterans after being
in the league for so many years? It is because of the amount of
hits they have received and delivered. For every play they have
endured, they realize the dos and donts in each play. They
learn the repercussions of not wrapping their arms around a
tackle. Your man afforded you pain. Let that bend your will, but
not break you. If anything, break up with him. For every crisis
your man or life delivers you in the mail, open the package
and conquer it. If this world were a perfect utopia life would be
boring. That is why CEOs and rich folk do drugs. It is because
being perfect gets dull and they need more to pump their life.
Since your life is not perfect, allow your faith to stiff-arm your
evils on the way to Heaven.

God modeled forgiveness by forgetting your past and
buying your future. God will laugh at you thinking you can be in
control without having faith in Him. Pray for the opportunities
to make things better. Youre faith will follow. Apply the life
lessons he has given you over the years to this situation. Before
you continue and make your decision, spend the day thinking
how God made you think. You may feel deprived of currency
to buy what God has in store for you, but do not worry about
that. Everything you want was bought at the price of His blood.
Therefore, do not be the victim and do not volunteer yourself to
fail because another hurt you. Realize knowledge is power, faith is
powerful, and God is the highest power. The waves will continue
to crash. Drowning waves give God the opportunity to save you.
Self-proclaimed lost soul, you were never lost. Life will send
storms, but God will send the anchor. If you have faith in God,

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have conviction your man can make a turn for the better. Real
forgiveness makes allowance for the future.

No matter faith in God or your man, always expect
the best to come. Many things are worth a second try. Make a
conscious decision to forgive and improve with the people you
will not forget. If you keep your head down you will miss the
blessings. Keep your head up and your heart open. I send this to
you with love.
Sincerely Yours,

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Chapter 10

3x5s & Postcards

- It Is Written -

If ever I was perfect, I wish I could resemble that

image cause you deserve it. - Jon Connor

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Dear Future Wife or Stranger I Want To Be In Love With,

If a picture is worth a thousand words here is what it
would say. I cannot tell you what has already been told. Too many
men have hardened your heart which makes your mind immune
to clich love quotes. I can only express what is going on in my
mind in hopes you will gravitate to me the way I have been pulled
in by you. I can already see the imprint of your body as you get
out of our bed. The very same shape made a dent in my soul
and filled it with substance. You are the reason I am alive today.
Emotion has trumped my logic so I sit here trying to reason with
God in hopes we will deliver us together. With very shooting
star and blown out birthday candle I wished for you. I will never
be distant from you because I have spent my whole life looking
for the love that is created, not found. We must create love then
get lost in it. Those other women I had to live with, but you are
the only one I want to live for. I want your stomach to be the
cool side of the pillow. I will rest my head and ask you how your
stressful day went.

Sometimes, I will fall asleep before I can entertain you.
I am only human. Although I would rather rest during the time
I want to spend with you, do not confuse my intentions. I want
to spend the rest of my life with you. As I look at the rest of
forever I realize arguments are inevitable. Let us make beautiful
mistakes. I want to be in your mind when you want to clear
your mind. I want you to hear my voice when you want to be in
absolute silence. Music has always occupied my thoughts, but I
would rather it be you. I promise to run to your every need and
not walk away when times challenge our stability. You went from

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- It Is Written being on my mind to in my mind. Your gentle kiss is the coffee I

need to wake up in the morning. They say nice guys finish last so
here we are. I married a woman who will be my long lasting wife.
Too many relationships are morally poor yet ours will be rich
with equality and devotion. You balance the odds of me losing in
life. Even I can win when I am with you. You deserve someone
like yourself, and I will practice delivering that person to you.
Every day God deals me a new set of cards. No matter how bad
the hand, you deal with all of my problems with me. You gave
yourself value no one could shake. Now I know you are worth
recognition of all my love. Your worth does not inflate. As a man,
I will only appreciate you. Every kiss begins with K and our life
begins with I do. I preach about your regal grace every day so
it is only right I practice with you. A rarity in my life, common
sense could not have found you alone. Sometimes I just want to
picture your smile and think of a thousand words to describe
you.
Forever is not long enough,

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Gods work, not mine.

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