I can remember when I used to do things...

Sometimes I think about how much better and easier things were back in the day. I grew up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY and I think this is a neighborhood different from many others. I mean, you get a lot of history with Brooklyn, but when you narrow it down to East Flatbush, come on. Anyway, I can remember the times when I would be in the house doing absolutely nothing, I probably wasn't in the double digits yet. There were grown men in the yard playing dominoes and the kids were in the street playing tag, barefoot of course because you ran faster without your shoes. When I did come outside, I played double dutch with the girls, in the street and barefoot, because the sidewalk was too small and hard and you jumped better without heavy sneakers. The streets were filled with the teenage girls sitting on steps gossiping about somebody who liked somebody else, and the teenage boys had no time for them, in public. They were too busy tryna stake their claim to fame, tryna prove who they were. They were walking the new dogs their parents got them, mostly pit bulls and rottweilers, and acting like they ran the world.

One time I tried to play cool. I remember back when TLC was 'all that' and I knew all the words to Waterfalls. Ya'll remember the song..."Don't go chasin waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." I came downstairs ready to go outside, singing my jam, but obviously the world wasn't ready for me yet. I wore my hair in two ponytails, held tight by bubbles, some jumper with a patterned shirt, and socks and sandals. When I stepped foot out the door, my cousin told me to go back in the house and take those socks off. I was thinking "Whats the problem? Mr. Duke does it." But Mr. Duke was an older man who was cool by nature and fly by life. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it. So I went inside and changed my shoes and learned my first lesson in style. Don't follow old men.