No One Man Should Have All That Power

Rumble, young man, rumble.
Life is a trip, so sometimes we gon' stumble
You gotta go through pain in order to become you
But once the world numbs you, you'll feel like it's only one you...
Do you have the power to get up out from up under you?

I've been listening to this song a lot lately. My childhood is unique in the sense that I was given a lot of freedom very early. As unbelievable as this sounds, my grandmother used to give me the choice of whether or not to go school each day...starting in kindergarten. I was basically the Black Little Man Tate. I filled out my own permission slips, signed my mother's name on those school registration forms each year and used to go through my grandmother's bills for her back in elementary school.

Now I'm not saying I had my finger on a nuclear button like the president, but that kind of freedom and power in the hands of a kid is a double edged sword. On the one hand, I became an adult around thirteen. On the other hand, I don't have the luxury of blaming any of my problems on anyone. I'm responsible for my successes and my failures. The latter is why I've been listening to Power (Remix) so much.

Do I have the power to get from up under myself?

I've never had to listen to anyone. There's never been a real authority figure. If I didn't like something, I just stopped associating myself with it. That went for friends, extracurricular activities, jobs and college. In a lot of ways, I'm a success story--at least for my demographic: No jail, no kids out of wedlock, went to school, you get the point. But that's not enough for me, at least not anymore.

I look in the mirror. My only opponent. (From another song

Some of my failures are the result of my not having to do anything I didn't like. I realize that sometimes you have to get out of your own way. I could sit and quote rap lyrics all day, but I'll just use one more to drive home my point.

Do you have the power to let power go?