This used to be hot back in the day?! #FAIL
I’ve been pressing all week to write this post. You see…this post falls on a special day for me. Scorpio season has returned, and it’s your favorite October Scorpios’ bornday! As I reflect on my time on this Earth, I see a maturity and overall evolution as a man. I also noticed a shift in how I act/react to different situations. What was once cool for me to do I’ve move past. Here are a few examples:
Clothes/style
I used to love wearing baggy clothes, even though in my teenage years till now I wasn’t “fat”. I didn’t really care for fashion in terms of name brands, trends, visual aesthetics (colors matching, designs). I just wore what felt comfy. I loved sneakers, fitteds, and anything that I could use to play basketball. Now, as I’ve matured, I gained an interest in dressing well. I wear clothes that fit well (NOT SKINNY JEANS), adopted my own fashion style, and still remain fresh in my own way. Still love sneakers and fitteds, but I’ve mixed that with shoes and blazers. The one constant is hair. Waves remain on point no matter what the decade! I used to get designs (no KanYe) but once you get a real job, that has to go bye-bye.
Lack of regard for health
When you are a kid or teenager, you think that you will live forever. You eat what ever you want, and put your body through the ringer because you know you can recover. I should’ve had 7 strokes the way I ate in college (shoutout to Popeyes right down the block from my school!). It took a personal commitment to physical excellence for me to change my ways. I also started to pay more attention to my health after seeing family members pass away and struggle with their health. Speaking as a man who’s family has every Black ailment and then some, I don’t want to go out like that! Now I’m not a vegan, nor do I eat healthy 100% of the time (as I write this, I’m on my way to Wendy’s). However I joined a gym, constantly stay active, and developed a nutrition plan to regulate my weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure. I get quarterly physicals, and I have no fear of doctors. My personal goal to get in the best shape of my life, and to prolong my life by healthy living an eating, help me to focus on my future and allow me to defeat the imperfections of my genetics. No excuses, only results. You can always follow my health and fitness updates on Streetztalk.net.
Sex/Relationship Naivety
In my early years, I made a LOT of assumptions about the opposie sex, and formulated my philosophy on sex and relationships on those principles. The main way we all get off that is through experience. From High School to College to the real world, I’ve had enough experiences and literally experienced and witnessed enough scenarios to see how juvenile my thoughts used to be. Sometimes, you need to get your heart broken, get done dirty, or otherwise to help you see things clearer. Every situation is different, and my previous close mindeness, and misunderstandings of the opposite sex, led to many roadbumps, but I’m learning even if I’ll never understand you women!
One Dimensional Music Interests
If you told Streetz circa ’94 that he would enjoy genres of music not named Rap he would’ve bet you anything, and I’d possibly still be in debt now. College (especially watching MTV latenights while working resident safety) helped to expand my repertoire. Music is a form of expression and a beautiful art form, and I’m glad I expanded my horizons. You can catch me bumpin Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Trey Songz, and Gucci Mane all in the same playlist. Don’t judge me!
Being “Local”
I was always content to stay home.I had a general interest in travel, but never pressed the issue. I was afraid of planes and still get a little shook every flight. Now, I go different cities, states, and countries at my leisure. I love to travel, learn about new cultures, and see the world outside of NYC. You only live once, so I try to live it to the fullest. I’ve met a lot of good people all over the US and the world, and I matured and gained worthwhile experience as a result of these travels. The partying, wildin’ out, and tons of roadtrip stories make it fun also.
Self reflection helps you to see where you’ve been and where you will travel in the future. It’s theraputic for me, and I hope you can say the same. What about you? Is there anything you used to do that you don’t now? Fashion, friends, professional live, everything is on the table! Let’s explore our growth as individuals, and laugh at the craziness of our past!
Streetz
Myspace blogs? #WeOffThat!
love this blog!
i definitely feel you as far as the changes that come in our lives as a result of both age and maturity. imagine how much that will change when you have a kid! nothing is the same. the way you see the world, the people in it, and yourself changes even more drastically. it's quite the shell shocking experience!
I have upgraded my friends, or at least they type of people I call friends. My HS friends were a wild bunch. Loud, fighting over the slightest thing, sexing, cutting class, fighting again, sexing again, and having babies. SMH…it's hard to believe I was friends with them b/c I was a virgin all throughout HS
but I would cut a bitch. Now, I don't even like looking at semi-hood females, let alone associate with them. Sometimes I feel bad for the negative thoughts I have whenever I am surrounded by some hood folks, but then I immediately lose that feeling when I see a chick with a tat on chest that says "Raleigh". Sorry, but there aren't any women in my current social, professional, or spiritual circle that has a tattoo on her chest.I've always had vast musical interest, and
iswas surprised by how many black people have a very narrow tastes in music. Even in law school, I had a classmate who listened almost exclusively to hip-hop. Now, I like hip-hop, but unless I actively seek to listen to a certain hip-hop artist, I spend almost my whole day at work listening to rock and 80's pop. #dontjudgemeI need to roll with your crew then because I've been on a hunt for tattoo-less tiddies. It's an eye sore!
Its funny, I still bang with my old friends. However not as much as I used to. Those I consider family know what it is. I remember when we were younger, chillin on the block, not doin ish. I would always say I can't do this forever and one day im out. When I went to College, i was out! Thats when we collectively woke up and had to get off that!
Glad to see when my friends try to make something out of themselves and not end up a statistic
you still bang with your old friends? dear sir, i think that is a pauseble statement. lol. I still try to connect with some of my old HS friends. We all entered college at the same time, but some of them got thrown off track for various reasons, and now, most of them are pursuing their educational and professional goals. I am very proud of them….
Damnit…lmao u got me
[||] indeed!
Happy birthday!
I loved this post. Growing up really changes us and gives us a wider view to life.
I've learnt a lot about people and friends
I don’t know you but HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MANY more…. I LOVE Scorpios! My BFF is a Scorpio and all
my favorite people happen to be Scorpios. I’m a Cancer. Even though I’m not really into astrology. I do think that Scorpios and Cancers have a special connection. Anyways hope you have a great day! BTW I love your blogs..
Scorpios and Cancers click something awesome! I think that Scorpio-Cancer . Scorpio-Pisces. Pisces emotional second guessing nature combined with Scorpios detective ways is usually the deal breaker!
I'm off the same old same old. I got tired of the usual routine Saturday dinner and movies (and spending money for meaningless stuff). I started looking up little known places (at least to me) around the area, started opening up to new styles of food and new cooking styles. I put down a lot of foods that weren't doing me any good.
The type of people that I have in my life (family included) has changed. I realize I've outgrown them so to speak. Got tired of all the cussing they do, all the drinking they do, never wanting to be more, never seeking more…I'm over that and I can't let my life be that boring.
Oh and Happy Birthday!!!!!!
Growing up and exposing yourself to different things can change a person a lot. I was a LOT like the one of the posters above, it was like re-reading my life story lol! I didn't have a lot of "friends" though I stayed to myself because I judged people a lot, people that I deemed stuck up or too good. I wasn't bad, but I was involved in the wrong things, cutting class, smoking weed, getting into it with people, etc. I would say I was hood, but I was hoodish lol. It wasn't until my father started exposing me to different things like being involved in my community that I saw how I wanted to be. Now, I don't even fool with the people I used to, and some of them were family just because we are on a different field. I don't judge them, I just don't like being around them. Now, some of the same people I judged, we are like the best of friends.
Also, losing family and seeing family struggle with health issues because of weight made me want to take care of myself more. I am trying to become more serious about taking care of my body. Not just for vanity reasons, but like you I just don't want to go out like that knowing I didn't try to make a difference. Plus I have to be able to keep up with my son for years to come because he has crazy energy! Growing up has just caused me to care more about me, not blow a fuse over the small sh*t anymore, cut some dead weight, and really see what is important in life. I also have to admit that having my son has really changed my point of view about things as well.
I had to change and grow up rather fast and it leads to a disconnect in how I relate to people sometimes. Before the age of 30 I had already traveled around the world, lived in a foreign country for a year, been deployed to war, graduated college, worked several jobs in different fields and lived in different states. I few of my friends had a comparable experience but mine stands out as the most extreme since while they were settling into their fresh out of school job, I was over in Southeastern Asia getting used to the food, smells and separation of 5000+ miles from my family.
Most of my friends have matured and managed to grow up well. A couple of them didn't make it, but that's life. Right now the future looks like a loooooong empty road for the most part. Maybe that will change if I can turn my creative energies back on, but that would mean I would have to find equally creative folks which I find very hard in my adult years.
I still rock baggy jeans. I will never resort to yeast infection skinny trousers.
Good introspective jawn and change of pace. I'ma have to come back later to share my thoughts. Too busy at work today. Grrr.
First off – HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! 🙂
Lets see – As I’ve gotten older there are a lot of things about me that have changed.
– I no longer shop at payless because I found the price isn’t worth the pain that they cause my feet
– I no longer give out my number to guys I meet randomly (and knowingly wouldn’t give the time of day) out of being nice and then ignore calls that come from unknown numbers for days.
– I no longer go crazy on Target’s red stickered clearance items. A lot of that stuff is only a few pennies off from the regular price.
– I no longer ignore my intuition
– I no longer look at our elderly people as just being “old” and not knowing anything about “this day in age”. I’ve found if you sit and talk with them they have a vast amount of knowledge to share.
– I no longer have the meanest look I could possibly make on my face on a southwest flight so no one will sit in my row. I've found that just being nice goes a long way.
– I no longer make excuses for guys who don’t call when they say they will. “Oh, he has a big project he’s working on. Otherwise, he would have called”. Beeee S!!
– I no longer get un-interested in a guy if he has a small cawk. Oh wait a minute – yes I do! LoL. I would say im just kidding but my last thing is that I am no longer sorry for the things I like/want 🙂
Most importantly I no longer expect there to be friends and/or family onboard to do the things I wanna do in life. I feel like I wasted precious time “waiting” for friends to get their money together to go on trips across the country, “waiting” on someone to go rock wall climbing with, “waiting” on a boyfriend or homeyloverfriend to go explore the Caribbean sands and water with. I have these things checked off my list now and a whole lot more to be explored because I no longer wait around for someone else. So liberating!!
Hope everyone is having a great day!!
Red sticker Target shopping never gets old.
Happy Bday big bro. I agree with that point too. But you know what else we off?
Not being great. It should be noted that a bunch of people dumb down, don't try as hard, or pass up greatness just to be a part of the "in" crowd. As we get older we realize, "we off that."
@ Miss Sophia: How have you managed to do the things you always wanted to do w/o being accompanied by friends? Did you go solo? If so how were you able to do it? I ask, b/c I'm going thru a similar situation, and I'm ready to do things by myself but don't know how.
Lisa – I promise all it takes is that first step! I would love to have that one "road dawg" but my friends are highly unreliable :-/ I've flown to cities and got a rental and as long as i have a map – im good to go. Research beforehand to know all of the spots I want to hit up – malls, museums, soul food restaurants, etc and just go. Maybe start off small to a nearby city first to see how you like it before flying cross country. 🙂
this post is on point son (happy birthday btw).
when i was younger i used to wear extra baggy clothes now i wear what is comfortable to me which is age appropriate. my musical tastes have expanded a lot since the late 90's. it used to be if you weren't a ny rapper then you were wack to me. now that i live in the south my musical tastes now include, rock and roll, southern rap and even r&b (still can't get with west coast rap though). i love to travel now. i'm always up for a road trip and my southwest rapid rewards account is on swole.
good post- i swear i change my style up every month- its funny tho-im still extra confused-not quite thirty but not 25 either-finding my self i guess is the term-love the adventure feel of this age tho-everyday is brand new
Aww eSPECial. So glad to see your growing into your own. And yes that Pisces-Cancer-Scorpio relationship is tigher than Jerome's gold toofis! Lol! I the Cancer, lol!
@Lisa and Miss Sophia, travelling alone is off the hook. I went to Montego Bay Jamaica by myself in 1999, and recently to Panama this past July for my bday, the 4th of July. I'm in Miami every other month solo. Girl, just book your hotel, get a flight and go. For the first time though I suggest a resort. Where the hotel has activities so your not forced to meet people. Its the most rewarding experience in life. And besides, there is no one to bride about what happened, lol!! Do it girl!!!
Streetz, Happy Birthday. And let's not have a party in some ghetto ass spot, where folks need to be there before 12, and my name needs to be on a list. A nice dinner party is cool too.
Loves ya long time!!!!