So this post is going to seem a bit morbid, but it needs to be said.
It's no secret that we live in very trying times. Between being broken down on the side of the road, sitting in your car reading a book, being a kid mistaken for a grown man in a robbery chase or even kneeling during the national anthem as a form of silent protest, people of color are still being killed in this country. It's sad to think that one day we're here and it's no guarantee that we will be the next day; that's just the harsh reality of it all. Being black in America has always been a crime since day one; it's just that these days there seems to be a green light for people to be able to kill us and walk free without any repercussion.
I've stated time and time again that we as bloggers and black twitter at the two most important forms of communication that get our points across. With major news outlets either refusing to report on stories that clearly show what we're protesting for or they find a way to twist the story and put it on the victim, black bloggers are key to getting the right message out there in a timely manner. But as we all know many different people and agencies like to either silence that word or discredit the person behind them. But through it all we as black bloggers continue to push the good word and spread positivity throughout our communities. Either way you look at it, black bloggers these days are doing a lot more good than harm.
But have you taken the time to think about what if you were the one die next?
I mean as bad as that question comes off it's true that a lot of us have thought that we could indeed be the next on the news. And when that day does come, will your words be silenced and eventually fade away into oblivion? Or will your words be heard forever and you will be able to spread your voice and your positivity to the ears of the people that need to hear it the most? This is something that I think about all of the time when I go through my drafts and try to find the perfect columns to complete for the week ahead. It's always along the lines of what would happen to the hundreds of ideas that I've curated since I started writing here on Cold Knowledge and even before that.
Personally speaking I think I have a lot of great ideas that I would like to see put to good use if I never get the chance to use them. But the main problem, (and the same problem that haunts a lot of black creatives), with getting these ideas situated and all done is time. I just don't have the amount required to sit down and complete them as I should. In addition to that, another big problem that I face is that I don't really trust anyone with said ideas. Whether it's doing right by them and creating them the way that I want it to be created, (possibly better), or trust them enough not to steal them and mark them as their own.
And while a lot of us feel both of these ways, we have to get over it.
If we don't get out of this way of thinking then we run the risk of some pretty great ideas and pieces getting lost to the test of time. It's the equivalent of writings from the time before computers being lost to fires, water damage or just plain old wear and tear. The good thing about living in today's times is that we have the ability to save things to the internet or the cloud. But what good would that serve if no one will be able to ever access it because they don't have the password or they forget all about it. Losing your writings to the test of time would be a disservice to the people who need to hear your words the most. I stand by the motto that if just one person is affected positively by your words, then you've done your job.
That's why you have to setup some form of fail safe for possibility of you dying at a random moments notice. I've decided to upload my whole entire collection of writings to my Google Drive and give three people I trust more than life access to it with specific instructions should I die an early death. While I'm very protective of my writings I know also that I write some pretty cool things and I have some really outstanding ideas on stuff that I'm working on. And should something happen to me I would rather someone else have access to it to do something good with it. Life happens to the best of us and the only thing we can do is prepare for that moment, should it arises.
If anything you should have it backed up on the cloud or online for safe keeping should your laptop die on you.
While this may have started off as morbid, I hope you listen to my words about safe guarding your words and having them backed up somewhere so that someone can spread your creativeness across the globe long after you're gone. I'm more so disappointed in myself that it took so long for me to realize this and only after something significant had to happen to one of my brothers on order to cause change. But we're here at this point for a reason and I'm not going to argue with it at all. I pray that nothing happens to anyone and that you all can continue creating in peace. I want to see everyone fulfill their potential while they're here and not respected for it after they're gone.
Until next time.
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