Sometimes people get a hold of some new philosophies or a new way of looking at the world and start to forget some of the principals that we all grew up with that DO still make sense. Many people who flock every Sunday to Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long’s church in greater-metro Atlanta can often quote what their pastors say, but what about the good advise “grandma” or “nana” or “mama” had and still has for us.
Now I can recall several occasions when my “mama” has said the phrase “baby…you got to…pick and choose your battles”. Wow, these are words to live by! And she served these types of quotes up for me without a collection plate attached, more often than not she had a plate of home cooked joy she offered along with this brilliant advise. And one day, not too long ago I was able to use her advise to the fullest.
It was 9:00AM on Monday morning of the last week of school before summer vacation and I sat in the principals office. No this was not years ago, just a few months ago, I sat in Principal Middleton’s office at Banneker High School in College Park, GA. The band director, Mr. Mills, thought that he had clearance to allow his students to participate in the new Young Joc video “Coffee Shop” scheduled for later that VERY same day; however, when principal Middleton got wind of this after school caper, he firmly vetoed the entire plan. So it became, Lisa Cunningham to the rescue! I sat in his office and listened to words like “school board” “PR person” “superintendent” and “content” cringing at the thought of everything falling apart and then I remembered my mama’s words and I appealed to the principal. I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Principal Middleton, this may be one of those times when you have to “pick and choose your battles” I told him it was better for him to end the year on a glorious high note, so that when the new term started and he had to be firm about policy, the kids would still be able to recall a point and time when they felt as if the school had supported them and connected with them on a more human level. Well you see me smiling in the picture above and you can see the students below, it all worked out.
No, the content of Joc’s song and album is not PG13. But at what point do we pick and choose our battles so that we can start to make a real difference and bridge the gap in our children’s and teens lives. MY MOM KNEW THE SECRET ALL ALONG!
