VERBAL VITAMIN 13 ... ' The Official Letter to the Youth'

VERBAL VITAMIN 13 .... ‘The Official Letter to the Youth’


To: The Young
From: Scott Johnson

What's up? How you doin? Que Paso? What it do?

I have been led to write the youth, the teens, the young of the world a letter.
A letter that will not only address certain issues but will show you how to handle those issues.

I am a 35 year old man, I am by no means old, but I am not Young either...
I am at a very interesting age and whether or not you like it, you will also be at this age someday.

I heard Bishop T.D. Jakes say something recently that has stuck with me.
"It's not the age of the car, its how many miles are on the engine"

Trust me y’all, I have turned my odometer over several times....

I am one of those dudes who constantly think about life.
I am one of the ones who are genuinely "Seeking" so I can find...
"Knocking" at the door of Knowledge till my knuckles bleed....

So please show me some patience and let me tell you what I have found out.
Allow me to share my wisdom with you...

Humans are creatures of Habit and whatever it is you’re going through, someone else has already been through it.
No matter how alone you may feel, 99.9 percent of the time, someone throughout history has suffered the same situation you have ... or the same Joy, Confusion, Love, Hate, etc...

Each generation thinks the previous one is stupid and uncool and this is a cycle that has gone on since the beginning of humanity....

Even young cave dwelling teens felt peer pressure, if you were not rocking T-Rex Slip-ons, you were not popular and you had to eat at the small rock table with the dude who wore the Yak Jacket and Skinny Antelope Jeans.

Your parents looked at your grandparents and laughed. They made fun of their music, their fashion, their hairstyles, etc...

The same way you make fun of your parents when ' I love the 80's' comes on VH1 or you see their yearbooks.

Your parent's music sucks and they have no style and they just don’t understand you and they are completely clueless to the drama that is your life...Right?

But you know what?
Your parents felt the same about their parents and your grandparents their parents and this goes on and on and on......

And when you get older and have children or if you have children now, they will one day think YOU are wack....
And you will find yourself trying to justify your music and fashion to someone who just doesn’t give a damn....
You will find yourself in the same shoes your parents wear...
And the record keeps spinning.....

My name is Scott Johnson and I am going to walk to the DJ Booth, Pick up that record, and break it in half....

My Bad, we are in the digital age....

My Name is Scott Johnson and I am going to walk to the DJ Booth and pour Pepsi on his Laptop and fry the song humanity has cursed us to dance to....

You who are reading this have the opportunity to break the cycle and I am going to show you how.

You can listen to me now or wait till your my age and say "Damn, That dude was right! I just thought he was a crazy old rapper trying to be cool, look at the years I have wasted!" Then you will punch the mirror and cry...

History repeats, unless the cycle is broken...

And you have the opportunity to break it!

And that Boys and Girls is the conclusion of my Intro....

Now we get down to Bidness!

Let's start with...

:POPULARITY:

I have not been in school since 91/92 but I am going to take a risk and say that being popular is still...popular.
Here is the deal with Popularity... If it is natural, embrace it and work it...
If people like being with you for who you are Naturally as a person , then by all means , there is nothing wrong with that.

BUT, if you’re frontin about any issue just to achieve popularity, you are deceiving yourself and your darkness will come to light.
Life has a way of calling you out when your head gets too big or you’re caught in a web of lies.

If you or your family is on a budget and you’re frontin like you got money, you will be put in a situation that shows people you’re broke...

If you’re frontin like your tough and always talking loud, you will be put in a situation where you get your ass kicked in front of the people you talk tough to and around...

Bullies are the biggest Cowards...

Whenever you do or say something that isn’t reality in your life, your lie will be exposed and you will become popular for being the person who tried to be popular but FAILED.

And let me tell you this, It always happens when you least expect it.

Really look at the popular kids and ask yourself why they are popular, and if you’re a popular kid, ask yourself why you are popular.

Is it your material possessions? You’re Looks? Your Sporting or musical talents?

Money and looks can be lost overnight, one house fire (God Forbid) can leave you homeless without your possessions and one scar on your face can ruin your "Beauty”, One Knee injury can end a career and I know firsthand how shady the music industry is... (Unless you’re willing to sound like everyone else out there and lose your individuality and voice.....)

Point is, Be popular for who you are and not what you look like or own or can do.
Be yourself and NEVER try to be who you are not, for the sake of popularity...

Truth be told, Popularity doesn't mean a damn thing in the real world.

Your employer , all the companies your going to pay utilities to , whoever holds your car note , and everyone else you will come in contact with could care less if you were popular ...

Like I said, If it's natural, Use it for good, you have obviously been blessed with leadership skills, do something positive with those skills.

But for you actors... you will never be able to sustain a front forever, so if your not in the "In -crowd”, don’t strive to be. Be proud of yourself as is and work what YOU got to the best of your potential.

And to be real with it, The "In-Crowd" mainly consists of arrogant A-holes and Snobby Chicks anyway. They are sooo consumed with fashion and looks and maintaining an image that they struggle later in life when their age starts to show on their face and body and the reality that their not "Cool" anymore haunts them....They struggle because they lived in and filled their minds with vanity instead of reality...No substance or foundation, now the walls are shakin.

The "In-Crowd" is only temporary... Knowledge of self and love is permanent.

You will always be unhappy when you try to live a life based on someone else’s interpretation of cool.

You will always be unhappy when you try to live a life based on someone else’s interpretation of cool.

You will always be unhappy when you try to live a life based on someone else’s interpretation of cool.

Be the best YOU ... I know that sounds afterschool specialish , but it's the best way to tell you that popularity is a false high and if people do not respect you for who you are as a person , then do not associate with them people.
A true friend is there regardless of physical appearance, financial status, or your situation in life.

So to end the cycle of having to be popular is easy....

Realize it's B.S. and just be yourself..... CYCLE BROKEN.



Next we move on to...

: SEX :

I will not over preach abstinence because I am a realistic man.
Is it the safest way? Of course...
Do I honestly believe that teens on a grand scale will practice abstinence? Not a chance in hell.

You youngins are light years ahead of where we were...
From the cartoons, to the videos to the movies to the music to the cell phones to the commercials and especially the internet, you cats see 100 times more sex and murder than we ever did growing up in the 80's.

You know more than we did at your age and you do more than a lot of us did at your age.

Teen pregnancy and STD's are still relevant, which means....Young People are still having sex.

Please listen...
We can't completely stop y'all from doing it, so I beg you this, if you’re going to do it, PROTECT YOURSELF!
Get some condoms....Be responsible with it!

I do applaud MTV for showing you a glimpse of what teen parenting is like, hopefully it makes you think.
My wife and I had our first child when we were 3 months into our 18th Birthdays....
So I speak to you from experience.

Children are the toughest job on earth...
THE TOUGHEST JOB ON EARTH!

The threat of a life ending disease is always there as well.

I worked with a man whose "Life Partner" had Aids...

He would pick my co-worker up after work...I literally saw the man deteriorate as time went on.
He just got skinnier and skinnier until they put him in the hospital and he died from Aids...


Sex is serious business...
Choosing the right person to share this with is crucial.

Ladies, dudes will tell you ANYTHING to get you.

And A LOT of dudes hit it and quit it...
Some leave you pregnant and never see you again.

Talk about a going away gift huh?

NEVER sleep with a dude to be popular.
Yes, you will be popular, but for all the wrong reasons.
And some dudes will call you Ho or Slut BECAUSE you DON’T sleep with them
Young dudes are immature and act like idiots....You gotta hold your head high and ignore that nonsense.

They use girls and break hearts because they don’t know how to handle love on a mature level, and honestly, even though females mature faster than males, you also are not ready for love at a young age.

Some dudes also have homeboys controlling them like puppets and your "Boyfriend" will act like a jerk to look HARD or show off his PIMP nature in front of his boys....But when he's ALONE with you...How does he act?

The dude is soft like newborn Panda fur....

HOW DO YOU BREAK THIS CYCLE?
You can break it by not giving away your goodies to every idiot that says he loves you and that you’re the "Best he ever had"....
You gotta be smart enough not to fall for game like that....

"Love often leads to sex, but sex rarely leads to love"
D.Stewart


You are young ladies ...You are faced with many different pressures.
Pressure to look this way or that or weigh this much or dress like that....
Not to mention the changes your bodies are going through, mentally and physically.

Add boys to the mix and y'all got a lot going on....

What I want you to understand from this letter is this; you are all beautiful and intelligent.
From The Blackest of Black skin to the Whitest of White and every shade in between.
PLEASE be smart enough to know that the girls in the magazines and videos are not your typical results and once again, they are who they are and YOU are who you are. You can’t be them and vice versa, and really, why would you want to be? You have your own unique gift you have yet to unwrap.

DO NOT let the media and entertainment industry con you into believing that you must look a certain way to be beautiful.
Women can be anything they desire to be... You each have a mind and talents that you are blessed with.
Develop yourself from the inside out...

I believe one of the biggest enemies against females is Insecurity.
Do not be fooled... You will never become who you were born to be if you are always wishing you were born someone else....Give YOU a chance to blossom, you just might end up liking yourself.

Break the cycle of being what the media and horny old men want you to be.
USE YOUR BRAIN...It's the sexiest organ.

Have pride in yourself and do not let a man control how you feel about yourself.

YOU ARE THE WORLD'S DAUGHTERS-MOTHERS-SISTERS and if your not a public Leader, then you are the Leader beside the Leader, You are more important than the world gives you credit for and truth be told, than you give yourself credit for.


The world has enough models and dancers.... We are in need of WOMEN.
And that empowered mindset needs to take shape NOW.

BREAK THE CYCLE!




And before the young men start getting angry with me and calling me a Hater ... Let me holla at y'all.

You must also not be quick to hop into bed with every girl that walks your way.
Just because you have a gun, doesn’t mean you should go around poppin caps for the hell of it.

Pregnancy and disease is just as serious for men and all you gotta do is hook up with the wrong chick ONE time and your whole life is altered...

And I am of the firm belief that if your man enough to make a child, you should be man enough to raise that child.
So if you’re not ready for that responsibility, make sure you are strapped at all times....ALL TIMES or restrain yourself from the company of ladies.

I'm not trying to use scare tactics on you; everything I speak is the honest truth.
Do your researches, visit a clinic, and look around your school...
The threat is real.

Sex is a beautiful gift but it must be handled with caution and maturity and above all else, responsibility.

You are young men, you are also going through changes and you also have pressure upon you.
A young man's mind is mainly made up of food, sex and music and sports.....
This is the majority of what is going on inside the head of young men all across the globe.

But just like I told the ladies about the bad boys, I will tell you about the bad girls.

Some girls are just bad because they choose to be and some girls are bad because they were made that way by dudes doing them wrong.

In the same way some guys will tell a girl anything to get sex, some girls will use sex to get anything from a guy.
You fellas gotta be smarter than that ... if she does it to you like that, she has done it to others.
Some girls lie about being pregnant, some girls lie about not having disease, but truth be told, Men are so controlled by sex, the women don’t have to say too much at all....

And this is a cycle that must be broken....
You are young men who have the opportunity to think things through, to make decisions based on the facts at hand and not because the reward might be sex.

We got enough dudes in the club and rappers pouring drinks on half nekked chicks...

WE NEED MEN! Leaders! Men who do not bow down to peer pressure and follow every trend that comes into style.
We need Men who have respect for women and respect for their own minds and who have goals.

And you guys have the opportunity to start training your minds for victory now.
And I know some of you dudes are laughing at me right now and this is exactly why this cycle of bad relationships and disease and teen pregnancy continues... This is no joke man, this is Life....

Take your time and make sure the girl is on point, this isn’t a race...

But like I said, if you just can’t wait and you’re not trying to hear anything I am talking about, at least hear the part about PROTECTING YOURSELF.

And let me touch on one last aspect of young love.

: THE BREAK-UP :
It kills me inside to know that some people actually kill themselves over someone else.
When you are young and in "Love”, it's like there is a huge magnifying glass on everything.
Everything appears way bigger than it actually is.
No one on this earth is worth taking your own life over.
I have had my heartbroken and I have also been stabbed 6 times.
I have often said I would rather be stabbed again...
Trust me , I know the pain of a broken heart is a pain that cannot be explained , I also wanted to die at one time due to heartbreak....But TRUST ME PLEASE...It will get better and you will laugh again and eventually you will love again.

I picked up a pen and wrote poetry and songs to get all of my sadness and anger and other emotions out of me.
pen , guitar, piano , bible , art , basketball , prayer, friends ,working out ....These are just a few things that help in the healing process...A lot of us don’t have access to instruments , but we all have access to a pen or pencil or green map color....WRITE it down , when it's on paper , it's out of you ....

Then you look back and see how much you have grown.

Turn your feelings around, you will survive and you will come out stronger and wiser...Whatever you do, don't do yourself in, write it down and stay active.

And the most important thing is this, watch out for the gossip.
This is when cats come on message boards talking nonsense and spreading rumors and all that.
Don't participate... give those with questions the Rasheed Wallace approach when he didn’t want to receive a fine, "Both teams played hard"... Whose fault was it? "Both teams played hard”, did he cheat on you? "Both Teams Played hard" ....The business is that of you and whoever the other party was and that is the way to break the cycle of all the ignorant aftermath of break-ups.
It didn’t work out...learn from it and Move on, no need to drag it on and start all the he said / she said nonsense....
What is done is done....

You will also address these issues as an adult and I must tell you that the sooner you realize that open and honest communication is the key....the sooner your relationships will improve.

This goes for every relationship you will ever have , from personal to business.

You gotta talk to each other and tell the truth.

If you don’t, life will expose you.

And next on the agenda is....

: ATTITUDE :

One cycle that needs to be broken and can be broken is your attitude.
If you, the youth, realize now, that it's not all about you, you will have greater success in life.

Selfishness will get you nowhere and neither will Laziness.
I completely understand that now more than any other time in our history, they market YOU to US, but all they are really doing is creating spoiled brats who will have great difficulty when they get out in the real world.


You see the commercials and how everything is marketed for you guys?

They make you feel inferior if you do not have the latest cell or clothes....

That is all B.S.
All of it....

And you know who the winner is? The companies....
Your parents are out of pocket to keep you in the latest style and you are constantly trying to keep up with the latest style while some people sit around in an office and determine what that next style should be.... Then they get into cars your parents can’t afford and eat at restaurants your parents can’t afford because your parents have helped pay for their vehicle and lunch so YOU can look good and have the newest phone and clothes that will not be in style next month.....

It's all a cycle of B.S.
They work - You get - companies get richer - we get poorer -Rinse and Repeat.

You are the next generation coming up; you have opportunities to make change.

It's time for you to expect more of yourself and challenge yourselves to be the best you can be.
To quit accepting the mindless music and T.V. and Film they throw at you as the standard.

We need to raise that standard and have creative competition again, Have pride in yourselves and your work.
Not to copy each others styles, but to innovate and Lead.

You guys now have the opportunity to stand up against Racism and show the world that united we can accomplish anything.

You guys now have the opportunity to learn from all of the mistakes that have ever been made and make a conscious choice not to keep those mistakes alive but to make them extinct by choosing not to follow in the footsteps of those who made the mistakes to begin with...

You can break the cycle...

You can start the trend of making intelligence cool.

Why is having an "I don't give a F***" attitude more popular than a positive attitude?

Because when you don't give a F***, you don’t have to work.
That is your scapegoat, it’s acceptable for you to fail because, you don’t give a F***.
You just take whatever is thrown at you and screw up your life through horrible choices and you throw a middle finger in the air , cause you don’t give a F*** and you learn the hard way that what you give in this life is what you get...

Your too cool too care though...

But when you DO Give a F***, you work your ass off.
You sweat and bleed and make sacrifices and you have honor and pride and you make change , not only for yourself but for those around you.
It takes longer , but the reward is greater.

It breaks down like this, the choices you make as a teen and in your 20’s, you spend your 30’s either recovering from or celebrating those choices.

But you don’t think about this and when people try to tell you, you blow them off.



YOU ARE GETTING OLDER EVERYDAY, JUST LIKE I AM!

And I am trying to tell you these things so you can have a better life, so you’re not just smarter in the areas of computers and phones and video games but you are wise beyond your years about life and how to work it because you were smart enough to see through the ignorance at a young age. If I can get through to enough of you and if you get through to your people and so on and so on, we can change the world for the better.... But we can’t change the world until we change our lives and if we change our lives we affect those around us and that changes our households then neighborhoods and then it expands from there....

We got enough people who don’t give a F***
Drive by your neighborhood liquor stores or look at the old school dude still gang bangin or turn on your radio to hear copy cat music or CNN to see war....

We need some people who care and aren’t afraid to be man or woman enough to care.

Intelligence and love is a lot harder and involves more work than ignorance and Hate and the world is full of Lazy people, this explains the unbalanced nature of our lives...But we can Break this Cycle and you as the youth, once again, have the opportunity to make a great change.

I am almost done, but I want to speak on your Parents before I go.

I don’t know your situation at home, if you have both parents or if you’re in a single parent family, but if you have at least one parent that provides for you and listens to you and talks with you, be very thankful, that is a blessing.

Too many households have none that care or have no clue how to talk to you.

I am a parent of 3 children, my oldest just recently turned 17.

I know firsthand that you can be very difficult to deal with, wasn’t too long ago I was there myself and I was selfish douche bag.
I remember being selfish and immature and an A-hole to girls and jail and probation and all of that nonsense I could have avoided if I was only wise enough to listen.

I made horrible choices and I have paid a heavy price, so please learn from me and those around you.
You don’t always have to experience things for yourself, not all things...

You youth must realize that your parents are just as confused about you as you are them.
But when you ignore each other, you just make matters worse and widen the gap of communication to the point that you don’t talk at all....

And I know I don’t know your folks or your household or there style of parenting, but I can safely say, it is better to sit down and talk about everything face to face than it is to slam doors, And if you absolutely cant find anyone to talk to, and if I am wrong about sitting down and talking at your house, hit my inbox, I'll talk to you, I’ll share whatever knowledge I got.

And to you Parents who feel the need to be your child's friend as opposed to their parent, you’re only doing harm.
Somebody needs to be the leader in your household and if it's not you, it will be them.
The one with more knowledge and experience should lead...that should be common sense.

It is possible for you to be a friendly parent with a trusting relationship, but you can’t be a friend who only parents every now and then. There is no solid foundation of respect built and that is bad for both of you.

And to you parents always leaving your kids home alone because you’re at the club, don’t cry or complain when your kid does bad.... The internet and TV is raising him or her, you may not be there Thursday, Friday or Saturday, but you will be present for the court date or the subject of the therapist visits....Get your priorities straight or get a crooked kid.

In closing, I know this has been a long letter, but like I said, I felt led to write it.
I don’t know who all this will reach, but if makes sense to you and you felt what I was saying, please forward it.
I have not written anything that is an untruth, if I have, let’s discuss it.

My main goal with this was to show the youth they hold the key to change in their hands and they have the power to make history by changing the future.

Love
Respect
Knowledge
Intelligence
Hard work
Dedication
Open minds and hearts
These values and emotions should be exalted.
This could be the grassroots beginning of a revolution, you know what to do and how to do it, now all you gotta do is do it.

And Lastly, I know people reading this will be from various backgrounds.
Different races and religions will read my words...

I did my best not to mention religion in the main body of my writing because I wanted to show you that all of this can be accomplished regardless of who you are and where you’re from and what you believe.

But I will end with this, I am a believer in God and through the love and knowledge of God, I have gained my intelligence and learned countless life lessons.
He has healed me and took me to many different levels.
And for those with no parents or for those with bad relationships with your parents , I can say with all sincerity , that faith in Jesus Christ has changed my entire life and he has been a true father figure to me and can be for you if that is what is desired by you.

You speak to the Lord like you would another human, you can’t see him, but he is there.
The spirit is always with you, most call him your "Conscious"...
You follow your "Conscious" or "Spirit" and you connect sincerely with that, and everything changes...
And for those interested in wisdom and learning about life, read Proverbs in your Bible. There are 30, one for each night. If you genuinely seek, you will get answers.

It takes patience and obedience, but you will go on a never ending journey of learning.

I also believe that in the spiritual outlook of a human beings life, Satan attacks the hardest when you’re a teen.
If he can get you to not care or keep you depressed and distracted or keep you Lazy or keep you in rebellion and unbelief, then the Job is soooo much easier later on in life.
The choices you make now, affect the rest of your life.

And by me telling you all of this, and dropping all these life lessons on you, I have angered Hell which makes me a very happy man.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray this letter touches your life in a positive way.
Thank you very much for reading.
And once again, if you know someone who could benefit from the writing, please forward it to them.
God Bless
Scott Johnson
www.scottjohnsononline.com
Sunday, April 11, 2010

P.S.
I am including a link to a song called 'Cut My Ties'.
This is a song that deals with the very serious but often neglected topic of suicide.
I ask that you download it and send it to anyone you feel may need it.
We just might save a life :)

'CUT MY TIES'
http://scottjohnson.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-11T21_00_15-07_00