You may have noticed commercials for the latest movie by Mr. Will Smith on television lately. Like many people (myself included) you may not know what exactly the movie is about, or more importantly who. The movie is about Mr. Chris Gardner, and what he accomplished. The story is well worth having portrayed as a movie and deserves attention.
We have all heard the complaints some make for how their lives have turned out. You know, ‘If it weren’t for the white man I’d be better off’ or ‘a black man can’t get a break in a white world,’ or ‘it’s a conspiracy to hold us down,’ and so on. There is often a reason why someone else is preventing a person from doing better. Maybe in some cases that’s true. And there is no question that the odds are not in favor of an African American. That said, there is always a chance and a choice. If it is taken, the sky can open up. I don’t believe the saying that “The sky’s the limit, unless you are black and then the limit is the sky.” [I forget if the comedian that said this was Mr. D.L. Hughley or someone else – let me know if you are aware of who said it.] It seems Mr. Gardner feels the same.
Mr. Gardner is African American. He grew up without wealth, or well positioned family and friends. His childhood was not perfect nor what most would enjoy. He graduated high school without notice, and there was no college in his future. He joined the Navy and was stuck stateside as a proctology assistant. No glamour, no money, almost poor even by standards of the 80’s. Add to these apparent impediments the fact that his girlfriend left with his son, only to appear some time later and leave is son with him.
Yet with all these things Mr. Gardner became a stockbroker, no easy task and much harder for a Black man in the 80’s. The $1000 he made a month was almost the same I made as a trainee in the industry, considering the hours and difficulty of the work I can’t imagine doing it as a father with his young son. From this point he worked hard to become not only a successful broker, but eventually the owner of his own brokerage industry.
This is a story of someone not waiting for someone to give him anything. He earned every step he took. He overcame every obstacle. And if he could do it then, I can only imagine it to be that much easier for most everyone else. I applaud Mr. Gardner in his success.
And for those obsessed with what successful African Americans do to give back, Mr. Gardner has been a strong supporter of the Glide Memorial Church and its soup kitchen. He has provided money and clothing to those who are where he once was. I think his visage in film may be the greatest thing to give back to the community at large. Too few are known as successes, and too many because they can play a game well or because they can rhyme a few non-words to a piece of someone else’s music. It’s about time that we pay attention to the lessons that hard work, dedication and a mind can bring. If this story doesn’t inspire I can’t imagine anything that might.
This is what I think, what do you think?
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