The Change Within

  I have loved music since I was a kid. Usually for a baby the first word they learn to say is mama or dada, etc. Well not for this baby, my first word was radio, believe it or not. Yes, I loved music; the beat of the music would make me happy. Music was all around me when I was a child; it was around me all the time.

  Growing up I remember listening to music with everything I did whether I was awake or asleep. Music was my way of drowning out hurt and anger. Music made me feel like I could relate to the artist. Even though I didn't grow up in the ghetto, have to sell drugs, gang bang, or pimp women, those were the things I wanted in life mostly because of the music I listened to and the group of friends I chose to put in my life. It wouldn't be a hard guess, yes I loved gangster rap. Loved it so much I looked for a chance to start some mess with anyone because of the lyrics in a song that made fighting sound like the thing to do. It basically influenced what I did because I saw these rappers on TV had everything that everyday people want and it seemed that what they were doing was the right thing to do. How they treated women was something I caught on to real quick and I started treating women the same way. After one too many run ins with the law and too many crazy women I decided to try a new lifestyle. 


  In truth I had no idea how the music I chose affected me or the people around me. Now I wouldn't say I looked up to any of these rappers but I sure did want the lifestyle, fast money, nice cars, big house, etc... But really what these guys rap about is either going to get them killed, an STD, drug charges, etc...Nowadays it has become acceptable for these rappers to talk about women, drugs and alcohol like it's the thing to do. It's become acceptable that we listen to all these obscene things on the radio station (whether some of it is bleeped out or not) but forbid the playing of anything mentioning God. It has become more acceptable for society to let this IN music be played because the people like it. That's exactly what is wrong it seems like instead of going forward we are moving backward.

  Now I was looking for a change in life. I needed a change in life so I started going to church (You can view my church on facebook: NEW LIFE community church av). Ever since I started going to church I have improved as a person. I'm not as angry as I used to be, I don't curse like I use to, I'm more patient, I'm wiser and I'm happier. I still love my music with lots of bass. Now I was a little skeptic at first, I knew that becoming a Christian I had some changes to make in my life and that included what I listened to. Turning my life over to God worked out for me.

The subject of music is not just about religion it's more than that. Society has slowly allowed disrespecting people and abusing drugs/alcohol to be acceptable. It's really not. You see the change within came when I realized how music can affect everyone. It's teaching young women that it's ok to be treated in a degrading way, and teaching young men that that's the way they should treat women. You may not believe that but that's your choice. America gives us the freedom to listen to whatever we want and say whatever we want. The difference is that this change can only happen within.