Adapting to change

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”  W. Clement Stone

I always believed that Southern California and Northern California should be cut in half and made to be 2 states, and the reason for that is because we are so different.  In So. Cal they are made to be glamorous and flashy and here in No. Cal we are a little more laid back and reserve.  I just recently spent several days in So. Cal partying and hanging with some of the most down to earth people you could meet.  Some of the people migrated from No. Cal and some was raised right there in the O.C(Orange County).  I found when hanging with them that they weren't too much different then me or my closes friends here in No. Cal. One of the biggest differences in between the 2 of us is our demeanor.  While down there I tried to explain to one of my younger cousins that it's important that he understands how to adapt to his environment while living out there.  I tried to explain to him that when you give people a chance to stereotype you, because when you do your putting a label on yourself.  Out there it is so easy for someone to look at you as the average black man when you carry yourself in such a manner.  Is it the lack of integrity that allows some people not to consider the how other people perceive you?  In some cases caring how we are perceived is very important especially in our environments.  I wanted him to understand the differences in adapting to So.Cal life as opposed to No. Cal life.  Its important that we understand that as black people a majority of the time we will need to earn respect from the opposite cultures and that's mostly because of our fellow African American people that behave the way they do. 

Although we are different in the way we behave and go about our daily lives California is California, if you can adjust and adapt to your environments its possible to be accepted in any part.  Lets try to influence more people to understand that you won't be accepted automatically anywhere if you carry yourself in a manner that is not suitable for you environment.  So after leaving and coming back home to the Bay Area I understand that it's not all about us being different but adapting to the things that we can't change to make our situations better.