"When they do make a whip you like ya' chips ain't right, and by the time you can afford it, the car ain't important." - Nas (Classic w/ Kayne West, Rakim and KRS-One)
Anyone who REALLY knows me will tell you that I am probably THE BIGGEST Nas fan alive. I remember being back in undergrad and having a conversation with a classmate (now phrat brother) about how Nas was a better MC than Jay-Z! The rhyme that I placed at the beginning of this blog opened my eyes to the fact that I've never owned a pair of Js (Jordans) ever in my life. As a kid growing up, I was just simply unable to convince my mom that spending $100+ on a pair of tennis shoes was not only a sound financial decision, but an investment in my self-esteem and overall social development as a middle school student. I tried begging, pleading and even negotiating to get the cash for the latest pair of Jordans but to no avail. Looking back on this time in life, I realize that my mother, in her own little way, was teaching a young man that the value of a person is not determined by the shoes on his feet nor the clothes on his back...naw in all seriousness she just didn't want to pay so much for tennis shoes when she could drop $65-$70 on some basic Nikes and maintain my dignity in school!
Now, as a young professional with the ability to go out and purchase those same tennis shoes (**insert praise break here**), I've grown to realize that spending $150+ on some tennis shoes is really pointless at this point in my life. I'd rather contribute that money to my 401(k) or some other investment account. I guess Nas was right, as life goes on, what you thought was so important when you were younger turns to a moot point when you grow and your focus in life change!
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