Standouts - The Beat Within

Standouts
Standouts Volume 17.01/02
Los Angeles County
Locked Up
I am locked up they won’t let me out. All I do is look up at the
ceiling, reminisce on my memories think of all the crazy things that
I’ve done with my homies, moments that I shared with my family,
and thinking of the reasons that got me ending up like this.
I wish I could go back and change some of the things I did –
better myself that’s only if I knew that I would end up here. I hate
being told what to do or have to ask to use the bathroom, drink. I
hate this place I want to leave. The judge thinks I belong in here
because of my actions, and all of the things and charges that brought
me here. They also judge me for how I look, but they don’t really
know me.
-Sea Boy
From The Beat: You start out talking about regrets and wanting to
make changes. We know your intentions are there, but what about
your follow-through?
Fame or Shame
Everyone knows who you are.
Everyone knows your name
What should it be called
Fame or shame?
When you’re walking down the street and you speak to people
they just speak to you to be friendly, but what it really is
Is they are afraid.
-Kenwone
From The Beat: This is a good start to something that could be really
interesting. Do you think that underneath the nice façade of people,
mostly they are afraid of one another? You might think about exploring
this on a deeper level in your writing. Perhaps describing what it is like
to walk down the street and imagine what is really inside of the people
you pass….
Childhood Nightmares
Many things in my life won’t go away; like all those bad childhood
memories running across my mind. All the anger that builds up
inside of me won’t go away. And right now as I think of my siblings
and the nightmares we been going through, it brings all types of
emotions inside of me and they just won’t go away. Even when I try
to block them out, forget about them, they’re still there, and they
won’t go away.
-Can’t Forget
From The Beat: We feel the pain in your writing and wish we could help
you overcome that pain. Perhaps by writing about it more, it will help
you to bring it to the surface, accept it as a part of you and move on.
You have a future ahead of you that doesn’t have to be like the past.
We sincerely hope you will find your way.
Leadership
I am a leader.
I once showed leadership.
Leadership is a good thing.
Leadership can be dangerous because you can lead people the
wrong way.
You also can lead people down the right path.
Being a leader is a good thing.
It’s better than being a follower.
You can be a leader by teaching younger people leadership.
-Marquise
From The Beat: This is a good start. What do you think is the difference
between a leader and a follower? Take what you have written a step
further. How does a leader lead people in the wrong or the right way?
What are some examples of leaders that have done good and leaders
that have done bad? Why do you think people follow bad leaders? Just
some things to think about.
TheBeatWithin.org
Page 58
Chinese Food
My favorite type of food is Chinese food. I like the rice, red meat, and
especially the sweet and spicy chicken. I like buying a big plate just
to myself. I also like the chili sauce they have. I’ll put it on the rice.
I also like having an extra-large soda.
-Rony
From The Beat: Okay, now we’re hungry! It would be interesting to
know why you think you like Chinese food best. Where did this love
come from—we’d like to know.
Candy
My favorite candy is the Mexican chili powder called Lucas. I love
Lucas first of all because I love chili. It’s so good and spicy that it
always keeps me alert. Another flavor it has is concentrated lemon
powder. Mmmm, how I love drinking lemon juice since I have my
own tree!
The other powder it has is sugar, a reddish color. When mixed
together, these three things create a wonderful taste of tangy, spicy,
and sweet. I can eat up to three to four bottles everyday, if I can.
There is a certain brand of Lucas that I like and it’s called Pico Sitos.
This is the regular size.
-Spicy
From The Beat: Wow, that’s a spicy candy and it sounds fantastic,
although it probably might make some people’s eyes water! We like
how you describe the three flavors mixed together, it gives a really
good feel for the candy.
Twix and More
Today I’m going to write about my favorite type of candy. My favorite
type of candy is a Twix because it is soft and tasty on the outside
and kind of crunchy on the inside. I like the taste of the chocolate
on the outside. I also like other types of candy, like Snickers and
Baby Ruth chocolate. The Snickers looks so good when you open
the wrapper and when you take your first bite it tastes so good! Then
you just enjoy it and make it last if you can. The Baby Ruth is good
too because when you take the first bite, you taste the chocolate and
caramel with nuts! Tastes really good!!!
-Edward
From The Beat: We can see you are a candy lover! Great job telling us
about all the different kinds of candy and how good they taste!
The Past
My past will never go away. It follows me through the worst and the
best. I can’t be ashamed because that’s who I was and I can’t change
it. I can’t regret, but I can learn from my mistakes in the past. I never
had worries or shame. I let my pride take all of that away. It was
about money, drugs and girls, but now that I have a kid, I wish he
didn’t follow my footsteps or worries. I wish me the best.
-Juan
From The Beat: It’s great that you realize you don’t need to regret or
feel shameful about the mistakes of the past—rather move forward
and make the future better, for yourself and for your child. Good job.
My Bad High
I was tripping. I wanted my high to end. I was getting kind of worried.
So, I started driving. But it wouldn’t work. So that is the last time
I will try that. I learned not to do so much of a drug I never tried
before. So that’s it.
-Jorge
From The Beat: This is a good start to some deeper reflection. What do
you think attracts you to do something that you instinctively know
is dangerous for you? We hope that you learn not only to “not do so
much of a drug that [you] never tried before. But that you would also
discover it’s best not to do ANY drug at all.