In December, a Korean government officer asked me to come drink with him. I told him I wouldn't.
"Have a cigarette," he told me.
"No, thanks," I said.
"You care a lot about your body," he said.
"Yes," I said. "I do."
In 2000, I walked down South Street and saw an art gallery specializing in African art. I walked inside and talked to the gallery owner. He spoke about a mask on the wall. I stared at it for four or five minutes.
Five years ago, I was in Boulder, Colorado. I had just run around Boulder High School three times. I was thinking I need to lose weight or my wife might leave me. I didn't lose any weight.
17 years ago, I was in the eighth grade. Mr. Cheeseman, my American History teacher, was still alive. He had kept me after class. He liked my video. It was called "Slave Chase". Theotis Joe jumped over a tree and deflated a rubber snake. It was my vision of a world where the South had won the Civil War. He thought it was genius. He said I could make music videos in my spare time. I made one hip hop video because I thought that was the future of music. I was really into Rob Base.
When I had the chicken pox, no one felt any kind of remorse. It was an expected thing in the neighborhood. It was simply my turn. I wanted to not take it so willingly. I wanted to resist, but they wouldn't let me go to school. It was a rule: Those who have chicken pox may not attend classes for ten days. I read some choose your own adventure books. They were good. Much better than The Karate Kid book. I just liked being in control.
I like this video.
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