I Won't Complain

“I used to complain that I didn’t have any shoes, until I met a man that had no feet.”

Greetings folks and welcome to another edition of “The Diplomatic Report.” I’m convinced that I am the friendliest looking person in America. Seriously. No matter how much I may be enjoying my iPod while walking down the street, how engrossed I may appear to be in my book on the metro, or how angry of a black man I may look sometimes in public, people still want to talk to me. For whatever reason, there is something about my appearance or demeanor that says, “Talk to me. I don’t mind.” Every day it seems like I’m starring in another episode of “Strangers in My Space.”

For example, last week I was in the break room at work seeking a reprieve from the monotony of my task at the moment, when a co-worker began to talk to me. Why? Because, like I said, I’m the friendliest looking person in America. This guy began to tell me his life story, which is normally the point in the conversation where I pretend I have a phone call or acute and explosive diarrhea. However, his story was different. His story was about an African refugee who had experienced the highs of having everything and the lows of having nothing. He left his native African country, after his wealth had been taken by the proxy government, with his 2 children and $29. He came here, went to law school full-time, and worked 60 hours a week at 3 different jobs while raising his kids as a single father. With all of that going on, he somehow managed to graduate. Then he sat for the bar and passed the exam, but was denied admission despite having passed the test. He was denied because of debt he accumulated while trying to get his law degree, feed his family and pay the bills. For 2 years he fought with the admissions committee to become a licensed practicing attorney and eventually won.  

However, in the mean time, he had to do something—anything--to feed his two young children and pay the bills. He filled out application after application and was denied and turned away. He eventually came to a point where he could no longer support his family so he sent his two young children to live with a friend in another state so they wouldn’t have to deal with the pain and shame of being evicted and homeless. Once they were in safe care, he was relegated to living in a homeless shelter for 2 months while he attempted to work his way out of debt, homelessness and unemployment.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to get a job for months prior to that moment. He told me of the countless applications he filled out and the hundreds of jobs he was denied because: 1. He wasn’t barred; or 2. Was too qualified. This is the plight of many out of work and displaced attorneys all over the country. To be an attorney without a job is one of the biggest black eyes a professional can have. People assume that you’re either not good enough or overqualified for a particular position, which leaves most smart, qualified, hardworking attorneys unemployed or working out of their field. After a lengthy battle with the bar admissions committee, eventually he was barred and two days later he received an offer for employment.

Despite my initial resistance to talking to this man, I was captivated by his story and inspired to pen this blog. It’s easy to gripe and complain about how terrible things are in our lives and I know for many of us it’s a legitimate gripe. However, there will ALWAYS be someone who has it worse than we do. I’m reminded of a quote that says, “I used to complain that I didn’t have any shoes, until I met a man that had no feet.”

For lack of better words, things suck right now for many of us. Many of us just saw our take home pay get sliced, we’re concerned about whether we’ll be able to pay all of our bills, and we’re worried that Congress’s bickering and petty childish behavior will doom us all to eternal brokeness. Yet and still, we have jobs to do, families to raise and a God to praise in spite of our circumstances. I’ve found that as hard as things are today and as heavy as the burden may weigh right now, it gets a little easier and the load gets a little lighter the further we go.

I’ve been bent but never broken. I’ve been knocked around and knocked down, but always made it to my feet before the end of the standing 8 count. I’ve been fatigued but I’ve never quit. We must find the will, the determination, the strength and the faith to continue because trouble won’t last always. The Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” If your life seems dark right now it just means the sun hasn’t risen on your circumstances just yet. But don’t quit before dawn. Hold on, welcome the challenges, and see if you won’t be better for it in the end. Without controversy or strife there be can be no progress, no growth, no glory.

I hope the first two weeks of the New Year find you doing well and that the next fifty weeks are even better. As a public service announcement, if you like what you read, please feel free to drop a line in the comment section below, pass it along to a friend, family member or stranger, or start following the blog (look to the left of the blog). Thanks for the LOVE! Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!