I Just Heard....

Self,

Well this morning on my way to work, I heard a news snippet that the R&B star, Sly Stone of the group Sly & the Family Stone, is currently destitute here in the Los Angeles area.  It's reported that he is living in a camper in the Crenshaw district, where a retired couple makes sure he eats atleast once a day and allow him the use of their shower.

My reason for posting initially was that I saw this as a tradgic example of people (ok and specificaly Black people) coming into a whole lot of money and not knowing how to properly handle it, which eventually leads to it being squander.  Helping to educate people on how to make better choices is why I am working in the financial industry.  It's my belief that we would do better, if we know better.

When I got to a computer I did a google search, really looking for a picture to use in my posting, but I found an article that I read in stead to get more info.  The article partially confirmed my suspicion, in so much as it was reported that Stone bought numerous, "toys" like cars and motorcyles.  Stone also states that his situation stems from drug addiction, and a problem with what sounds like corrupt management.

The article also annoyed me due to the fact that it's opening paragraph states that Stone isliving in "a rough Los Angeles neighborhood," and the second paragraph states that "parks his motor home in the Crenshaw section of L.A., the brutal neighborhood where the movie "Boyz n the Hood" was filmed."  Now I don't know if the movie reference is true or not, but either way it certainly paints the area with the images from the MOVIE and not neccesarily the full reality.  For all we know, he might be parking his camper in the pocket where there are homes worth upwards of a million dollars?   It certainly does not paint that community fairly as the Over-worked and Under paid citizens that live there.  I ain't saying that the place is paradise....but I don't think they should envoke the idea of hell on earth either.


Sincerely,
Pharoah