If you read business books or productivity books they very rarely have any context written into them. I assume they are written for white-middle-aged-middle-managers. Which would make sense, these are the types who read these books trying to justify their existence. But what about everyone else? What about the specific context of the urban poor?
How do you make a business or get thing done book for a 20 year old with a 3 year old kid who is struggling to survive?
Where is the “How to survive the ghetto in 10 easy steps” book?
Where is the “How to get straight A’s while you have to take care of your siblings” book?
How about “How to get ahead in with a junkie parent in 20 days”
How to survive the ghetto for dummies – (short book, dummies don’t survive)
Where is the “How to keep your dignity when you’re wear your brothers shoes (that you wore last year too)”
Or even better “How to feel great about yourself when everything smells like piss in your building“?
Where is this information? Where are these how to and easy steps books for the urban poor? I guess hip hop is the only medium that describes the life? Are they blue prints for survival though? They are what we have so I suppose we should be thankful we have it. I just wish there was more.
You know what my system was? Get out and don’t come back. Hold it inside and pretend it didn’t all happen.
Originally appeared http://laurent-courtines.com/the-hurdles-that-go-undisccused from http://laurent-courtines.com
