"REAL Talk with Nelle Belle"

PLAN B: DREAMS DEFERRED

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore – and run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it EXPLODE? –A Raisin in the Sun by Langston Hughes

As kids, we dreamt about what we wanted to be when we grew up. Some of us wanted to be teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public service workers. Some of us wanted to be doctors, lawyers, or astronauts.  I personally wanted to be an investigator, lawyer, and an actress during my childhood. I remember watching and playing Ghostwriter after school with my neighbor and watching Matlock and Murder She Wrote with my great-grandmother. Those shows triggered my interest in the fields of law and investigation. I would act out movie scenes, write my own monologues, and reenact scenes from real life all the time. Acting was fun and I would always get a standing ovation from my family and friends, so I thought maybe I’d make a good actress. I realized later in life that I don’t want to be famous, so I gladly let go of that dream. I felt that I was called to make a difference in the lives of others, so I shifted gears. I’m not getting any younger, so right now I’m working to make those dreams come to life while tapping into other business ventures and planting seeds for the future.

As I look at today’s society, I often wonder what happened to those dreams that we had as children. Did they go away or were they overshadowed by the media’s constant invitation to the life of glitz and glamour?  I grew up watching shows like The Cosby Show, Full House, Family Matters, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-air.  Those shows depicted normal families making an honest living and loving one another unconditionally. Those shows have been replaced by Reality Shows, Cribs, and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It should come as no surprise that our youth dream of living the lifestyles that they see on TV or speak the vulgar words that they hear in today’s music. So many young boys are rappers and so many young girls are models. I’m not knocking those things because they are legitimate careers. But what happened to the Martin Luther King Jr. and the Madam CJ Walker of our generation?  I’ve noticed that so many of today’s youth dream of being entertainers or simply want to be rich. Even people twenty-five and older are “out here chasing this paper” with no other goal in mind but to be rich and famous. Some people even dream of being a celebrity by default. I know some adult women who are still hoping to get swept away by some professional athlete or a successful artist like Kanye West just so they can live the glam life. Maybe it will happen for them, but if it doesn’t then what’s next?  We should always have a Plan B that allows for the betterment of ourselves and those around us. Sometimes Plan B is what we do while Plan A is taking time to come to fruition. Other times, Plan B is what we do instead of Plan A.

I don’t believe in giving up on your dreams, but I do believe in having a Plan B. You may spend 10 years trying to get that big contract, so how do you plan to survive until then? Some may never become a superstar. If that’s the case, understand that the industry may not need you, but someone somewhere needs you. I encourage our future stars to always have a fall back plan because one day those model bodies are going to get old and selling mix tapes at age 40 won’t pay the bills. Get a college degree, learn a trade, shadow a successful entrepreneur, and build your own brand. Always follow your heart and it will lead you to the right place. If you have to take a detour on your journey, make sure you’re prepared with a Plan B.