Had to cut it short on stage cuz of time but here is the full version ....Enjoy
Good evening, everyone! My name is Wole. Some of you know me as Mr. BigTyme. I am a Nigerian who proudly represents my green, white and, green -- all day -- every day!
I stand here today because, about a month ago, Anita reached out to me to ask if I would share a few words with you, the Culture Shock audience, based on a post on my blog (which I just started about a month ago), which I dedicated to the memory of Joseph Kessie, a very good friend of mine and to most of you. Trust me, I have never delivered a message in public before, but when she told me that she was dedicating the entire show to Joseph’s memory, I decided to take on the challenge.
So, allow me to share a few words about Joseph, because you see, we can learn a lot from his attitude towards life, and apply such lessons to our lives, as well as to that of the entire African community. And, please allow me to sound as African as possible -- because after all, this is Culture Shock right? And we should all always be proud of our culture!
Joseph Kessie was a positive man, and I can honestly say that I have never met a more motivated person. Our paths crossed back inside the gym at Georgia Perimeter College, where he was not just a brilliant student, but also, an active student. Joseph engaged in various clubs at GPC, and was ready to help needed. Oh, and he was a socializer, mingling with various people and making friends all over. He was a very friendly guy with so much ambition. At one point, he also had a radio show he used to host and was never afraid to talk about any issue that came to his mind. The most important thing that I noticed about Joseph was his servant spirit and his ability to inspire others to do better.
Was it school work you needed help with? Was it a ride you needed to get home? Were you hungry and didn’t have the means to get yourself food? Joseph was always ready and willing to help meet your need. Personally, he unintentionally motivated me to study more than I was actually doing. I began to push myself to do better, partly because of his commitment to school and work, and his ability to compose himself when it came to get all done in the right way, including studying. Did Joseph impact my life? Yes, he did.
After Joseph passed away, I was finally inspired to launch my blog -- I had been delaying the start of this venture for some time. Troubled and moved by the transition of Joseph, I also must thank a lot of you -- because rather directly or indirectly -- each of you has inspired me to continue to speak my mind through digital technology, and I hope my blog will continue to inspire whoever stumbles upon it.
In the spirit of Joseph, who believed in helping his fellow man, allow me to emphasize the need for all of us to grow as a community, especially in Atlanta -- we simply need to stick together. Everyone who is successful has been helped along the way at some point in their life. Lending a helping hand wherever you can, and in whatever the situation -- can go a very long way. I will be straight forward and say that a lot of communities often have internal differences, but when it’s time to come together, to make things happen, such differences have to be put aside, so that the community as a whole can move forward and continue to grow.
You see, when a unified community grows, it attracts more positive people who are inspired and motivated to be better human beings and contributors. It is sort of like a domino effect, and I will borrow a thought from “The Golden Rule” which states that, “One should treat others as one would like to treat oneself.” We all want to be assured that we have someone or a group of people who will come through for us whenever we are in need. This should not be mistaken for favors because then, it comes off as expecting something back from whomever, we lent a helping hand.
In closing, Joseph believed in himself and possibilities. Let us set goals and set a course for turning our dreams into reality. It is never easy, but the end result is always sweet. Culture Shock is an excellent example of what can happen when a plan is put in action, and supported by a community of like-minded people. Anita, I commend you and your team for putting together such an awesome event -- an event that once began as a dream -- and, look at it now; what a success it has become!
So, remember to be the person you want others to be to you, just like Joseph was to so many. And, let’s make it all happen by backing the communities and dreams of each other. Thank you for your time, and thank you for your support of Culture Shock!
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