that time i was broke af and had to work as a cashier

a lesson for the foxhole.
after my parent’s died,
i received a large sum of money from their will…

it was well over 50k.
i had to be about 18 when i got ot.
that kind of cash,
to a sheltered cub,
was like winning the lottery.
so i was out here losing my whole mind.
i met a ton of new friends who,
i’m sure if i didn’t have that money,
wouldn’t have looked at me twice.
my low self worth was boosted by my new found popularity.
a popularity that i never had before.
i was the perfect mark and they knew it.

after being OD reckless,
it took about a year to lose all of it.
i mean legit broke.
i remember the day when i found out i was broke too.
i was at a spa downtown,
treating this straight wolf to go with me,
and the accountants called and told me i had only 2gs left.
2 *clap emoji* gs *clap emoji*.
my parent’s apartment was around 1700.
the “friends” left shortly after,
i was evicted from my parent’s crib,
and i was homeless af.
i didn’t have any job experience past cashiering.
in my embarrassment,
i had to move in with an aunt and hold down two jobs.
while i was dealing with that,
i heard the rumors about how broke i was.
how they were using me and i was useless.
when i tried to reach out to some of them,
they acted like they didn’t know who i was.

it was a humbling experience that i’m sooo very grateful for

i can say it made me who i am today.
to see everyone defending elvin from the cosby show,
aka geoffrey owens,
is such a beautiful thing to see.
as you know,
some asshole took a picture of him working at “trader joes”.

they blasted him for working a regular job,
in hopes of it going viral,
but they ended up putting him back on the map.
you see how karma works?
hell,
he might like working there and being a regula degula.
it is an honest living.
all of us are not immune to falling off our pedestals.
some of us are an unlucky break away from having to start over.
i’ve seen a ton of tough talkers and braggers get humbled.
sometimes,
we all into hard times and end up having to downgrade.
some celebs have to get regular jobs when they can’t find work.
we often see everyone’s highlight reels than the struggle ones.
this is why you should always be very grateful for where you are.
the universe can remind you of what the bottom feels like again.

lowkey: my favorite scene with elvin…

10 thoughts on “that time i was broke af and had to work as a cashier

    1. The you can tell he used to be cute in his prime older guy all of the skinny queens use.

      He could get it. I’d work him out in the bedroom. He is an actual Mr Steal Your Grandma.

  1. I like the Actors that came out to support dude. Apparently Fox News doesnโ€™t know acting as a profession isnโ€™t a constant thing. My Dad has been doing it all his life and sometimes you see him on tv shows, commercials and Movies but a bulk of his work is in plays. Funny thing is I recognized his voice in a video game and sure enough he did that voice work too. Itโ€™s a constant hustle to get these jobs cause the doors arenโ€™t flying open for Black actors, especially if youโ€™re older.

  2. I just fonted about this on my Facebook page. I am a theater teacher with friends in the industry, and what most people don’t realize is how hard it is for Black actors in these streets. “They” have their picks and favorites, and those favorites are always the go to person, i.e. Denzel, Viola, Tiffany, Hallie. When that shine wears off though….bills still have to be paid.

    There’s another facet to this story particular story. People, some in ignorance and some in stupidity, failed to realize that Bill Cosby’s drama impacted the income of a lot of people. Residuals from a show being in syndication can provide a comfortable living. My BFF did a made for TV movie a couple years ago where she had a few lines and 10 minutes screen time. Whenever BET runs that movie, she gets a check. The last one, earlier this year, was for $1200. Imagine what the cast of the Cosby Show were making before every network but TV One dropped the show.

    Cosby’s guilt notwithstanding, I think it sucks that over a dozen people lost a significant income when the show was pulled. They did not deserve that.

    1. Exactly Taylor!

      Some actors live off those residuals. Cosbyโ€™s accusations affects wayyyyyyyyyyy more than just him.

  3. I’m glad this story is catching steam with all the support especially from fellow actors who are exposing the reality of this industry when it comes to work.

  4. Congrats Jamari. You got it on point in the article. So many folks want to brag about what they have and how much money they make or what kind of manager they are and I often grin because every single title a person has gained on Earth means absolutely nothing when it’s time to depart and that’s something to really think about. You’re on this Earth because your spirit guide requested to be to put itself to test….but off that subject…

    Elvin looks so cute at the register like he is confused. I think no matter what you do, you should be happy and the best at doing it.

    I was talking to my best friend a few hours ago and he said someone had said to him that he does maintenance, in an attempt to make him feel low.

    I told him that at the end of the day we are all maintenance workers for the Universe so what’s there point?? ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

    Have a good Monday. Stay focused and postive.

    I’m waiting on Tropical Storm Gordon…He got sum explaining to do…๐Ÿค”

    1. ^love this comment.
      i like what you fonted about being an earth guide.

      elvin is an actor so everyone assumes he should be in hollywood,
      looking over scripts,
      and two seconds away from his big role.
      sometimes itโ€™s not like that.
      it can be a whole bunch of auditioning and nothing popping up.
      blacks in the industry have it harder since there are limited roles.
      iโ€™m glad everyone is rallying behind him.

      stay safe in the hurricane!!!

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