Gonna Fly Now

January 2019 and I'm sitting in an office preparing to interview someone. At the time I was prepping with my supervisor disguising herself as a friend. She kept trying to reiterate how we have to keep our composure and just stick to the scripted questions. As she didn't trust me. She didn't believe in me. The only reason I was there was because I am bilingual and they are seeking a bilingual person to work for their company. She was talking to me like I cannot see the hunger of the human with a great work ethic. I just wanted to ask her “how broke have you been? Seriously, have you been to your last dollar?” Seeing people that were raised really poor understood the value of a job. We understood our name and heart means everything. Someone knocks at the door and I get up to open the door. I’m just really happy so & so stopped talking. Here comes a Hispanic woman and we greet her and then we sit down. First 3 questions on the script were for the wannabe to perform.  Then I was supposed to come in with a generic 4th question. I admit I almost went with it. Like I tried. I swear.  But of course I went off script and asked her where she's from? She immediately woke up from the boring  old interview questions. She told us about Ecuador, her home country. Then I asked her how she got to our city. What’s her journey? My acting partner didn’t like it . I can tell. But I didn’t care. I just knew they were not going to hire her. I wanted her to look at this candidate as a true story on how she ain’t afraid to strap her boots and get to work. The candidate told us an amazing story. She traveled here for school. Takes care of her parents back in her home country. Story so inspiring. Well the interview ended and the candidate left the room. We sat there and she went on her cellphone sending a paragraph full text. I asked her “what do you think? Amazing right”. I cannot forget she ask “Don’t you think her accent is way to strong?” I didn't even entertain it. I just walked towards my desk. A few weeks later they hired a white man that “speaks Spanish”. I cannot make this up. Look it up.

See I realized then I needed to change something. I just knew this wasn’t going to be my career. A revolting door of the same mentality. Overwork people for first world problems. It bothered me that I saw a fellow Hispanic that needed someone to hold the door open for her and I could keep it open for her. I felt discouraged. My attitude changed towards not only the company but especially to my “superior”. I noticed that I need to pave my own lane. Cannot fall into the trap of a corporation. Need to create an organization. I just needed to stop being afraid of being me. Now that I look back I can see I had opportunities to make a difference with similar situations. The ones I got a job for or just mentioned a name to get them in.  I had to do some convincing. That shit bothered me but I suppressed it. Not anymore. If it’s wrong I'm pushing back. This is why I write. Words are powerful. “Minorities” have shit to say.  You probably can't relate but I don’t care. I want to cheer for the underdog. They have better stories. My mission is to show everyone that we have hidden gems ready to shine. Promote our talents. Make sure they know we are also business savvy.

 Dear stranger, you think I was going to just lay down and be overworked for the minimum ? You think I survived hungry nights just to stay in an entry level position. Silly rabbit, we want it all. Everything we are owed with interest. We want, we take. You can no longer hold me in this cage. Gonna Fly Now..

Peace and Love

*Music playing to inspire this rant: Lil Wayne “Shoot me down”, Bill Conti “Gonna Fly Now”, Kanye West “ Cant tell me nothin”, Nipsey Hussle “Blue Laces 2”