Beyond a Raisin in the Sun

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore–
And then 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?

– Langston Hughes

How about another question, perhaps a sequel to this classic poetry penned by Mr. Hughes, that asks “What Happens to the Dreamer when his dream is deferred?” Have you ever been forced to confront such a question? I have and likely revisit it on a daily basis. My dream is a conjured collage of images which depict athletes transforming culture by competing within that culture. I imagine athletes who can play at a mastery level that resembles the technical efficiency of Kobe Bryant and yet see the marriage of such ability with the philanthropic fervor of a Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns).

But why does someone like me dream of such things? I was disappointed and perpetually frustrated as a basketball player. There were flashes of promise and momentary glimmers that suggested I might actually realize my hopes and aspirations as an athlete. But there was no scholarship, no elite travel ball team on which to participate, no guaranteed starting role and certainly no post-season accolades for this guy. So, what happens to the dreamer when his dream is deferred? Is he like the raisin, the sore, the rotten meat or the heavy load? He could be. I could have been. But no one has to be like any of those.

I surmise that if I had been like the raisin, I’d have nothing valuable to share with young people. If victory is a byproduct of doing details the right way, than drying, rotting, sagging and exploding are a byproduct of doing nothing meaningful. I think that I started 6ixth Man, LLC not despite my struggles as an athlete but directly as a result of them. Has your dream been deferred or is it currently being deferred? Are you waiting for your chance, deathly afraid that it won’t materialize? Are your emotions out of control because you’re not in control of desired outcomes?

We dream of optimal results but live in a flawed world be it sports related or otherwise. Everyday I train an athlete, write a blog post or speak to an audience, I’m learning that it’s  not my resume that authorizes me to dream and serve the world; it’s knowing that my deferred dream got out of the way of a greater, more selfless one.