My POV on Gun Control & Oppression

just some thoughts & updates

4/5/20

recently, i've been contemplating about how crazy these past few months have been. not necessarily for myself, but worldwide. if you know me, you'd know i've grown up watching basketball. i've always had an interest towards the sport, i guess due to the fact that my family loved the lakers and were from LA. January 1st, David Stern passed away. clearly, i never even met the man. i just remember thinking how crazy it was that 1 day into the year, someone famous already passed. i guess it was foreshadowing how the next couple months would be. (1/1/20)

flash forward a couple days and i remember i went biking with 2 of the homies. i think it was the first time i had went biking through downtown. honestly, i was scared. i'd never went out in a place as large and crowded as downtown without some big people lol. i constantly am under constant fear of getting robbed, killed, or even witnessing some tragic terrorist attack. i hate how cruel and violent some people could be, i guess. gladly, when we were there and we biked through the streets and between the daunting buildings, that fear went away. biking took all the negative thoughts away. the closest word i can think of to explain/express this feeling is freedom. i don't want to sound corny, and i know that writing this is probably already corny, but that "biking freedom" is unmatched. the wind breezing through the holes in my shirt and the last-minute turns are amazing lol. we biked to some stores and through the midtown streets i think & it was pretty tight. we then went on the metro where some crazy dude accidentally slapped my face trying to grab onto the rail. he was cool about it lol and he apologized to me. shoutout that dude, hope he's chilling. (1/11/20)

days later, my homie Jully asked me if i wanted to be in her 16 and be a waltz boy. i really wanted to, but dude that is just some scary stuff. not only that, but i've never participated in something like that before. i said yes of course lol, so i mentally prepared myself for the practices. honestly, when she told me who else was going to be in her party, i was less excited and more disappointed. i didn't talk to the people who were going to be in it, and personally, i did not like the idea of having to have conversations with the people. but damn dude, these people were genuinely funny and nice to be around. we all got along pretty fast i think so that was definitely cool. i found myself looking forward to these practices and actually being apart of something. it was fun, like really fun, and i'm glad i got the opportunity to be apart of the whole thing. even the day of the 16 was fun, and it gave me butterflies in my tummy. i admit, i messed up during the dance lol. it was a fun 2 months, thanks for the good times. (1/15/20-2/29/20)

a week and a half after that happened, is when Kobe died. i won't ever forget the moment i first heard this news lol. my parents and i were going to my grandparent's house for a Sunday breakfast. we got off the belt way, and were maybe 10-15 minutes away from their house. Simon texted a group-chat that we're apart of and i really wasn't expecting anything other than a meme. lol i couldn't believe what i had just witnessed. i thought "wow, TMZ is really doing whatever they can to get clicks". but, i figured no way would they post this if it wasn't real. how insane and sick would they be to actually claim & write something like this. i told my parents, "Yoooo, TMZ just posted that Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash". of course, they thought the same as i did. they said it wasn't real and that it has to be fake. to this day it's crazy to think of lol. i literally idolized him. the amount of shoes i had, youtube videos i binged-watched, and jersey's i owned resurged in my head. first day of school in 5th grade, i pulled up to class with the gray Kobe backpack, purple dri-fit Kobe shirt, and blue/neon mid top Kobe 9's. i swear the drip was unparalleled. i'd be lying if i said i remembered the first time i saw him in person. however, i do remember the last time. it was his final game in Houston, and the actual game is lost deep in the back of my mind. i just remember the announcer introducing the players. there was D-Lo, JC, washed Roy Hibbert, Randle, then KB. "starting at guard, from Lower Merion Pennsylvania, #24: Kobe Bryant". man, it was epic. the second and only-other thing i remember was the free throws at the end of the game. everyone was really united, showing all the love for the old man. greatest of all time. (1/26/20)

Other fun staff that i love and think about all the time that i'm too lazy to write about, but that i still really want mention because it was significant in my life hehe:

• for my birthday i went biking with some of the homies for a day and i loved it. (2/15/20)
• i saw Rex with the homie and it was tight. (2/22/20)
• i went biking with the homie through downtown. (2/28/20)
• the whole, in-depth day of the 16. (2/29/20) 
• my parent's had their wedding celebration/reception dinner in Crystal Beach. (3/6/20-3/8/20)
• the depressing, boring days i've experienced because of COVID-19. (i'm in it right now)

so if you read all of this, be safe. wash your hands, social distance, & hang in there. i love you. 

"smell you later"

"we can make it if we try"

xoxo,

mango (: