The Girl Without A Face

The past few days I’ve been thinking about disregarded intelligence. I believe this is a term I’ve coined, but it seems the most relevant to the subject. It started with the show my son and I watch every Thursday evening, one of the contestants was talking about how they were disowned by their family. How they moved to another country to pursue a medical degree. They said it in the way of, “I was blessed with a brain.” That touched me, that way of thinking. Their story, full of hardships, somehow had unfolded to them being a contestant still in the running to win the prestigious award at the end. Their name now known around the world. They already had degrees to prove their worth. Incredible artistic talent on top of it. I don’t think people that haven’t experienced struggle can even fathom the resilience it takes to overcome those circumstances and still make it out on top. Brilliance is the word I would use to describe it.

Two days later, at the gym, the contestants story now far removed from my mind, I was listening to my typical running Playlist. The rap lyrics of Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, even Eminem, among many others. Lyrical geniuses regardless whether or not you like what their saying. Their lyrics are like a massage to my mind. The way they can say one sentence in such a way that afterwards you are still processing its meaning. The way you can listen to it over and over again and still find lyrics that make you think. True poets. They get no credit though, at least not more than being a famous rapper. Maybe because what they are saying is sometimes aggressive, it doesn’t make them any less intelligent. I know I’ve met plenty of people that have disregarded rap songs I’ve tried to introduce them to even before they’ve heard it. I’ve also had people listen, but not quite listen, and then just say something like, “That’s not the music I’m into.” I was listening to a lyric on Saturday, and instead of just appreciating the sheer genius of what they were saying, I thought about how incredible it was that Tupac came from absolutely nothing. I remember watching how much energy he had in the interviews he did. I used to love watching him talk. The amount of work he produced in the short amount of time he was on earth was incredible. He was a genius, a prodigy, but when he was alive did people understand his worth? Do people listen to his words? Can anyone fathom the sheer strength it takes to go from absolutely nothing to the top while getting beaten along the way without stopping? It’s brilliance in the most impactful way.

Then I left the gym, and I started thinking about the differences between the people that overcome their circumstances and those that succumb to them. Is this a difference in intelligence? Are we talking street smarts, IQ tests, help from a higher power? Is the only difference simply based on choices, is everyone capable of defeating their monsters? When you grow up under circumstances meant to crush you, over and over again it seems the world is trying to drag you down, people would look on and nod in understanding, “They’ve had a hard life. It finally got to them.” That happens all the time. But what about the ones that get out? That overcome? Is it brilliance that helps them? Maybe we should take a closer look at this disregarded intelligence. Those that can overcome the odds might have the keys needed to change the world.