Necropolis-A City of the Dead: By TyRisha Jones-Thomas

                                                           Necropolis

                                                         (A City of the Dead)

A multitude of struggles can be compared to a “Necropolis” – a cemetery, a ‘city of the dead.’

When you’re a source for sexuality at the age of five, a piece of you starts to form what is known as “Necropolis.” Not having a consistent home environment creates an additional component. When you add in educated rebellion, using sex to feel in control, the loss of important people in your life, peer pressure, parental pressure and/or negligence, financial struggle, loneliness, and little self-worth, “Necropolis” is now fully populated.

But you are NOT held captive. You can be revived. You see, what we call “A Fake Thug/Thugette, Hustler, A Grinder, Go Getter, and Pimp/Pimpette”--those are the ones who haven’t a clue as to what a real struggle is.

 “Grinding”:    Going from sleeping under cardboard, living under a bridge, in abandoned buildings, and living behind or in dumpsters.

“Hustler”:        Being employed at two to three places at one time, making at most minimum wage, going without so that your family can have, working seven days a week/365 days a year, and forfeiting a meal so that your children can eat. Now that’s a real “Hustler”.

“Go Getter”:   Forgiving your past indiscretions and moving forward, going from high school slacker/drop out to college graduate, taking all of the pain and strife in your life and turning it into a helpful/insightful story makes you a “Go Getter” as well as courageous.

Whether you’re a “Chica Girl”, a “Blond Bombshell”, a “Chinese Vixen”, a “Jamaican Princess” or an “African Queen”…Your struggles can enhance your life. So embrace, overcome and conquer! That’s when the only struggle in your existence will be acknowledging that struggles are your existence and it’s what sculpted you.

As quoted by rapper/producer/fashion icon, “Kanye West”…”Now what don’t kill me, Can only make me stronger”!