800 Words or Less #1: Michael Bowers
The following is an excerpt by Lakeland native Michael Bowers
from my 2012 book The Manual: A Guide to Achievement & Enlightenment in the Urban Community. The book is available at https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Guide-Achievement-Enlightment-Community-ebook/dp/B009MNEQ0G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1472456458&sr=8-2&keywords=james+bennett+the+manual
In this story, underground musician Michael Bowers talks about the challenges
he’s faced; As a musician, as a young black man, and as a resident of Lakeland
Michael Bowers in June of 2012. This photo was the inspiration of the cover of the Manual.
Fly or Die
I remember when I was fifteen years old riding the city bus on a daily basis,
facing one average, uneventful day after another.
In the midst of the boredom, music was my entertaining love, but as I listened to “Picture Me Rolling” by Tupac Shakur, I received a tap on the shoulder from a middleaged
black dude dressed in dirty attire. He screamed out, “Hey Superman!”
(based on my belt buckle). He said…
“If the world was watching you on television, and the reporter asked you
what your weakness was, what would you say?” Stunned and in confusion,
I simply replied, “I don’t know.”
“Ha!” he laughed loudly. “Well young’n’, you better find out before the
world does.”
That one sentence took me almost five years to fully decipher. I finally
know my own weakness, and it’s a fear of heights, not in the physical sense,
but in a sense of status: becoming someone who is always looked upon to
advise, to guide, and to help others when I didn’t even know how to help
myself.
So many people in my community have settled for minimum wage, warehouse
jobs, and criminal activities for years. My childhood friend that I
used to fight over taking the red crayon is now in prison for armed robbery
and attempted murder. I’ll never see him again.
I was the outcast of my neighborhood growing up, not because of my failure,
but because of my success. I’d travel to the library daily and try to
surround myself around good people. But each night I’d return to a neighborhood
of dope dealers, thugs, and gangbangers.
Throughout the darkness I stayed strong, not allowing myself to become
another victim, another felon, or another guy who missed his opportunity.
But I see now that all my energy was focused on avoiding life’s obstacles,
instead of overcoming them. That spells trouble.
We started with this….
Each struggle in my life is a divine test from God, and I know that he has a
purpose for me to be here. As I see young kids in my neighborhood walking
down the same path as some of my fallen friends, I see that my duty now is
to lead, not follow.
And finished with this!
I am the CEO and co-founder of Royale Entertainment, and with that title
comes instant responsibility. The younger generation is already looking to
me and others my age for guidance, no matter where we may be right now.
So while my neighbors spend their days on the corner, my team and I need
to be doing everything we can to be a positive influence on the world.
My dream is to one day make music of every genre. Our team has filmed
and directed our first music video last month, and I hope that this grows
into movies, documentaries, and books.
I named my essay “Fly or Die” because like a young eagle in the nest of his
mother, the time has come for me to take a leap of faith.
Michael Bowers in 2016. Since the release of the Manual, this true Floridian has traveled as far as Alaska! If you’d like to hear more about his travels, comment or share this post!