Get By…….Got To Get By ………..

‘Get By’ …. Talib Kweli

Being socially conscious and aware are well meaningful things that one can aspire to be. But it at all falls into anonymity if you act the fool. Creating an image just to get by does no one any good at all. But unfortunately too many of today’s athletes simply fall into that trap in order to create that falsehood in terms of an amenable PR image and persona for the public to gravitate towards to.

Woods first came to prominence, catching the public’s attention with an appearance on television with his father, Earl Woods on ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ in 1978.

Failings such as this , are what essentially brought the likes of Kobe Bryant and now Tiger Woods to their very knees. A complete lack of self control and being led by an entourage of what was thought to be well meaning friends and acquaintances. One tends not to go looking for trouble but when one tends to find it. Then the ramifications can be far reaching and seismic in proportions. A fellow blogger and correspondent has essentially said that the troubles that Tiger Woods has now found himself embroiled in , will blow over in time. Unless I’m mistaken , it has been two weeks and all that has happened , has been the never-ending saga of a multitude of women coming out of the woodwork to parlay their lurid stories of clandestine meetings and illicit sexual encounters with the golfer. Far be it for me to suggest to this person but Woods is far from out of the woods, as of yet. Pardon the pun there ! He (Woods) has yet to fully accept responsibility for his actions.

The once amazing , Woods shows his dexterity ,amazing shot-making creativity and ability around the golf course.

Instead of being themselves , both Bryant and Woods eschewed what was natural for them and sought to create an image that neither could ultimately live up to. Be it through sheer naivete’ or just narcissism and being condescending . Their fall from grace has shown us not only what the media can do to a celebrity when they’re on top. But what it can also do and will continue do when a celebrity or major sport’s star steps out of line and crosses the lines of moral decency. With age comes maturity but it’d appear for Tiger his actions have borne out the fact that this particular individual is still very much immature. Hiding behind the veil of secrecy and ignorance does nothing but infer those very traits. And seemingly not wanting to be held accountable for his own actions and apportioning blame elsewhere , rather than looking at the reflection coming from the mirror indicating, who , he really is.

An apologetic Kobe Bryant protests his innocence over the allegations that he sexually assaulted a female hotel employee in Eagle , Colorado. Though the case never went to trial , the player did settle out of court with the alleged victim.

Suddenly, that luminous presence that was once Tiger Woods and whose very essence, shone so brightly. In all but a few fleeting moments, that brightness has in fact become a dud. And all of this was done as a means for an end . Essentially just for him to get by. And get by , by his own means and needs . Never actually once heeding the damage that would be done to his image and that of shame that he’s brought upon himself and his immediate family. Woods now seeks the public’s empathy and sympathy. But in reality, once again it’s now about trying to resurrect that now, tarnished image in order to get by !

Lyrics in part to ‘Get By’ by Talib Kweli

‘Yeah.. my Lord.. yeah

[Verse 1: Talib]
We sell, crack to our own out the back of our homes
We smell the musk at the dusk in the crack of the dawn
We go through “Episodes II,” like “Attack of the Clones”
Work ’til we break our back and you hear the crack of the bone
To get by.. just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
We commute to computers
Spirits stay mute while you eagles spread rumors
We survivalists, turned to consumers
Just to get by.. just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
Ask Him why some people got to live in a trailer, cuss like a sailor
I paint a picture with the pen like Norman Mailer
Me Abuela raised three daughters all by herself, with no help
I think about a struggle and I find the strength in myself
These words, melt in my mouth
They hot, like the jail cell in the South
Before my nigga Core bailed me out
To get by.. just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
We do or die like Bed-Stuy through the red sky
with the window of the red eye
Let the lead fly, some G. Rap shit, “Livin’ to Let Die”

Click here to read on further for the lyrics to this song…..