I watched the Black List this morning on HBO, and the commentary that stood out the most to me was that of Keenan Ivory Wayans'. " I dropped out of my 3rd year of college at Tuskegee studying for a degree in engineering to become a comedian. My father told me, Son you should finish college to ensure you have something to fall back on. I thought to myself, I don't want to fail so NOT having anything to fall back on will ensure that I don't fail." Now I realize why our children don't seem to understand the importance of degrees. We're not trying to instill fear of failure in you. We're trying to instill the power of having options for more than one way to succeed in you. I totally get Mr. Wayans' analogy, but I feel when things ran it's course in his career as a comedian he could have better engineered himself in the industry much further. He has successfully opened doors for many others including younger siblings.He launched the Careers of Jim Carey and Jamie Foxx who have had far more success than he has. Mr. Wayans has my respect. I know he is a bright and gifted man and he has achieved more than I probably ever will. On that note, in the words of the LATE Richard Pryor, "I aint dead yet motherfuckers". Clearly this is the mind set of many young people who have great gifts and talents that doesn't necessarily require degrees. So many of our youth feel they don't have to go to college because they have a gift that is their ticket to success in life. I agree they do have these gifts and I believe in these gifts. I do not however, believe God grants gifts without consequence for lack of knowledge and understanding. I believe the gifts and the knowlegde are a package that guarantee you always find a way out , around and above any obstacles that may arise. It is because Mr.Wayans is so gifted and bright that he is still able to succeed "behind the scenes" through his siblings and others despite not having finished his degree. When I look at Stars like Sean P.Diddy Combs and Russell Simmons, even Ice Cube (who later went back and got his degrees.. it's never too late) who realized that even with all their success, degrees mattered. I encouraged my children to get all they can out of life and education. Just getting through everyday life requires knowledge and understanding. The world will eat you alive if you're not equipped to survive in it. Although I may not have all the equipment I need, I have some of the tools(knowledge and understanding) to get to work on this project called my life. Like anything a man sets out to work on, he can start with a hammer and a nail and keep buying the rest as he goes to build a better and stronger product. So it is with education, keep adding to yourself and what you already know and can do. EXPAND, GROW and BUILD. We've come a long way, but yet we have a long way to go and it starts with knowledge. Let's not trip out with the feeling we need a governance to patent our worth by having degrees. So many excuse themselves by saying, " Hell I don't have to read some idiots books to tell me how I can and should do something I already know how to do and better. Why should I have to start from scratch to get a paper saying I know how to do something I've been doing for years naturally? Why? I'll tell you why we should, because it gives us the opportunity and power to show THEM how We do it better and have them reading OUR books! The truth is NOBODY knows just how powerful you are but you so what's the point? I thought this way for so long without realizing I was cheating myself and missing the opportunities to gain the upper hand. I refuse to allow my children to live in that same ignorant bliss. When my son decided to work and go to college instead of pursuing his music career as a priority, I was proud and mostly because HE made that choice on his own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having something to fall back on. It's yours to fall back on,, you earned it. It's your ace in the hole. You've given yourself options, options you can use even in the things that you want more than you want them. You'll see that it worked for all the good and favor of YOU.