My Life in Song

My name is Khristian Batts and I come from a world not far from yours. I am originally from Fort Wayne, but I've been raised in Indianapolis most of my life. I am the oldest child of four. I think differently about life decisions than most people my age. Many experiences have contributed to my view of the world and the values that have been instilled in me. A lot of these things can also contribute to the type of life I lead. Now you can sit back, observe, and listen to things that make me.

Marvin Sapp-"Never Would Have Made It"
My faith in God has been tested since the moment my parents told me they were going to get a divorce eight years ago. My life isn't a tragedy, but it hasn't always been easy. Marvin Sapp describes the way God helped him get through problems in his life. I believe that God has helped me get through the many things in my life. I believe that without him I wouldn't be here in this class. I have put myself in situations to be harmed and each time came out safe and sound. I never understood as a young teen why everyone around me was dying and getting hurt. I've lost multiple family members and classmates in the past four years and it was rough as you can imagine, but I made it. Without God in my life I wouldn't be me.

Lyfe Jennings ft. Lala Brown- "S.E.X"
As a believer in God, I believe my body is a temple. I have to watch what I put into it and who I let in. Many of my classmates lost their virginities sometime between middle school and high school. In my case I am still to this day a virgin. I wear that name proudly. I have chosen abstinence becasuse as Lyfe Jennings says in the song all a boy wants is sex. I've been told by numerous boys how much they "love" me. At the time I was too young to understand love so I did believe some boys until I got a little older to see right their lies. I don't plan on having sex until marriage becuase it's just the best thing to do. It will keep me from getting hurt or an unexpected pregnancy. I am also determined to break the generational curses in my family. No woman in my family on both sides have ever waited until marriage. Many boys see my purity as a way to break me down, but I'm too strong to fall for the okey doke. Listening to this song encourages me to wait. A lot of people respect me for my decision, it's often left without a boyfriend, but I'm too confident in myself to lower my values for someone else's pleasure. Sex would make things complicated at this point  in life anyway, so I say no to sex.

India Arie ft. Akon- "I am Not My Hair"
Everyone is equal, so why judge? My love for people is genuine and I belive that each person is their own person. I've never been able to understand why the world can't think the same way. Obviously, I have locks which are not always accpeted in the professional world. But why not? I'm the same person with a relaxer. India Arie says "I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul within". I live my life based on these words. I am not black and I am not dreadlocks. I am Khristian Alexis Batts. No one deserves to be treated badly because of their ethnicity or hairstyle. In my world, there are no races besides the human race. I walked into this program and found there weren't many African Americans and then found out that I'm the only one in my class. In all honesty I felt a little weird, but then I remembered it doesn't matter what I look or what my classmates look like, we're all students hungry for an education. People from my hometown often say "You act white" or "You talk like you white". There is no such thing as acting a color, I can only be myself. I'd like to say that I see no color on your skin.

Wiz Khalifa ft. Snoop Dogg-"Wild, Young, and Free"
My life isn't a total bore. I am outgoing and cheerful. I like to take risks and enjoy life. I just don't like putting my life in jeopardy. Now the things described in this song aren't all things I live off of. It's really the concept of living young and free. This is the time of our lives and we should be living it up. Too much homework and no play is very unhealthy in my world. I don't believe in doing things I don't feel comfortable doing just to fit in. That's nowhere near fun at all. I just do things I enjoy to make my life pleasureable.

Alicia Keys-"Superwoman"
Around me I see hurting women. However these women do what they have to raise their children on their own. A lot of them are working two and three jobs to make ends meet. Many don't think about the importance of  a mother. Even married mothers are hardworkes. Mothers are the backbone of families and nowadays they are left alone to put the pieces together. My mom is a single mother and I see her as a superwoman. She has worked to provide for our household with comfortable living. My mom is very important to me. No matter how times we fight and disagree she will always love me. She does what she can when she can. At the beginning of my parents' divorce my mom wasn't stable. She had no work experience because she stayed home with us through their entire marriage. Instead of blaming us for the mishap, she picked herself up and got a college degree. She now has her bachelor's and  master's. My mom and many more moms in my world are superwomen.

Dro Man-"Jiggalate"
Yes, this song is called jiggalate! It is a hot song among many teens in my world. The song tells the listener to "hit the jiggalate let em hate, gon' jiggalate". At this point in time I'm not sure how many cities know about this song. It's a hot dance and it's fun to do. I chose this song because it represents my hometown. We are a people of togetherness but as well as seperation. In the video there are children and adults alike doing the dance. Everyone came to the video shoot really to have a good time. Now if there were fights after or before, I have no clue. But Indianapolis unfortunately is very violent and big on gangs and cliques. I hope to someday to change that trend in my world with my talents and skills. The song doesn't promote the importance of education or the concept of nonviolence. This song unfortunately is an eastside song, so serious westsiders hate this song. It's almost a crime to play it out there. Togetherness is important to me and so that's my future goal.

Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull-"Dance Again"
I am a dancer. I love to dance. If I could, I would dance instead of walking. Dance is my life and I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. The difference between me and other dancers is that I've never been in a professional class. I've danced with street groups and churches. But I love it too much to let my lack of training to discourage me. My parents just weren't the parents to sign me up for things, however, they've learned over the years. My passion for dance is so strong that others around me can feel it. It is my way to calm down or vent. When I dance I send a message, I don't just perform, I speak with my hips.

These were just a few things that define me and my life. Everything here is apart of me and who I am. I hope that you feel a bit closer to me through this blog post.

-Khristian Batts