No Free Lunch

Recently I had some friends over to my condo, and they couldn't wait to see how I had arranged my plethora of Air Jordans in my closet space. I think I let them down because my collection simply isn't what it used to be.

My Nike Air Jordan Collection, at its peak.

The shoe game is crazy. With sites like Nike Talk, hypebeast, and others, the urban "street-wear" culture has really taken off. There are guys these days wearing Jordans who weren't even born to see him play, or never even played ball a day in their life. And in reality it's a manufactured exclusivity- something is hot because only 500 were made, or because Kanye was seen wearing it or because some blog said so. Like my post about the story of stuff, we were programmed to consume from an early age, and I too was engulfed by the need to out-do the next guy.

I used to be one of these hypebeasts (people who have an obssession to collect and flaunt uber-exclusive shoes, clothes, toys, hats whatever for the sake of impressing other fellow hypebeasts, video HERE:) Symptoms include: camping outside of shoe stores, Buying tons of shoes and never wearing em, fretting about someone stepping on shoes once you do wear em.

As I was taken under by this bodybuilding game, more and more I became less enamored with the scene.

My man Mike asked me once why I was losing interest, and I put it plainly-
"If it aint going to make my muscles bigger, I aint interested."

The thing with shoes is, no matter what there's always someone out there with a hook-up at Niketown that you don't have, or with mommy and daddy's money that you dont have, or with shifted priorities that you don't have that will always leave you outdone.

But not in bodybuilding.

No one can "hook me up" with muscle. There ain't no friends and family discount in this iron game. Every inch beyond medium, (now large, and onto extra large, which is a trip) is an hour spent in the gym, a bite of chicken, a swig of protein, a night of drinking foregone.

Hard work is the great equalizer.

I am who I am because I made it that way, because I built it. I'll let everyone outshop me, but I'll let no one work harder at the gym.

I feel better going to the mall in a wifebeater and sweats than I ever felt in a 50 dollar hat, 80 dollar shirt, 250 dollar denim and god knows how many dollar shoes. Don't get me wrong, I still got some heat when I step out on the scene, but if all else fails, I'm content with being the bigger dude.

That's winning.