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This will be short and sweet, because it is being written right before I am going to bed.

I read about the boy genius in the paper today who is going to become one of the youngest college students to date. No doubt he has high hopes for himself, his parents are in his corner, and our whole entire nation is marvelling at his brilliance, including myself. Yet, I can't help feeling like we are setting this kid up for a big let down if his genius doesn't make him as rich and famous as Michael Jordon. Why do I say this? It's simple; how important is it to be a genius in our society.

Ever try doing a search on the Internet? What do you see? Sex. Smut. Entertainment. That is what we really value; physical materialism. The martial arts and my upbringing have taught me to look beyond the outside and develop what is on the inside. Internal development is important in the martial arts as an artist matures. And as far as my family goes, I did not have a lot growing up, so I learned to appreciate the little things that I did have, and the things that one acquires through living that no one else can take from you (like your confidence and experiences.) These two influences have allowed me to appreciate people for what they are on the inside even after they are adults. Sadly, once this kid breaks about 25 years old, if he's not splitting atoms for the US Military or shaking his booty, naked, with the Taco Bell Chiuaua (sp) arond his neck, most of us are not going to give a damn about his existence.

The only reason why nerds are even en-vogue now is because of Bill Gates. Gates is a geek who was smart enough to get paid. Education was a symbol in pop teen culture when I was a kid thanks to the efforts of celebrety intellectuals like Dr. William Cosby (Bill Cosby people). As smart as Bill Cosby is, many of us forget to call him Doctor, and instead still refer to him as that "Jello-Puddin'-Eatin'-Muh-Fuh". Which again, is why I ask you, how important is it to be a genius?

Intellectual capacity is also but one part of a human being. We humans have a mind, and a body, and a spirit that must be nurtured. I personally would like to see the boy genius enrolled in a serious martial arts program or studying under a master who can teach him how to have a strong body, and how to temper his emotions. A powerful brain coupled with a passionate heart can be a danger to the world. He can also be a danger to himself if he becomes self-destructive out of boredom. With all there is to the martial arts, I am sure that even a wunderkin could be challenged for all of the days of his life. Were he to study the I Ching and/ or the Dao De Ching, he would learn the many lessons of yin, yang, and inner mastery. These are things that challenge us each at our own level, regardless of our innate gifts. So again, I ask, how important is it to be a genius?

I also can't help but wonder how his life would be different if he were a black child. What if he were black and born to every day working parents? Would the school system be so interested in his development, or would they merely place him in the back of the class as long as neither he or his parents made too much noise about anything. Would a black genius child from a humbler background even be encouraged by the outside world to go to college. You see, there are a lot of things that ALL of us Americans pay lipservice to, like education, academic excellence, and so on, but the truth of the matter is that nuture has just as much to do with ones success as nature does. I just can't help but wondering how many other former BLACK child prodigies who did not come from the upper class have grown up into blue collar workers or under-employed and under- appreciated black professionals and clerical workers. And yet, despite it all, black people have learnd one thing; how to endure.

This young man is probably on his way to doing great things. I hope so, for I feel that ALL children, regardless of thier inborn talent, have the capacity for greatness. But greatness does not necessary have to come from the person with the highest IQ, or largest muscles, or largest bank account. Often, those of us who become great, are the women and men and even boys and girls, who ENDURE. Preserverence, tempered with common sense and a quick wit. Are the wunderkins in our society learning patience, or do we all protect them from "the rest" by herding them into an ivory or ebony tower. If we expect the brightest among us to be leaders of humankind, then what good are we doing by sheltering them from their peers? Their peers are actually the people who they are going to have to lead, and ney, even follow, tommorrow.

So I close with the same question; how important is it to be a genius? And, how much more important is it to learn how to endure.