I have wonder if I'm truly a story teller based off the fact that I don't share many stories, especially good ones. Let's talk about when I met Jonathan Majors, and this was some time last year, last summer in Georgia
The guy is a talent, you either hate him or love him and there's no in between.
I became an instant fan from seeing him in 'Love craft and Country,' but see...here's the thing I stayed away from the show for a good bit, way after it had finished it's season, and all the hype had died down. That's what I do, I don't jump on all trends and shows. It took me a year and half after 'Squid Games' was big to sit down and watch it straight through. Also I saw him in the Netflix movie 'The harder they fall' big fan of that movie! It's just a really good movie with a lot of characters from history all jumbled together in a interesting story line. From then on I started looking for more of his work, wondering if he really shooting from the line like this every time and let me tell you...He don't miss. There's just very few male Black and African actors that are out there, and they are not all equal. Not everyone can just 'Viola Snot cry' at the drop of a dime. Then others just trying to fit in so they buy-in to the hype. Jonathan Majors looks like he is particular about his roles and that's a good thing, Denzel is similar to the same way.
Back to the story...
Hot Georgia summer day, in a disclosed location and during a disclosed time... (I'm just trying to keep private what he has private and also for my self) there was a lot of people at this location, and usually as a black man, what we do is scan the area or place for black people, it keep us aware and grounded if you will..lol.
So I find a spot to sit with my family and friends, and as I scope the scene for proof of life, another black man or people. I see, about 60ft away, to my right, a black man and some family too. I think to myself, "Ok we out here!!" Time goes on and we are all enjoying this event and I'm noticing people looking at me. I'm not saying this because I think I'm sooo good looking, I'm this because I'm not the usual site to see...and sometimes people think I'm somebody else. Latest I've gotten recently is actor and football player... A love child of Lenny Kravitz and Jason Momoa. One time this asian woman said I look like two Chains...and I told her..smiling, "He ain't never looked this good."
What I'm saying is Im 6'4 225 athletic build, long locs, and I dress well, and I get compliments and looks, it happens, I'm sure it happens to you too. So anyway, Like I said I'm feeling looks, so I look around tony new found cousins, the other black family, that I do not know and I notice a brother looking my way as well. I kid you not we gave each the "Nod" at the same time and smiled cause we knew..."we OUT here and all is well." See black people, African people, brown people, asians Lantino's and everyone else knows what this means. It's the Head nod but downward, it's the ",I don't know you but I know you cause we know!" It's that " you see that?...yea I saw that..." It's the " Yea man" lol. it's one of those things that goes through out time and language. We gave each other the nod and still I didn't recognize him at first but I knew he looked familiar, he was wearing a wide brim fedora, so I couldn't see his face as clear. Time went on and I'm still pondering why he looks so familiar, it hit me! I told my family but they didn't believe, lol. I looked over again, and we locked eyes, now this time the head nod was up, as in "are you who I think you are..?" and as a confirmation he did the same as in saying, "yea Brodie, it's me." lol Boom! So of course I wanted to go talk to the man. Keep in mind you I don't know what he has done and been through all day, I don't know what he got going on, and heck no one knows what a person has going on, so I tred lightly. At the appropriate time I went up to him and on the low I talk to him as if he was cuz from around the way, "Hey man I love your work, and I can't wait to see what else you got coming down the way," he smiled and we Dap'd up real quick and he asked for my name and we spoke briefly. I didn't want to draw attention to him or me, mind you we the only brothers here. They already wondering what we doing here. I walked away glad to have met, him, but I felt I should've turn around and said something else, something that could potentially become a friendship, but I think I feared us being in two different levels of status would detour the direction of a genuine friendship. I think I let fear get the best of me. I have had this idea in my head that I wish we had met prior to him being famous, that we could be good friends. That's the feeling I got from him, Not me using one of his characters he played to justify how he would be. No not that at all, he has a certain humility about him, and plus maybe my presence brought that out, seeing that I Iook like I chopped a tree down with a butter knife lol. jk...it was a spoon
I find it hard to believe that this man has done all that he has been accused of by the simple fact of timing. He had deals, sponsorships, movie roles, and then some. Why didn't these women and men that came out accusing him want to make it public now? Was it fear of not being heard or fear of missing out on an opportunity to get them a deal or fear of just failing.
I guess what I'm trying to says that for all we know we don't know what we don't know. Take more time to get good at seeing the humanity in people or keep the joy within you and view people with that in mind.
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