I went to, uh, Catholic school up to eighth grade with, uh, all white kids and probably two or three black kids, but predominantly white school.

And then I went to my neighborhood high school in ninth grade.

That was 99% black kids.

So the first day that I walk in to ninth grade, I walked into the lunch room, and it was like, 500 kids.

And to this day, I don't know why I did this.

I'm sure it was because I was I was nervous, and, you know, I got that.

I have a thing with fear.

I don't like being scared, so I'm sure I would walk in.

I looked around and I said, Excuse me.

Can I have your attention?

Can I have your attention, please?

He's here.

He's here right now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

People has gotta look in.

And there was this one dude and he was sitting there and he looked up to me saying, Man, don't nobody give that you hear?

Right?

And I said, Hey, just give me 10 minutes.

Your girl going care right?

And he was like, And you gotta watch that night.

that night is not a good night.

And I was like, Okay, so I went So I'm walking up The steps were out of the lunch room and I forgot about it.

So we're gone, and I'm walking up the steps.

And he had taken one of those combination locks and he put the lock in the palm of his hand and put his foot the loop around his knuckle.

And he was holding a lock in his hand.

And as I was walking up the steps to crack me in the side of my head with the lot and I went down, I was out on, Remember nothing.

I still got the lump on my head.

You can't see it from here, but I still like there's still alone.

So I remember I fell down and hit my mouth on the steps.

All of that stuff, you know?

So I went up some in the principal's office.

All it at the police Come and I got the ice on my lips and I'm I'm sitting in the principal's office and my father comes in.

He sees me, and you know, I'm telling the story now.

The police are there and I remember I saw this kid.

They put him in handcuffs and took him out of the school.

And I'm looking sitting in the principal's office and I'm watching the police take him out and put him in the back of a police car and but just couldn't believe it had escalated to a kid being removed from from school.

And I was laying in my bed that night, and I was just feeling like shit, and I had the recognition that I had caused this kid to throw his life away, right, And he was kicked out of school and I never knew what what happened to him.

But I have a sense that it didn't go well beyond there, and I felt a deep sense of regret and a deep sense that I had caused an emotion in a person that made them do that and that that feeling of regret turned into a sort of a fear of how much power I had.

And I was like everything I say and do has that kind of effect on other human beings.

And in that moment I decided that I would never walk into a room and do anything other than inspire an uplift and enlighten people and help people, too, be the greater versions off themselves.

And I would never do anything that would cause people to to rile up the darkest, dirtiest parts of people I only wanted to enliven and enlighten and inspire.

And I remember laying in my bed that night, and I made that promise to myself, and I made that promise to God.

And it's something that has completely shaped how I approach people, how I approach moments, how I walk into rooms, how I deal with every human being on this Earth, to him and to his family.

I want to send my deepest apologies, and I hope my words and my sincerity reach you, and I hope your life has gone well for you.