This is a powerful poem written by a friend of mine Santia Jackson who had many obstacles before being able to play professional basketball overseas. I am currently finishing up designing her website which has video, photos and her total profile. Please if you ever thought about giving up on your dreams, read this poem. There will be an audio added soon.

My Journey

Life is so complicated
And at times I hate it
In pursuit of my dreams
I idolized material things
That now seem overrated.
As a kid I wanted the big house and the fancy car
I even dreamed about being a superstar
In the public eye like, Beyonce, Oprah, and Maya Angelou
The people would love me
because they loved the way I flow.
I prayed from time to time
I didn’t want a new start
I just wanted God to give me what’s in my heart
Can’t he read my mind?
It’s like God never listened to me.
I have been struggling since before,
mom and dad I was one of four
we escaped from poverty
and made it to the middle class
but life was still hard for me
that’s why I hate to talk about my past.

I remember it like it was yesterday, the decision I made,
my mom always wanted us to attend university
she put us first you see
that’s why I stayed.
From Chi-town
to Georgetown
Freshmen year I was ready to put it down
Career highs, world renown
Academic –All American
Good Grades-Great Samaritan
but you see it all changed,
I never really played
and you got to get in the game
for people to remember your name.
As the year past, I was upset but didn’t sweat it,
since there was nothing I can do to change the past, I said just forget it.
I put all my energy into the game
when I was not practicing I would daydream
about how this year the fans would say my name
and although the seasons changed,
my situation did not,
I was still on the bench praying for my coach to give me a shot.

Another year passed
I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t playing
I wanted to leave
In the Bible it said first shall finish last,
And last was me.
It hurt it was painful because I knew I was good
even my own teammates didn’t understand it
I asked God why can’t I play dammit?
I remained positive but I spent many nights with tears.
I cried out to God, for four freakin years.
You see
My dream
Was to be
A professional athlete
And my reality
Made it hard to see.
My mom said pray
it will happen God’s way,
But I prayed for four years
And no change came
How can I be a professional, when I can’t even get in the game?

And finally, I was getting ready to graduate
I was real sad
four years had passed
and I knew now it was too late.
Who would pay me
to play professionally,
I didn’t even have a tape.
After my last college game,
I prayed
I remember my mom telling me if you have the will, God will make a way.
I only played 7 minutes that night
the last game of the season
for some reason
I just didn’t give up the fight.
I believed
even when my reality
showed me
that it was hopeless.
And people were asking me, what are you going to do now, you got to get a real job, but I didn’t listen to them because I didn’t want to lose focus.
You see, the devil is a liar, and I know this.
And one night I was talking to a friend
my teammate
she’s Russian
She told me her old coach in Russia coaches professionally
he is looking for a 3, 4, who can run the floor
before she could even finish, I said, shoot, that’s me.
God gave me a contact
a month later I had a contract.
I went from being on the bench
to playing with and against
Olympians and WNBA players.
Why, because I stayed focus on God and didn’t listen to these haters.
So I stand before you today,
knowing that God can and will make a way.
This testimony is very special to me

Because if it was not for God I wouldn’t be playing professionally.

THANK-YOU

Santia Jackson

Updated: Video Included