When I Die…
I could care less to be buried a “G.” I would just hope that I’ve lived a life that a eulogy could be read for me. When I heard the recording of the great Ossie Davis reading a eulogy for, as he termed him, our “Black ShiningPrince,” I knew then that was how I wanted someone to memorialize me. For those who may be unaware, Mr. Davis’ “Black Shining Prince” reference was for El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, better known as Brother Malcolm X. And a eulogy, which many of our kids are unfamiliar with, is defined as: a speech or writing in praise of a person; a set oration in honor of a deceased person; high praise or commendation. That’s how I want to be memorialized.
Written by Cornell Dews
Don’t pour out liquor for me. Don’t bust your guns for me. Don’t place my picture on a tee shirt and create a makeshift memorial, which often includes stained teddy bears, balloons and empty bottles of the deceased drink of choice. Instead, listen to someone who knew me, talk about the remarkable life I lived. Listen to those who knew me talk about how I inspired and helped many. Listen to those who knew me talk about how I motivated them to pursue their dreams, by pursuing my own. Allow my funeral to be recognized as a “Home Going,” a life celebrated and not that of an individual who died with more promise them accomplishments.
Nowadays, so many of our young black men are being buried as “promising individuals” whose life was cut short. How often have you heard the following statement, “he had so much more to offer?” The obituary read of “accomplishments” that their closest friends are unfamiliar with. He gave his life to Christ when, we ask? He was educated in what school system? As we think to ourselves, for all of the years I’ve known him, I’ve never heard him once utter the Lords name, unless in vain and I never recalled seeing him in class. After the reading of the obituary, we’re left asking ourselves the following question in exaggerated context. He loved to do “what?” You begin to wonder if you’re at the right funeral.
Then after the obituary is read, throughout the rest of the ceremony, there’s very little reference made about the individual that we all gathered to mourn. Why? Well honestly, because he hasn’t lived long enough in life to accomplish anything worthy of recognition. And most of what was read about him already has been embellished. So the focus is then turned to attempting to save the lives, by rhetoric, of the young friends of the deceased in attendance. Who wants to die like that?
I remember being told, “You should live your life as if you’re authoring your own obituary.” Well, in actuality, that’s what we’re doing. So I ask, “How do you want people to remember you?” And, “what do you want people to remember you for?” We all have the opportunity to make an impact on people lives. So make an impact on some-one’s life and allow someone to make an impact on yours.
When asked, “Cornell, what’s your goal in life?” Without hesitation, my response is, “to live a life that will allow my daughter to go wherever she chooses and when asked to give her name, Imani Dews, it will beckon the question, was your father Cornell Dews?” And she could proudly say, “Yes he is!”
So, when I Die, bury me a MAN, whom lived an accomplished life; one that his family can be proud of. And again I ask, “how do you want to be remembered?”
Written by Cornell Dews
51 Comments so far
FIRSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
damn i realized as blacks we do some ignorant shit wen a friend of ours dies….
first
Wow those are deep words spoken/written…
When i die i want everybody i love to give me a classy beautiful send off…no black i want everyone to wear white lol. There is so much mystery surrounding death its scary to think to much about it for too long. I want to be remembered as a blessing to all who loved me and an inspiration for all who met me…(i hope).
My friend Timothy Joel kingslee passed away 02/09/07 R.I.P:
‘Father, friend
Lover, husband
Son, strength our blessing…’ He really was. x
Very well written.. Not that any of the ignorant monkeys on this site will read past the opening sentence.. but very well written indeed.
I hope your daughter does have a nice life do to you being a man and doing things the right way and hopefully fullfilling your dreams.
Peace.
It’s deep yo, and well written article.
That wonderful. Thanx for sharring that.
Bury me a man.
Somebody should make that a song.
Wow…very well written; and everything he said was very true. I especially love the part about wanting his daughter to be proud to have him as a father.
@4
Monkey #1 right on cue.
Well written, if you put 50 name in the subject it would get more hits… sad but true.
@4
What ’subliminals’..? Do you even know what that means?
Nothing subliminal about it. He’s stating exactly what he wants to get across. No hiding nothing, not masking the real meaning.
He’s showing a level of intellect you obviously are not familiar with. He’s obviously hit a nerve within you and you feel a sense of shame. By your post, I can tell without a doubt that you are not a man. I’m not talking about age neither, I’m talking about mentally.
When grown men see monkeys like you running the streets, they laugh inside.. and maybe feel a little sad that you might never become a man.
Wake up black folks. This young man obviously has.
Peace.
this is sum deep stuff…when ppl die i’ve alwayz wondered y ppl do tht dumb shii.
i alwayz wonder if i die will any1 care? will any1 show up 2 tha funeral??
i rele respect u for this post.
@4 u must not kno who pac is…i’ve said this on here earlier but i’ll say it again
pac said in his unreleased version of pac’s life: “never visioned living longer than my 21st,thought i’d be locked down cracked out or in tha dirt”
HOW LONG WILL THEY MOURN ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
R.I.P. MARION “LIL MANI” SMITH and JULIE “PRECIOUS” SMITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
number 3
i hope you read what im saying.
All you have to do is comment what is posted on this blog site. Alot of times there are negative and some positive comments. But your not welcome to come in this website and start insulting ppl. You say us monkeys havent even looked at the first sentence..well i think you should look in the mirror. This man is stating alot of smart things to say without pointing any fingers, and the first thing you do is call us monkeys.
And this is newyork bittttttch. DOn’t try to correct are language iiiiight. So fuck u very much. Hava good life.
10….you sound like you know the don
anybody that read this in its intirety knows this was a pac subliminal from the start
”I could care less to be buried a “G.”….how many people really use the phrase ”bury me a G?” tell me
it’s obvious that the author of this weak-ass testimony feels some kind of discomfort with the level of recognition 2pac generated after his death. he just mad he’s got no friends and people won’t remember him as an important figure on earth when he paases.
now ask yourself….WHAT IS THE TRUE POINT OF THIS ARTICLE? this dude was probly high on hash when he wrote this
tired of fake niggaz always trying to philosophize on shit after a hit or 2….anybody can come up with that nonsense.
Ive got my own article coming up, realtalk fall bak cuz shit’s gonna be astounding b !!!!
Vigorous shut the fuck up you ignorant slime ball .
You probably a geek who hides behind a computer acting hard cause noone in the real world likes your faggoty ass .
as for the topic I like it ..Bury me a Man ..people need to wake up
Bury Me A Man… I fucks with that… I like that too…
Damn decent article, no lie. But I cant fault my niggas(friends) for how they choose to deal with my passing. I love them all the same. But I have touched ppl who will choose to bury me a man and pass that to the homies.
Realtalk, you put your foot in this one. Great written words, you came real on this one. Keep your head up player, hopefully many more years of excellence in your future.
That was deep homie. Bury me a man I can dig it,I have a daughter that thinks very highly of me. I have her love and respect. And im a person with quite a few accomplishments. Im from the streets also,so if I choose to say bury me a G I think I earned that right. By all means im not trying to shit on the author,but I deal with both sides. I got blood brothers,buisness partners and a mother and daughter I go too church with. Not to sound cocky but my life is amazing when I die the funeral would last longer than REAGAN’S.
That was beautifully written. I have to share that with my brothers!!!! Amazing!
that was real. spoken well from a real man!!
thanks for the article
co sighn 21
Now thats what I’m saying..Bury me a Man..When I die i want people to say..Damn i miss that nigga Ray..I would like my funeral to be all white as well..not any dark and too deep thought colors..I want people to know that I was a man who when times was down that i was there to make them laugh or be an adviser to their situations instead of a dictator and a lending hand,ear for whatever..I would like to be remembered so when my last name is brought up from someone who knows my kids..I would want them to say to my children that i was good man as well.
THE REALIST thinng EVER wrote. You ARE A MAN be4 ANYTHING else, so when I DIE BURY ME A MAN. THAT has SERIOUSLY inspired ME. WELL WRITTEN, but YOU there always gonna be INGNORANT people that will not like the article.
i like this some deep shit and niggaz in da hood do always be like R.I.P. ON SHIRTS AND ON MYSPACE,and complain about them dyin,everybody is gon die so wit that bein known i wanna die as a respectful hard worken man that learned from his mistakes and gotten better as a person as life went off but da article was da truth realtalk keep that shit up…
fuk dat bury me a g wen i die i want niggas to say damn dre always went for his n i nevA FUKED NE1 THAT DIDNT HAVE IT COMIN WORD TO TONY HOMEY
co sign my man blanco montana, word fam. Bury me a g, i wanna be remembered for the things i did for people, cause i know this world is full of snake mofos, but i still always had loyalty and respect for everyone regardless.
Deep, I can respect what he’s saying
#1 u a faggot ass bitch, dis a serious article and all u can do is say first like a bitch. at least contribute u sad fuck. yo realtalkny, u should ban niggas like dis, shit gets on my nerves nigga
Nice write-up.. I help dads that are behind in child support to get a job and pay up.. I also teach people on Social Service (welfare) how to interview, search for jobs, and how to use the computer. I constantly get letters from individuals thanking me for helping them or making them see that the life they were living wasn’t cool. I’m a dude that went from street life to an office job because it’s no way I could raise kids and expect the best from them and not expect the best for myself. When I made that transition, my (so-called) friends from the block wasn’t happy for my success and the love faded. I still see some of them on the same block doing the same thing 12 years later.
When I die, I just want my 2 boys to be inspired to be better than me and continue the cycle of taking care of their own and staying away from the streets.. I used to take pride being from Baltimore, and reppin my block, but now that I am older and wiser, 240 murders in a small city isn’t anything to big up. I am pleased where I am at.. I worked hard to make the transition. I always try to grow and when I die, my only concern is did I pleased God…
“The hardest job for a preacher is to give a sermon at a funeral of an irrelevant Negro”
That was written I’ve never really throughts about how I wanted to be remebered to tell you the truth people in U.S.A. might think about it more than the UK would. When I use to think about dieing it scared me and I guess I Kinda stopped thinking about it, but its truly whenever someone young dies its always he had so much potential etc maybe I’ve been abit Igonrant in not thinking what I wanted to remebered for.
Its says nothing but the truth very STRONG words
Amen to that!
is it okay if i save a copy of this for myself and some friends!!!. I luv it. what a way to start my day… thank you realtalkny, and thank Cornell Dews.
Tupac’s is still better…all he did was take tupac’s shit and flip it….
That right there is what i’m talkin ’bout some reading with substance.
************************************************************
Bury me a WoMan, wise and true. A blessing to all that I knew. Intelligent to no end, but humble, humble enough to befriend. A mother to her sons, a proud mother indeed who took no shorts when it came to her seeds. Reality is life with no aborts. Inspiring by moving forth and not looking back but always in remembrance to never retract.
Life a blessing, a inspiration, a memoir…
Now thats what i’m talkin bout…substance!
************************************************************
When die bury me a WoMan, wise and true. A blessing to all that I knew. Intelligent to no end, but humble, humble enough to befriend. A mother to her sons, a proud mother indeed who took no shorts, when it came to her seeds. Reality is life with no aborts. Inspiring by moving forward and not looking back but always in rememberance to never retract.
Life a blessing, a inspiration, a memoir…………
Now get it together RTNY cause it wasn’t there at first then two show up when i hit submit once???
http://myspace.com/n_sey_sha_bul
i wanna be remembered AS NOT ONE OF THOSE IDIOTS who post FIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRSSSSSSSTT in the 1st comment box.
just sayin’.
This is really deep. I pray we can get our black men to have this same mind frame, but until then I’ll continue to pray.
Me telling you what I want when I die would be premature right now because I want to live a long life. I want to die a great great great grandfather which will be many many years from now.
sad but its true. when we die all we want is to be remembered for bein a positive impact in someones life, even if its one person.
WHEN I DIE I HELP I DIE WIT LEGACY LIKE 2PAC
WHEN I DIE I HELP I DIE WIT LEGACY LIKE 2PAC
WHEN I DIE FUCK IT I WANA GO TO HELL. CUS IM A PIECE OF SHIT, IT AINT HARD TO FUCKING TELL. IT DON’T MAKE SENSE GOIN TO HEAVEN WITH THE GOODIE GOODIES, DRESSED IN WHITE, I LIKE BLACK TIMBS AND BLACK HOODIES.
lol foreal though, that shit was deep. at least it got me thinking for a minute. unfortunately, in the world we livin in today, the tradition of ignorance will prevail.
the good die young
lmao @39
im not startin nun im juss hopin tht you ain’t serious.
i love these posts. i want to be remembered as a great mother and woman. a woman who stood for something. a woman that inspires people to turn negativity into positivity. a woman that demands respect and respected others.
cornell dews keeps us thinking
Vigorous, or should we call you Vigodummy. the author didn’t mention pac one time in this artice. if u would use ur head for something other than a hat rack you would know this wasn’t a subliminal message refering to pac. Post like yours help me to understand how shallow some of our people are.. Tell u what, we will bury you a G. a G_ottt Damn Fool.
Vigorous, you appear to be a simple weak minded individual. Your comments show the depth of your knowledge, very limited. This article is in no way referrencing Pac, it is stating the obvious, too many lives are cut short or too much time is wasted for people to truly be eulogized. Read the actual words and stop trying to find hidden messages when the truth is right here in black and white. Ponder this, what will be said at your eulogy? Cornell, great job, keep giving us mind elevating articles.
Great words I had to pass that on. Thanks keep up the good work…..someone did rigtht with u. Now morning hugs mean so much more. I love to hear from strong black men not afraid 2 put it out there. There is nothing wrong with making it the old fashion way hard work. My father of 85 years would love to sit and talk with someone like u.