My last post was about the student-athlete I saw on the football field at Fremont High. This post is about that brotha you see from time to time who seems to be just chillin’, but whose muscle definition suggests that he either is or has hired a personal trainer. You know who I mean. He’s that brotha on the street, sometimes near the corner “grocery” store and sometimes near the bus stop (but so not waiting for the bus). He’s standing with his friends who appear to be average in size and fitness–a little thin or a little portly and fully clothed in oversized jeans and t-shirts. This brother, however, is shirtless  and impressively well-defined. Whether he is just making great use of his home fitness equipment, has just been released from prison where he worked out religiously, or is a dedicated member of one of the many local gyms, I have to give him his propers. As the rapper Nelly once said, “a great body is a gift you give yourself.” Kudos to that brotha (you know who I mean) for taking his self-love to a fitness sort of level.

Ajuan Mance