“Old School”

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the oldpaths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jer. 6:16)

People are sometimes called, “old school”, because of their taste in the arts and sciences. I never liked the term because people often relegate it to places of secondary importance.  The term is often viewed as, “out-of-date”, and not worthy of attention especially by so-called progressives.

In the first place, many who are called, “old school”, left evidence of their progressive-mindedness when they built the Howard’s and the Hampton Universities, not to mention, the Tuskeegee Institutes. If that is not progressive then I have no understanding of progression.

In the second place, old school genres still get first place attention in my book. It is what my colleagues call, “the real deal.” Archeologists spend hundreds of hours and dollars, digging in dirt looking for old bones, carefully brushing them off, handling them as if they had just discovered a piece of heaven, all because of the deep value that science places on old artifacts. They ask questions like, “How old is it? What is it made of? What was happening in it’s environment during it’s lifetime.” These questions are asked in an effort to determine if this find can be authenticated. In other words, “Is it the real deal”, because if it is, then it’s value doubles and triples. Surely, a penny that has a 1932 date on it is worth more than a penny.

In music, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Ella (I don’t even have to say her last name because we know who she is.), Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Billy Holiday, Count Basie and Cole Train are the real deal. The majority of artist that followed them are merely sequels, like, “Jaws 2”. So, call me, “old school.” I love it! it is an honor because I am trying my best to be the real deal and it is an honor to be placed in the same category with progressive minds.