What makes you do it?

This is the question that I get asked more than anything. What made me try acting? Was it drama in school that pushed me to be the first student in 25 years to represent Lower Richland High School in the state arts program? Or was it knowing that the person who did it 25 years ago, who was also the first black drama club president, was my aunt? Funny how things happen.
What made me want to rap? Was it the fact that 2Pac, Nas, Oukast, and Eminem influenced me so much that I actually wanted to follow in their footsteps? Was it that I was used to being onstage and I wanted the spotlight even more? Was it because I knew no one in my family believed in me? Maybe it was because I wanted to say something I thought was important.
What made me want to write a book? Was it a playwright telling me that, no disrespect to my acting abilities, but I should concentrate on writing? Was it because all my raps were a story in themselves? Was it my experiences? Was it the fact that my character went through the same struggle that I did? Could it be that I finally took the advice my 10th grade English teacher gave me? Perhaps I was just bored.
What made me try stand up? Was it that people said I belonged on someone's stage? Was it because someone told me it was hard? Was it because I feel like the best thing I know how to do is make people smile? How about it could be that I've experience so much pain in my life that I'm finally strong enough to laugh at life? I smile thinking of the many reasons.
What made me decide to propose? Was I comfortable? Did I finally see that there was nothing past her in my life? Was I ready? Am I tired of being asked when it was going to happen? Did I find my soul mate? Only me and God know.
See, everything we do has a reason. Maybe a reason we don't even see right away. I still don't know why I rapped. Maybe it's because of where I grew up. I know why I quit though. I know that I love to write, do comedy, and my fiance. Alot of people are scared to try the things I've tried. I've met a man who died lonely, a kid who had potential singing who had stage fright, a girl who wrote beautiful poetry but never revealed her talent, and a funny guy who never bothered to pick up a mic. I do this because I'm not scared to live. I may be scared of death, and who isn't, but I believe in enjoying and experiencing life. I encourage anyone who reads this to try and succeed at whatever you feel you can do. There's no regrets in knowing you lost. But there are regrets if you never tried to win.