“When you was just a young’un you’re looks but so precious
But now your grown up
So fly its like a blessing but you can’t have a man look at you for 5 seconds
Without you being insecure
You never credit yourself so when you got older
It’s seems like you came back 10 times over
Now you’re sitting here in this damn corner
Looking through all your thoughts and looking over your shoulder”
—“How to Love” by Lil Wayne
Most people, at some point in their lives, are looking for love or just want to be loved; however, when it comes to wanting to know how to love or to be taught how to love the numbers are scant. Does knowing how to love come naturally for most, or does it take years of practice and some broken hearts along the way. One sure-fire way to improve “loving capabilities” with that special someone is by knowing how to love yourself.
Regardless if you love him or not as an artist, Lil Wayne, aka Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., certainly loves himself and has managed to have quite a lucrative career in the music industry thus far. One of Lil Wayne’s most recent songs receiving airplay on the radio waves is “How to Love,” a song that has received mixed but overall favorable criticism. Some people can do without the sing-song sound and believe it’s a flow Lil Wayne should leave behind, while others have chosen to embrace the message that comes across in the song.
The insecurity of a beautiful woman who possibly struggles with how to love herself or how to even accept love from a potential suitor and love him is a profound topic to address. Lil wayne says, “But you can’t have a man look at you for five seconds without you being insecure. You never credit yourself so when you got older..” Why are some of the most beautiful women who would be considered a “blessing” so insecure? Does it stem back to daddy/daughter issues that haven’t been dealt with? Is it not being told how “precious” they were when they were younger?
As a person who has struggled with feeling insecure, I’ve found that the more I work on loving myself the better I am at loving others. How to love is a life-long journey, and not everybody takes the same path to get there. Sometimes there are detours, dirt roads, expressways, etc. But if you manage to find the right pathway for you, it can be a wonderful, memorable learning experience. Do you know how to love? If not, what are you doing to find out? Please feel free to share your thoughts
~Anonomz aka Tanya Harris
Bonus English Lesson:
Miguel utilizes slang, which is a standard practice in most rap songs. For example he says, “So fly it’s like a blessing…” Of course, the standard definition of fly is soaring in the sky and defying gravity, but in this instance, he is referring to the beauty of a woman.
Journey of Anonomz 