"Pay close attention to anyone who looks like they have a level head."- Randolph Cox
...
He was wearing a weathered leather jacket and holding a horn in his hand. He walked alongside his bike, marching down San Pablo Ave at high-noon on Wednesday June 11th.
I introduced myself to Randolph Cox, and without taking a breathe, I asked: why do you play the horn?
"There's nothing new under the sun, so I play the same thing over and over; and it makes me feel good," said Mr. Cox.
"How long have you been playing?" I asked.
Mr. Cox replied, "I picked this thing up about two weeks ago; got it from a shop around the corner..."
I laughed.
We proceeded to have a conversation about his middle school days in Berkeley, his time in Vietnam and how the media can be deceiving or informing-- and that's why it's powerful.
His mention of media served as the perfect segue. I showed Mr. Cox a newspaper that I had just grabbed off the newsstand a couple blocks prior to encountering him. The East Bay Express had just published a well-written piece, highlighting my OG Told Me project. I was excited; in the middle of the street, tooting my own horn!
After showing him the periodical and explaining my project, I asked Mr. Cox thee question: If he had the opportunity to tell young people anything, based on his life experiences, what would he say? OG Told Me:
"The best training is to start early, maths and sciences and stuff like that," Mr. Cox said as I filmed him talking. He said that if you can acquire one of these skills, "you'll always have a place in society... 'Cause ain't nothing new under the sun."