I’m the Ron Johnson of my friends and you probably are too

Photo: A Different World / Netflix

When we look back on the glorious TV phenomenon that is A Different World, viewers can find a connection to characters from the principle cast to whom they most resonate with. The show turns 30 next year and holds the utmost relevance today as it did in its early stages (sans Denise, just saying).

The geeky, intelligent man with all the potential in the world on the brink of a gloup, but no one seems to take seriously until a sudden wave of maturity settles in. So fine, without a clue. Then BOOM, you take one summer away to get your life together then everyone is jocking you.

You, my friend, are Dwayne Wayne.

The pretentious, prima donna with a big heart and an even bigger high heel pump wedged in her mouth. Whitley Gilbert doesn’t stick her foot in her mouth because that would be très morbid. The best intentions in the world draped by terrible timing and delivery. A great humbling is sure to take place.

You are the essence of Whitley Gilbert.

The smart, ambitious, goal driven, overthinking girl next door. Your plate is always full because you’re too prideful to ask for help. Your work ethic is unmatched and you consider charging a fee because your friends have hired you as their in-house psychologist. You’re a fixer.

You embody Kimberly Reese.

You can pretty much get in where you fit in at Hillman College. But the one character you almost never hear anyone compare themselves to is Ron Johnson.

He’s LIT!

Always on the hunt for a come up. The man spent his entire collegiate career cutting corners. He WAS the middle man. If Ron lived in 2016, you best believe he’d be running some network marketing scheme or the person who falls for the “I just made $4,000 in one week and you can too. Click here now to find out how you can be your own boss http://internetscam.com” spammer clickbait.

Joanne the Scammer has nothing on Ron.

I’ve watched the complete series over and over again and Ron finally graduated, after his friends, of course. Remember he was short a history credit and lied to his dad about graduation, who in turn attempted to pay off a professor? Those classy Johnsons.

Ron partied more than he studied and slobbed down more women in any given episode.

Just like his squad, Ron’s transition into adulthood came with discomfort, especially in terms of trying to make his family proud. Ron’s dad expected him to take up the family trade as a car salesman, but Ron had bigger plans with his music.

But…it took him a while to get there.

In Season 3, episode 15 Ron went into a mock interview with Clair Huxtable wearing his finest suit, sure to wow her with the car salesman pitch his dad had groomed him into.

Ron: I love my dad and I wanna be like him, in a lot of ways, just not in every way, you know what I’m saying?
Clair: Yeah, I think I know what you’re saying. And you know what Mr. Johnson, life is really like a new car. There are many, many options.

My brother, you are now free to be, right? Nah. Another season would pass before he broke the news to his dad. Then his goal of becoming a drummer would turn into him getting his own band…which is cool and all. Because life is such a “funny thang”, Ron’s timeline for fame and success did not come as quickly as he had hoped.

Instead, Ron took a gamble on his desperation for fame.

In Season 5, episode 13 Ron enters a contest hoping it will end with a fat recording contract.

Ron: Let me explain something to you. I win this record competition, I get a recording contract and we all get PAID!
Dwayne: Okay, let me explain something to you. Mr. Gaines don’t get his money, you out of the apartment.
Mr. Gaines: Now that’s what I’m talking about.

But as luck would have it, Ron lost the competition and half the rent that he owed Dwayne. Ron is temporarily homeless, however his plight isn’t that cut and dry. While it appears as though life is passing him by, Ron watches as his friends quickly climb corporate ladders, develop great tech innovations, progress in the medical field and take giant leaps in law. They all faced some sort of struggle, as most young people do, moving towards their goals using different modes of work ethic.

Meanwhile, Ron is regarded as “unemployed” all because his passion didn’t come by conventional means.

Dwayne: While you’re at the post office, see if they have any job openings.
Ron: I got a job. I’m a musician.
Dwayne: Aye man, I mean a job that pays. Wake up and smell your empty bank account fool.
Ron: If you were any real friend kind of friend, you’d carry me a little longer.
Dwayne: I am your friend. I’mma carry your bags to the curb, that’s it.

When you’re an artist, most people think your head is stuck in the clouds until you actually produce something with concrete results. Every small win is vital to you, yet and still, the public isn’t satisfied. I have often felt like less of a contributor to society all because my ideal career isn’t your everyday profession. The first time I verbalized my ambition to become a sitcom creator someone, who shall remain nameless, actually said to me, “You’re special. There’s no way you’re doing that.”

Insert my favorite quote.

I do not recall the exact words used to downplay my passion in its earliest stages, but I do remember feeling reduced to the world’s smallest person. For the longest, I suppressed my feelings and remained leery about sharing my ambitions with others because I feared my feelings getting hurt.

Damn that. I’m working at what I want and how someone else views it no longer defines me.

However, like Ron I too have been told “to get a job”. If you’re out here hustling to build for yourself, then likely you’ve heard the same. Unlike Ron, I’ve made my own way without becoming a burden on those trying to help me.
To be honest, Ron was exactly where he needed to be. His best weapon is what we all need…that one down ass friend.

Dwayne: I supported you Ron.
Ron: I had more support at a skinhead rally. Friends don’t bail out on you at the first sign of trouble.
Dwayne: Aye man, nobody bailed out on you. You bailed out on yourself. I kicked you out because you needed it, I just wish I had on my steel toe boots.
Ron: What yo don’t understand is that I have to make sacrifices for my music.
Dwayne: Well I don’t.
Ron: Music is my dream, dreams keep you alive.
Dwayne: And money keeps you in the house, get a job.
Ron: But then I won’t have time for my music.
Dwayne: Yes, you can do that too. Too. T-O-O as in addition to, conjunction with.

Remember the episode where Ron’s party got shut down? Managing Deon? Selling beauty products? Part-time work at the dealership. He had his hand is so many pots, but often that’s what you have to do in order to survive.

A coworker at Blavity once told me, “Create a situation for yourself and make it work.”

That’s what Ron and every other entrepreneur does…make it work. But, you must be intentional about where your time is spent. Does your latest source of income contribute to the bigger picture? It all has to make sense. Ron eventually began managing the nightclub. It made sense. Make money where the music lives. The music was always in him. Had the show survived for a seventh season, I do believe Ron would have gotten his big break.

Maybe being tied down to a cubicle isn’t your thing. A structured office environment isn’t a terribly bad thing, but it’s just not your jam. You’re creative. You want to get out and let your artistry soar. Everyone thinks you’re crazy, but you believe in your greatest potential even when no one does. Your breakthrough will happen when the universe is ready to make its divine intervention. In the meantime, the perceived struggle is shifting you to the greatness that is ahead.

While Ron appeared as a bum to the audience (and at times he was), in all actuality his character served as a reminder that you don’t have to do life the way everyone else does it. Be like Ron and enjoy the ride. The show is called A Different World and how you choose to navigate it is your choice. Keep chasing your big ideas and execute them accordingly.

“It’s your vision. No one else is supposed to see it.” -Sarah Batista

Be Original. Be Free. Be You!