What is Street Smart?

I have been asking myself this question since Thanksgiving because of my dear Auntie Do.  And probably after she reads this piece, I most likely with have her foot in my butt. (Sidebar: I need some unplugging anyway!)

So here is the question: What does street smart means to you?

For most of us street smart is about living on the streets and knowing how to survive the streets. It does not necessary means that you went out and learn how to be a pimp or a hooker or even learn how to sell drugs. It is all about the survival of all.

The definition of street smart is the experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment. For those of you found this definition a little hard to understand, then understand this one: having shrewd awareness of how to survive or succeed in any situation especially as a result of living or working in a difficult environment, such as living in the city ghetto neighborhood.

It does not have to be about the ghetto life, how about going from one city to another in a different state. What would be your survive rate and how long would it take you to accomplish that level of survive that is comfortable for you?  How about being uprooted from the United State in place in a foreign country, could you apply those same street smarts that you used in the U.S. in a foreign country?

Because here is a funny thing, have you notice how foreigners can come here and have a better life than us?  Without using government help however with some kind of network support.  But for the most part, they learn from us or their applied common sense to whatever is at hand. 

So now what is common sense?

Common sense is having the good sense and sound judgment in practical matters.

That is what most of us do: apply common sense where it is needed. Whether it is at work or in to private life, in just about everything you do and the decisions that you make are done with your common sense.

Though is it easy to see how some people will confuse common sense with street smarts because some people will believe or have believe that the two are the same meaning.  If y'all did not know the two are not the same thing.  Survival vs sound judgment something that some people can not distinguish the two or can some people know how to use the two together to accomplish what need to be accomplish.

My Auntie Do does not believe that I have street smarts, well not her version of street smarts.  However, she is my network of support and her son, Spook is my Anger Issues Department (giggles). (Love him for it!)  Auntie Do always says that I am the one that she does not have to worry about but then she turns around and says that I have no smart streets, which contradicts.   Oh well!!