Charisse Arrington is a R&B singer who was signed to MCA Records in the 1990s. Her biggest success was with the single "Down With This" which peaked in the top twenty of the Billboard Dance singles chart and top five of the Billboard Dance breakout chart.
Hi, I'm Charisse Arrington, Brilliance life coach who helps take the hidden treasure of people moving into a space that they can walk boldly, beautifully, brilliantly, and be bankable in life, as well I am a professional speaker and recording artist. Isn't it amazing the things that can change the trajectory of one's life? I, as a life coach, was taken back on the moment of something that happened that was very pivotal in my life moments. I was coming from a recording session and it was 2:00 in the morning. I would do things like that because my naivete was very much in place. I enjoyed doing what I was doing and I just guess when it came to music, it had to be done at 6:00 in the morning or 12:00. I was there. So on my way home, in Brooklyn, I'm walking down the street and I see a young man coming towards me. My first inclination was to cross the street but he was so close to almost where I was walking that I didn't wanna give off that kind of vibe. So I just told myself, "Just be calm and give no expression." So as he got closer to me, he came with his rap. He started talking to me and I was nervous because I didn't see anybody else on the street but he and I. And then he asked me what I was doing out and I told him I was on my way home. And then I asked him what he was doing out and he said to me in a very cold voice with very cold eyes that he was going to kill somebody that evening. I just wanted to make sure that who he was gonna kill was not me. And so I needed to collect myself. I gave no expression. I just heard him. And I thought to myself, "Let me just play it cool." So I ask again and he told me that same statement. The bus took so long to come that I ended up walking to another bus stop and he decided to walk with me. And as we were walking, I'm asking him all these questions about why he's gonna make a choice like that. So he tells me this story of some injustice he had felt. And I don't know, something just stirred and kicked up in me that I felt like a salesperson who was selling him the best hope that I had in my pocket to sell. Not really even know what I was saying. I just was just so on fire with what I had to say that he rolled with me the entire way to my stop home and looked at me the whole time, never saying one word, just like he was watching a movie. So I'm not sure all the things I said to him but it must have affected him because when we got to my stop, there we were on the platform and he made a statement to me and he had water tears in his eyes, which made my eyes tear up. And he told me that I had saved his life that evening. I had changed his life to some degree. And he hugged me and it was a very innocent hug. I returned it. When he walked away, he went to the end of the platform of the train station. And I saw him toss his weapon that he had showed me earlier at the bus stop onto the train track. And I was so moved by that. It just, again, it changed so many things in my life for where I stand today. And if I were to see him again after we parted, there wasn't even a word exchange. And if I were to see him again today, I don't think I would recognize him and I'm sure he wouldn't recognize me, but I just wanna say that we never ever know whose lives we are changing, but even more so, we never know who's changing our lives. So I'm just grateful for that moment and where it has brought me into my place of now today.
Last Updated: August 15, 2022