Divinely Disruptive

 I didn’t grow up in the streets, but I grew up in a world that didn’t let me breathe soft. My world was filled with the voices and presence of girls; my sisters, my cousins, and a powerful mother whose strength could silence a room. You’d think growing up surrounded by women would make me gentle. Maybe softer. Maybe more open. But it didn’t. It made me gangster. Not the type with a gun or a crew behind him. But the kind who learned early on that emotions are dangerous if left unchecked. The kind who keeps moving even when the weight of the world is sitting on his shoulders. The kind who shows up, who endures, who stays silent not because he's heartless, but because he was raised around people who had no choice but to hold everything in and keep going. See, when you grow up watching women carry pain like it’s just part of the day, you learn to do the same. I saw tears wiped away before they had time to fall. I saw tired bodies still cooking, cleaning, working, taking care of eve...

I’m Jimmy X, a researcher, and software developer. But before I became all that, I was just a boy growing up in Malawi, shaped by the voices around me: music, mentors, podcasts, conversations. Looking back, I realize my journey was heavily influenced by what entered my ears long before I even found my purpose. 1. Growing Up With Music and Silence In the village where I was raised, silence was common. There were no fancy speakers or curated playlists. But the radio played often. I remember hearing local gospel songs and old-school African music that carried stories of pain, faith, and resilience. Those songs taught me about hope and gave me dreams before I had any real means. Music became my emotional outlet. When I was overwhelmed with the struggles of life, I turned to sound. Sometimes it was a Tupac track that echoed my hunger to rise, and other times it was soft jazz that helped me calm my mind. 2. Discovering Podcasts and the Power of Ideas Later, as I got into science and tec...