Don’t Be An Idiot Forever!

Idiot; a foolish person, subnormal intelligence.

Jerk; a dull, stupid person.

This has been an interesting weekend, a weekend that was meant for observing and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with your family and love ones! It was also a time to spread the joy and peace to all during these rough economic times. Hopefully, some of us will continue to be better through out the year. On Christmas Day & Eve, I didn’t return any phone calls or left any messages except one, to my 86 year old godmother. Even then, I waited late that evening to do it. I didn't call my other godmother because she lived up the street from my mom's home. I guess if there was any bad news about the house, I didn't want to hear it. Using my mother’s passing would be the weakest excuse I could use. In fact, I don’t have any excuses. I prefer keeping a wall a wall around me to block out the possibilities of becoming too close to anyone and them getting too close to me. One would question whether I’m an idiot or a jerk. Those that were already in my life while mom was here, I hope would understand. Those I met post mom’s transition might have a hard time. They might lean toward thinking of me as a jerk. Oh, well. I needed that time to meditate and be alone. I wasn’t courting depression, I just needed that time. It rained all day Christmas and I love the rain! It’s like looking at black & white pictures vs color ones. B & W pictures force you to view the picture from the photographer’s viewpoint. A portrait makes you look at the internal aspect and a landscape at a possible hidden meaning. Color pictures are beautiful and many times people get hung-up on the pretty colors whether than the true significance, if any, of the photo. Don’t misunderstand me. Color pictures can possess some details that will make you look deeper. I’m biased toward black & white. I take pride in giving some profound advice and listening to others’ problems. I read the Bible daily looking for ways to be better. I admit I fail at times, but The Word has a strong foundation in my life. I do believe that I did give some bad guidance to someone. I mentioned that they should retaliate after being betrayed and broken hearted by posting throughout the home copies of very disrespectful and disruptive emails between a third party. “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19. How wrong and guilty am I? Forgiveness should have been mentioned but because I am a good friend, I took the betrayal personal. You can’t practice what you preach when you’re a jerk! Or a hypocrite! Love can cause pain, it opens you up and makes you weak. I’ve discussed this many times that there are different levels of love. Don’t confuse it with lust, either. You must achieve a higher level of love to avoid the hurts. Can you reach it? It’s worth a try. Love doesn’t just have relationships it has a certain je ne sais quoi. French, for “I don’t know what.” You can’t put your finger on it. But it can be awfully great! I’m getting older and even more sensitive. My compassion level is rising and I’m guessing it’s because I have accepted my mortality. It does seem true to form that the elderly finally has the “aha” moment in their later years. We finally realize what is really important to us. We wonder if we wasted our younger years on frivolity and materialism. Maybe not, maybe it’s the process that we all go through to learn and experience. We can be idiots, jerks, or both if we think nothing is different or won’t change. But the elderly figured it out. Don’t waste your time on hate and contention, we don’t know what the next life will bring but we didn’t know about this one either. God bless you in this coming New Year! May what we do be pleasing and appreciative in His Sight.

Merry Christmas!!!

My Personal Haiku

The grassy field of frosted dew reflected the moon’s rays like snow in the early morning.

Open Letter To God

God, I’m fighting depression real hard today! Life can be so confusing. One minute I’m on top and everything seems to be in control. The next second, all hell breaks loose. What are you expecting from me? What do you want me to do? My friends are suffering, families are suffering, I am suffering and it seems my prayers are not working. I don’t have enough money to cover all my debts, I don’t have enough love for peace and harmony, and I don’t have enough patience to wait for You to get me through. What is wrong with me? I thought I was trying to do your will. I admit, I haven’t been really pushing and I have slipped a lot more than expected, but does that mean you’re not going to help me? My co-workers are dealing with job security and other personal problems, my neighbor’s car seem to be breaking down every week. People are losing their family members to all kinds of sicknesses and cancers and names unknown to man. The holidays seem more stressful than ever and we don’t even have to get half the amount of gifts as before. The older I get, the more I hurt. I’m even getting sensitive. I got full when Lightening McQueen in CARS, rather than win the race, went back and pushed The King over the finish line when The King got knocked out of the race by Chick Hicks. I don’t know if it was the sacrifice Lightening made or the lesson he learned from Doc Hudson or the townspeople of Radiator Springs that made me misty eyed. I’m leaning towards being older as my excuse. This is nothing compared to the problems people are facing, God, and you know that I’m venting. Are you showing me that I don’t have any control with my life at all? You know that I can’t even read Footprints in its entirety any more. Why because I know that you have carried me all my life! I am grateful for your blessings but I would like to win the lottery to help my friends and family. I know I can’t win if I don’t play. Just talking to You have already made me feel better. It’s really true, I feel so much better now that I’ve given my burdens to You. Since I don’t have that kind of control, I might as well trust that You’ll be. It just gets hard sometimes, that’s all. Holidays just aren’t the same any more. But, I am grateful that you let me see them.

Memories Of You

What would you like to be remembered for? What do you think other people will remember about you? How would you really like to be remembered? These simple questions will need some honest, soul-searching answers. What you might like to be remembered as might be totally different than what others will remember you. Not that it would matter to you anyway, because you’ll be gone. Let’s go over some records, we were successful, we didn’t achieve what we wanted, we worked our fingers to the bone to get our business going, we gave up our family for our career. We gave up our career for our family, we were constantly complaining why we were in the situation that we were in, we were ungrateful when people were kind to us. We were obnoxious braggers that thought if we attended church on Sundays meant that we could act like jerks the rest of the week. We said we loved God but hated everyone we didn’t like or didn’t look like us. We turned our noses up at the homeless and less fortunate. We got ours, let them get theirs. We take our 5 senses for granted so much that we forget to thank God for the blessings he gives us everyday. Some of us would rather be remembered as cool, collected, shrewd business people who made a lot of money and achieved the status as such. Some one else will be using our status symbols after we’ve gone. Some of us want to be remembered as the smoothest operator this side of the planet. The list can go on & on with excuses and explanations. But did anyone notice that I didn’t mention being remembered as a God-fearing, peaceful, loving person? We are so conformed to this world that it’s all we think about impressing. Not speaking for everyone but are we so bound to impressing the people in this world than impressing God in the next? What have we become? We can fool the people that are not around us all of the time but those in our world know us as we truly are. Being Christ-like is not easy, but we shouldn’t give up. Yeah, we’re weak and imperfect, but we can get up and keep trying to be better every day! None of has the answers but if we really get into the Word (Bible), we can find them. I’ve been teased about trying to do the right thing and I don’t mind. It hurts though coming from the people you least expect. But separating yourself from this world isn’t easy. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not a saint and I have my ways. But, I thank God that I can see what He needs me to see. Whether it’s good or bad, I face it with the expectation that if God brought me to it, He will see me through it. You might wonder how I would like to be remembered. In all of this mix, I already told you. This is one of the holiest of the seasons, let’s not forget the real reason why it is. Be patient and understanding to ! other. Pray for those that are with you this season and remember them who are not. I can’t tell you enough how I miss my mom. When all seemed against me, she was there for me. Merry Christmas!

Loving is Hard, Forgiving is Harder

Life is already demanding enough dealing with the business of survival. Add families and relationships to it and you can have some serious complications. We all know it, and if you are still living, you are still dealing with it. At some point, our emotions start to get the best of us when we open ourselves emotionally to someone we think will accept us as we are and we, them. Eventually, we get that feeling for the other person that we call love. We can only hope that they would love us as much. During all of these emotional roller coasters, we find that the love was temporary for whatever reason and then, we’re not in love anymore but left with a super heartache. Some of us are left with an emptiness, a void because we gave too much of ourselves to make that love work. This type of love is nothing compared to the loss of a loved one who passed from this world to the next. Keep in mind that there are different kinds of love and levels. There’s not enough room and time to get into all of that. I just want to keep it simple. Once we’ve gone through the breakups and heartaches, we start building walls and barriers to avoid future hurts. Those that are “successful” in still remaining in love find that staying in love is hard. It takes a lot of work to prove it, put up with it, and keep it. It takes more in forgiving to make that love work. How much can you forgive? It’s up to the persons involved. None of us are perfect, yet we think that being in love should be. So, if one of us makes a mistake and it shouldn’t have happened, it can be unforgivable. Our anger and pride will make us so blind and hurt that we forget that we could have been the one that made the mistake. That’s what we do. When we get hurt, we become hell to live with or stay in love. Hairline cracks become valleys and it’s hard to cross. Some of us are not willing to go the extra mile, it might show a sign of weakness, submission. Instead of trying we give up and move on with the baggage becoming a new brick in our walls. Forgive? Some of our arguments are so stupid that we can’t even remember the reason for them. Yet, we are held hostage by our stupidity. Acts of distrust and betrayal can be unforgivable acts. The thought of sharing your most trusted love with an outsider can be abominable. But what did we do to cause it? What was going on in our life that was so important that we took that love for granted and ignored the symptoms? Future loves will definitely catch it. We men have had our hearts broken and carry baggage too! We look for honesty and trust but we wait to see if our love will be returned. Now we will go through the effort to get to know you and feel you. But we won’t waste your time and ours, if it’s not legit. Well, I can’t talk about all men, not even the older, mature ones, but I think there is a general consensus that stands behind what I say about this. Some of you ladies can’t believe it’s real so you balk and put us through tests. Is that necessary? I asked because no one likes to be tested. If you don’t want us, say so! Some of you will lose a good thing. When you do, don’t look back. Woulda, coulda, and shoulda won’t have any values. Now who will forgive you? In closing this entry, I want to say that love is a gift that we find and share. It is true that some people will reject your gift or won't appreciate it. But don't let that stop you. Love is a special gift that God has for us all to share. I don't think we would reject His love, but we do, when we reject it from each other. This is Advent for many religions and we should be especially patient, understanding, and loving more than ever. It was God's Unconditional Love for us to send His only son to be sacrificed so horribly by man to save us. I wish you all a peaceful, blessed and loving Christmas Season.

Project Blue Light (For The Fallen In Uniform)

Martyrs & Heroes!

The past several days have been loaded with the media being excited and concerned about Tiger Woods single car crash early Saturday morning. You all know what I’m talking about! They wanted to get to the bottom of why Tiger left his home around 2:30 in the morning and why his wife was helping him out of his SUV with a golf club. They got a story about Tiger and his affair and the media wanted to know all the worse details! This is real news! What a shame! How many married couples have had or are having affairs? We will never know and many of us don’t care! It’s really nobody’s business except the people involved.
However, to me, the real news during that time hasn’t seemed to be fully investigated. We had four (4) police officers ambushed in a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington, while they were doing their paperwork by a lone assassin. Did we hear much about them? Did we hear anything about their families and the people they left behind? These martyrs and heroes died because they wore a uniform and some unbalanced person with prior records decided to kill them in cold blood. This person had already assaulted an officer and raped someone? Why was he out on bond? Why blame a former governor of a decision he made years ago commuting this criminal’s sentence? Are we to be held accountable for past sins? The worse a criminal record the quicker one can make bail? Where was the media on this topic? How important is this killing compared to Tiger’s affair? Who in the hell is approving this media mess? Good men and women are dying daily performing a thankless job and the news media has turned to gossiping. Men and women in the military, as well as, our essential protectors and EMS people seems to be less important than family indiscretions. There was a time when uniforms meant something to people, respect and authority. Someone decided that the laws we had that were meant to govern weren’t in sync with today’s norms. Now all hell have busted loose. I can’t express enough how disappointed I am with the disrespect that the media has shown for people in authority. I’m sure there are some folk in the media that trying to get their voices heard, but they are overshadowed by the deep pockets and coverage of the mainstream. I am not ignoring the ordinary citizen who sacrifices daily to provide for their family and is attacked because some bum doesn’t want to work for a living. They are martyrs and heroes, too! Prayer has been taken out of schools, some churches are bigger than resorts, parents can’t discipline their children anymore, and there seems to be no respect for the elderly and authority! As a society, we have lost our way. We better find it really quick!

Teachable Moments

This is the new phrase that seems to be circulating throughout the media. Primarily, it’s used for mistakes committed by celebrities that somehow can be redeemable. For us common folk, we just screwed up. Can we learn from these mistakes? It depends on how much you lost. I guess the bigger the name and celebrity, you are granted leniency and discretion. Some examples are the Secret Service snafu at the President’s First State Dinner with the “party crashers”, the Salahis, Oprah’s not having Chris Brown on her show because he abused Rihanna but allowed BeBe Winans who did the same with his wife, and Tiger Woods single car crash that is swirling with rumors. Our President will have a “teachable moment” in Afghanistan, too. By the way, we can learn from other people mistakes! There are others I have not named that are allowed “teachable moments” but screwed up. Our state governor, for instance learned a lot from his saga, but it affected so many people in this state. Most of all in this situation, it just about destroyed his family. He lost so much. This is not to say that indiscretions from anyone cannot cause irreparable harm, it is to say that we will never be able to measure the amount of harm done. Screw ups are happening all the time whether you’re well known or not. Some “teachable moments” are not for everyone. Your mistake is yours only and the people you involved. I don’t think that your problem should be mine unless it involves me directly or indirectly. It’s none of my business. Everybody has problems, but we tend to capitalize on somebody else's and ignore our own. I guess we welcome the distraction. We don't want to face up to our own and speculate on others. Bad news spread fast and it makes lots of money! The important thing to remember is every moment is teachable, good or bad. There is always something that we can learn.

Joyful Expectations

I saw a mother at mass with her newborn this morning. She had a large scarf that somehow wrapped the baby in such a way that the baby was in front of her facing forward. Sort of like a halter that’s made for babies. I thought it was pretty cool that such a long piece of cloth could be used that way. I’m not good at guessing any baby’s age but I think he could have been 5-6 months old. He had his pacifier and some type of cloth toy he played with. He was such a bright eyed cute little boy! He pointed downwards towards his baby bag and mom handed him his light-blue cloth rabbit. It wasn’t the rabbit that he seemed interested in. He was into holding his mom’s finger and bringing it to his face. She let him guide her towards his face and playfully rubbed his little nose. His little hand was holding onto his mother’s finger tightly. I thought that was so cool. It was an example of a mother’s love and a child’s dependence on the love that only a mother can give. Innocence, trust, curiosity and dependence are just few of the traits that we all had when we were babies but lost as adults. Well, the Christmas holidays are coming up and we all have joyful expectations bubbling inside of us. Whether its gifts, someone visiting or coming home or whatever, we are looking forward to joyful hopes. Now if we don’t get what we want let’s not get disappointed. Our Father in heaven knows what is best for us. We should accept our dependency on Him, just as a baby’s for their guardians. Holidays are different each year regardless of the circumstances. We get older and our priorities change. Let’s never lose the real meaning of Christmas. Christ was born to die and save mankind. When he comes again, let’s not be fearful but stand with our arms and our heads up with joyful expectations. Keep in mind we don’t have to wait for the holidays to have joyful expectations. We can do this all year round!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of my spiritual brothers and sisters, I wish you a blessed and wonderful day of thanks. It's not what we don't have, it's what we already have that should make us more appreciative. At least we're here to see and share another day with the people that are important in our lives. And if we're alone, we still can be kind and courteous to others. It can be hard because these are some very stressful times for us all. It's also tough not being able to share this time with our loved ones who may be away from home working in hospitals, on the roadways, and on the battlefields or preparing to go to the battlefield. These people are making sacrifices that some of us take for granted. Then there are some that must work today to make ends meet. Regardless of the situation, let's appreciate what we do have and pass it on. Let's really try to keep the drama and conflict out of our lives during this season. Try to be understanding and tolerant with each other. Also, share a moment of silence for those that passed on because they will surely be missed. Again, I pray for you all to have a safe and great holiday!

Love

This is an excerpt from Romans 12:9-21.

Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord.
When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. Share with God's people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes.
Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not call down curses on them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others.
Don't pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can.
My friends, don't try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, "I am the One who judges people. I will pay them back," says the Lord. Do just the opposite. Scripture says, "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads."
Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.

Rest In Peace, Mr. C. E. Cumming, Sr.

What If?

No matter how strong you think you are and want to be, you still have to fight sadness when past hurts come up. There is always something or someone to remind you. We try to focus on the positives and fight the negatives. It can be a constant battle for some. We might even wonder “What would it be like if……….? Accept the fact that there is a reason for everything. Those lies and deceits happened for a reason. Don’t blame yourself unless you know that you were responsible for the failure. We have to move on. We live and we learn. Yes, our experiences will have an impact on our future. But what do we want our future to be like? If we were betrayed or rejected, do we expect the same in future relationships? Do we put up thick walls as defense mechanisms? Can we continue the drama and stress that we just don’t have control over? My brothers and sisters in Christ, we all fall down. We all get hurt at one time or another. What we do with these disappointments is up to us. Grace and mercy stand us up! To me happiness is being at peace with myself. It isn’t what you have or don’t have. Ttry to find inner peace. People tend to push their unhappiness on you and you don’t have to take it. If you think it is for the sake of being in a relationship just to say you have somebody, well, you’re lying to yourself. Are you telling me that you would rather be unhappy in a failing relationship than being happy but alone? That is a problem. Face up. You can be in a great relationship if you both are at peace within. But, please be honest about it. Respect for each other and being secure about yourself and partner can truly go a long way. This philosophy doesn’t just work with relationships, it works with living! We are faced with various situations in life, it depends on our attitude how we deal with it. We are each dealt a different hand in life, it depends on how we play the cards. Wewill lose some and win some but we can only bluff for so long. Regardless, we must make the best out of whatever we have!

Enjoy Your Blessings!

Thanksgiving Day is coming up, but the focus from the media is on the day after, Black Friday! This is one of the most important days in retail to settle the year in the black. So, let’s be prepared to get up early Friday morning for the some of the best sales that stores can offer! It’s the best time to get some inexpensive Christmas presents, if you are willing to sacrifice your sleep time and deal with hundreds of other people over the same item. If you have a family and some love ones, it wouldn’t hurt to take an extra minute to be thankful for sharing a moment with them. Material things are wonderful to show our accomplishments and successes. But I can guarantee you that they mean nothing when the people you want around you to share them with you are not there. Thanksgiving can put your priorities in order. Those things that you thought were more important to you physical are nothing compared to the things that mean so much emotionally. Even if it’s just the two of you, enjoy life’s best! The more, the merrier, just as long as it is not a drama-filled day! If it’s just you, get out of the house, go walking, go to church, but celebrate life for yourself and joy for your past loved ones. I am asking that you do not give up and lose the meaning. We already have a problem for losing the true meaning of Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Veterans Day! I wish you all a happy and blessed day of thankfulness. Offer it to God first and appreciate the loved ones that He gave you! Do something special for someone, share your joy, and most importantly enjoy God’s blessings! If you can even read this, you are so much blessed than some. If you have access to the web, another blessing you might take for granted. All that we have are blessings, large and small, they are all gifts from God! Remember, when praises go up, blessings come down!

Hometown Celebration

Jesus is always on call and the doctor is always in. You don’t need any tickets to wait, He already knows you there, don’t worry, He’s never late. Heaven is rejoicing that another soul has come back home. One by one we are all returning home. It’s not any different than visiting a foreign land. This time you already know the people there, rest in His divine plan.

God Bless You, Mrs. Small

Another mother has moved on to her heavenly reward. Mrs. Louise Small, 85 years of age, left yesterday morning, November 16, 2009. One year later after Mrs Anna Sabb left, eighteen months after my mother and aunts, twenty months after Mrs Corine Burke. I'm not going to dwell on this. To my friends and me, these were wonderful, caring mothers who gave up so much for us. I don't need to tell you how much they are loved. The holidays are tough without them but we'll get through with the grace and mercy of God. I just want to take this time to recognize them and all the mothers that I have not mentioned and never knew. I'm not talking about the fathers this time, no disrespect. Some of them have played a very important part in our lives. But the mothers , they are on a different level. What more can I say?

1 Corinthians 13 (It's About Love) click here

True love doesn’t steal your joy, it enhances it! Real love fertilizes, it gives life. God gives us joy because of the unconditional love He has for us. It is amazing how much we don’t seem to appreciate it. Being taken for granted doesn’t make anybody feel good. So you can imagine what betrayal can do to a relationship. Christ had his last supper with Judas. How can person tell you how much they love you when they are able to betray you? Has the relationship gone that bad or have they grown so tired of you that they didn’t bother to even try to tell you. Even strong men and women get tired. Love can be unappreciated and we tend to neglect its real meaning. Agape love doesn’t take you to bed. It doesn’t have to sleep with you. It is the genuine acceptance of the person that you want in your life. Agape love goes deeper than face value. It looks deep inside and finds the good and appreciates that good which goes beyond the physical needs. It is God’s love. The physical sharing is only a part of the expression of giving that genuine joy. It is an unselfish way of giving that joy. We should be ourselves and not worry about changing to impress someone or fit their requirements. I don’t mean act a fool or be stupid. Try to make something positive of yourself. If you feel like singing or dancing around them, do it. If you feel like laughing, go ahead. They should enjoy the way you are. Looks and the perfect body will not last forever. We lose our joy because the love we think we have for someone is not returned or rejected. Don’t deny yourself because they deny you. The problem is not with you but with them! While they are trying to keep you down they can't see that no one is rising to the top. We think that our lives are over because that special someone doesn’t show us the love we expected. Yes, we have a pity party and bring old baggage so that when we meet someone else, we have new baggage with us in a space already crowded. It’s like bringing two people to meet one person. Shameful, but true, it’s not unusual. It happens to all of us. It is hard to grow up, but we have to.

The Wizard Revisited

Recently, I blogged about the Wizard of Oz & its symbolisms. I also said that whatever God has to tell me, I’ll be listening. Well, it was advertised on TV that the Wizard of Oz is playing on TBS this weekend! I don’t know what this is supposed to mean but it is coincidental. Maybe it’s a confirmation, or maybe it was meant for me to look at the show in a different perspective. Whatever, it is, I will be paying attention!

Dishonorable Mention

I couldn’t mention these veterans on Veterans’ Day with those that hold a place of honor. They have taken the lives of fellow vets and civilians and have paid the consequences with their own lives. John Allen Muhammad/John Williams, The DC Killer, was recently executed the day before Veterans’ Day by lethal injection. Major Nidal Malik Hasan is still in the hospital after murdering fellow soldiers and civilians. He committed this horrific crime at Ft. Hood, Texas. He was a psychiatrist! Both of these men are Muslims. I’m not stereotyping or giving an opinion, just facts. I’m sure that Muslims in the military are concerned how their fellow soldiers will wonder if they have their back in battle. Howard Unruh, a WWII veteran, died at 88 in a prison hospital. He committed his crime in Camden, NJ, in 1949. Let’s not forget Timothy McVeigh, a decorated Army veteran of the Persian Gulf War, who bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City, in 1995. He, too, was executed in 2001. I had the opportunity to visit that hallowed site this year in 2009. It is so surreal. Just walking on that battlefield and scanning the area, created in my mind scenes that are too intense to describe. No different than the ones that the innocents went through. There are many other veterans that have gone a dishonorable way. Whatever happened to these men and others that caused them to take the low road, we will never know. Many of these people have gone through some type of pressure, whether in childhood, battle or whatever, that they couldn’t handle it. Whatever it was, I could not mention them on the same day as being honorable with those that sincerely deserves it. I’m not a prophet so I don’t know what will happen the next minute. I do know that I can’t spend my time worrying about it.

Veterans' Day

I’ll keep this simple. Today is Veterans’ Day, a day set aside to remember the heroic efforts of our men and women in the military whom have given their own lives and freedoms in defense of our country. We honor all veterans; some of them have lost parts of their bodies, mental capabilities, and loved ones. These soldiers and sailors have risked their all for freedom. Whether they were in combat or not, they took the oath to defend this country from its enemies. Let’s never forget the sacrifices they have made. Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and sons and daughters that wherever they are and wherever they go the prayers and support of the people of the United States are forever with them. We want them all to return safely home. We shall never forget you! Happy Veterans’ Day!

Stay On That Yellow Brick Road

How much do you know about the Wizard of Oz movie? Other than it was enjoyable and fun to watch. You could tell me the cast of characters and the Hollywood stars that played them. You could probably tell me something about the cowardly lion, the “no heart” tin man, the “no brain” scarecrow, the Munchkins, the good witch, the wicked witch, Auntie Em, her uncle, the farmhands, the flying monkeys, Toto, and the principal star Dorothy. I might have missed someone but let’s not forget the Theme Song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow!” Of course, Stephanie Mills really took it to another level in later years. The aluminum dust had some serious bad effects on the tin man actors. It hospitalized Buddy Ebsen and the aluminum paste, later used, caused his replacement Jack Haley to have an eye infection. Even young Michael Jackson and Diana Ross did their thing with The Wiz in 1978! All in all, do you remember now? Let’s go for a walk on the yellow brick road. A minister was telling me how his youth group dissected the Wizard of Oz. They concluded that The Wizard gave them the right directions but they had to stay on the road. The traveling companions might be going in the same direction but they might have a different reason to get to their destination. Simple, huh? Let’s dig a little. Dorothy first ran away from home, because the mean townswoman wanted to take Toto away after he bit her. She meets a traveling fortune teller who tricks her into thinking Aunt Em is sick and needs Dorothy at home. Dorothy gets back just in time for a tornado and takes refuge in the house which is supposedly taken away to another land. Dot got knocked out! When she wakes up after Dorothy’s house falls on an evil witch. An angel, the good witch, appears and rewards Dorothy with “magical” slippers. Red showed up better on color TV but it didn’t matter what color the shoes were. It could have been a scarf. She got a gift and didn’t know what to do with it. (Don’t we all?) She was not to remove those slippers. Noticed how they all met. The scarecrow was pointing in two directions not sure where to go, the tin man rusted embracing his axe locked in a job that he didn’t love, and a lion that ran away from them once he found out that the companions were not afraid. All bark but no bite. They finally get to a place called Emerald City but it is not home. This is where they will get a chance for the Wizard to give them directions on how to return home. Return to our heavenly home, now don’t we all want to do that? In the process of going home, they meet people to help them on their way and reminding them to stay on the yellow brick road. Note that whenever they got off the road, they encountered major problems. The evil, wicked witch even sent her flying monkeys to stop them. Satan will send his forces to stop us from getting to God. How symbolic was it that water destroyed the evil witch? Water, baptism, cleansing of the soul to prepare for the good are major elements in staying on the yellow brick road. In the end, the traveling companions found in Dorothy all the qualities they needed, wisdom, compassion, and courage to get back home. Dorothy realized that she had the power within her all along and that the ruby slippers were just a tool to give her confidence. But if she had found her faith in the beginning, she might have been able to avoid many of those pitfalls. It is never too late to get back on that road. It’s also never too late to find God. Looking back, the road was just wide enough for all four of them to travel. We all have the Bible as our guide and our pastors, friends, and loved ones to help guide us, but we decide if we want to stay on the right road. We get trapped sometime with the company we keep and trying to find shortcuts. Still, there are angels along the way to help us. Sometimes, you get picked on staying on that road even by the people that you think that love you. Well, do they really love you? If they did, they would love what is best for you!

Dreams

Do you think that our dreams are really trying to tell us something? I’m not talking about the occult or anything of that nature. I’m just wondering what they symbolize, sometimes. Here’s a glimpse of mine. I dreamed that I was driving on a very wet interstate in a bad storm. The road was very wet and slippery. Down the road, I saw a blue light, a patrolman directing traffic away from a collision. There was a detour that went left and I took it. I did not follow the other cars; instead, I took a shortcut through someone’s yard. Going through this yard, was a lot of mud and big rocks, both of them I tried to avoid. I thought that I was getting out of that when the road I turned right onto was being upgraded and bumpy. The rain had stopped then and the sun was starting to come out, but the road was still a mess. I regretted not following the rest of the cars from the detour. But, just then, I came out into an open field where it was clean and level. It wasn’t many houses and I saw one vehicle on a hill coming down. I mean this field was clean and it had only a dirt road but was very smooth. By then, the sun was completely out and I woke up. I don’t expect any dream translators to answer but deep inside I already know the answer. It’s just remarkable to me that after I had this dream, a minister several days later discusses the teens’ take on the Yellow Brick Road. God is trying to tell me something and I’m listening!

Man Of God!

After I left the promotion ceremony, I seemed “guided” to drop by a local K-Mart store that was closing. I needed to check on the close-out prices of vitamins, if there were any left. Vitamins are expensive! I saw an elderly gentleman looking at what was left. I wasn’t in any mood to talk to anymore so I gave him enough space and hoped that he would be leaving soon. He already had a basket full of vitamins. I figured it was time for him to go. Man, did I figure wrong! He started telling me about some of the vitamins that would benefit me. Which one would be good for the prostate, blood, skin, etc. I knew a little about the vitamins he discussed but I let him talk. For some reason, I just stood there and listened. Then he started telling me about the problems he was having in his neighborhood but that he was not leaving. He told me about the legal actions he was taking. How lawyers, counselors, and others were helping with the least amount of trouble and money. I heard about the clothes that he purchased, computer equipment, and automobiles that he didn’t have to pay full price. He retired as a transit driver from Chicago and moved to SC. He mentioned how God put people and things in your life to help you. That God allows tests to be done to us to see how much faith and trust we have in Him. That He wants us to lay our burdens at His feet. He mentioned about tithing. That he gives his 10% and more every week. That no matter what, give to God. After all, He supplies all of our every need. It’s us that don’t appreciate the small things in life. The gentleman told me that his life wasn’t always peaceful that he had pains and hardships just like everyone else. Even now, but he doesn’t worry about it anymore. He praises the Lord and is proud to a Man of God. He told me that anyone that had falsely accused him of any wrongdoing suffered. His goal is to show how God works in his life. He told me that his life began changing over 30 years ago. He was playing two lotto numbers but three printed out. The last sets of numbers were 888. He said for those people in numerology knew that they meant a change in life. I always believed that 777 were the perfect number for Christ and 666 the imperfect number of the beast. But at the Numerology Website it means: “If you are seeing 88 or 888 the angels are telling you that something in your life is nearing an end. It could be a relationship or a career.
It also means that something positive is about to show up for you. But don't let the opportunity to pass. When the time is ripe, you need to act on what is being presented”.
Yes, I looked it up, I wanted to verify. I found myself enjoying the conversation, more importantly, I felt that this conversation was meant for me. My inner spirit did not tell me that this was an evil person or someone looking for a conversation. I believed that it was spirit sent by God to encourage me. What is really peculiar about this is that today, Sunday, at Mass, the sermon was on the widow’s mite. She had nothing but gave all that she had which was more than the rich men gave. We can call it coincidentally but I call it advance notice. I haven’t been tithing as I should. It’s remarkable to be given a second chance. We talked for nearly an hour and a half, and not one time did we mention our names. However, we shook hands when we left and asked for God’s blessings for each other. I know we will never see each other again. This person was an instrument used by God and he completed his mission. It's my choice to listen.

Congratulations! Vaya Con Dios!

I attended a promotion ceremony at the Columbia Police Department, Friday, November the 6th. A corporal from one of my subgrantees was promoted to sergeant. He will also leave the grant because of his new position. I’ll miss his work. He and his sergeant have submitted some great performance numbers. I asked his sergeant what are his plans to replace the corporal. Without a beat, he told me that he had submitted a nomination and was waiting word from his superiors. Good people are hard to find, harder to replace and even harder to retain. But, you want the best for them and you don’t want to hold them back for selfish reasons. A good leader will recognize the potential in his/her subordinates and will encourage them to reach their goals. They will challenge them to do so. A good leader is recognized by his/her personnel. So be fair and right to your people. Even the strugglers, if coaxed correctly, can find their potential, too. If not, they can’t hold the department back and must go. You can’t jeopardize the many for the few.

At the ceremony, I got a chance to see some old friends. Many of them were promoted to the executive staff. The funny thing is that I remembered when they were beat cops 10 to 30 years ago! It was a beautiful day and the ceremony was held outside. The rookies were introduced, young men & women accepting their duty over future risks to come. They are our future, God bless them!

Your True Worth

Have you ever wondered what your true value is? What you are really worth? I’m not talking about your financial assets or liabilities, political or socioeconomic standings. I’m not looking at the tangible, material side of your net worth. I’m talking about what you mean to others. Look deeply within yourself; ignore the flaws and the imperfections. Don’t think of the speech impediments or body defects. What kind of person are you really? Be honest with yourself. Are you presenting the type of person to people that you want them to think you are? Or, are you being yourself? Are you truly honest and fair with everyone or only towards the people you care about? Will your character, integrity, morals and personality show your true value? Our personality we can see from the surface but our character can include or exclude or spiritual development. Yes, personality can open doors but character will keep them open. What is your value to your family, your job, and your co-workers? What type of value have you placed on yourself? Do you think you helped someone enough to change their life when you didn’t have time to listen to your children talk to you? Did you take the time to encourage them when they seemed ready to give up? Is your life worth it to do again without any changes? There are so many questions that we have to ask and there are so many answers that have to be given honestly. Are you worth something to somebody in this fast-paced, self-centered world? Are you worth something to yourself? If you are, let the world see it!

Hide & Seek

Remember the game Hide & Go Seek? It’s a child’s game that has two parts. One child turns his back and count on the home base, usually a tree, while the rest hide. A minister I talked to the other day gave me a different variation. He told me that the game had three parts; a hider, a seeker and an opportunist. He broke it down for me. Remember as a hider you always tried to find the places where no one expected you to be. Sometimes those places are very uncomfortable and dirty. They are not always close to home base, so you better be fast to outrun the seeker. It can be very hard if you’re stiff from being in an uncomfortable position so quite possibly even if you are fast, you might not win. By the time you run out the stiffness, it could be too late. The seeker (hunter) beats you back to home base. Game over, you lose. The opportunist, however, will try to stay as close to the home base as possible, because he believes that he can outrun the seeker and will be in a position to move quickly. He’ll hide but hopes that the seeker will overlook his hiding place. His comfort zone is always changing. He wants to do better each given moment. He is thinking constantly what he can do to get to home base safely. Compare our hiding to the way of living. Many times, we live, work, or stay in uncomfortable positions. Sometimes, we don’t have any other choice. But, when we stay so long, we become complacent and comfortable. We don’t want to leave that comfort zone because of various reasons. It’s not easy to deal with change. We enter unfamiliar territory and we are fearful of what might happen to us. We must walk in faith and remember that we are never alone. Even though we might not see Him, true faith will prevail. It might be hard for some unbelievers, but if they believe in themselves, they will see the power that our Almighty God has given us. And with His help we can use it to glorify Him.

For October 21, 2009

Today is our mother’s birthday. Had she lived, she would have been 79. Even though it’s been only two years ago, it still seems like yesterday when I last talked to her and she said she wasn’t feeling well. Tears are beginning to well up and I’m having a hard time typing this. My grandmom and her instilled in me a can-do attitude and to always treat people the way you would like to be treated. That is, be kind, patient and respectful to others, even if you didn’t like them. They are still someone else’s child. I wanted to do something special at her gravesite but I know that she would rather for me to keep things simple and pay tribute by being a better person. I can almost hear her say, baby, don’t waste your money on me, I don’t need that. Mom liked nice things but she wasn’t an extravagant person. I think a lot of that has rubbed off on me. I’m not a materialistic person. I want to enjoy some things as long as I live but I also know that I can’t take any of it with me. I also know that I like peace and comfort not stress and drama. I buy what I can afford, and enjoy what I have. Keeping up with big payments can be stressful even if it’s showing others how much I have. Well, you just about have to kill yourself by working so hard to keep it. But, in the process, how much are you willing to give up? And who and what are you willing to give up? I have seen people with such expensive things that they can’t enjoy it. They can’t enjoy vacations or just be still because their mind is on what they’ll have to do at work to keep making the big bucks. Mom, talked about appreciating the simple things, not be jealous of anyone, but be true to yourself. She was my confidante and as I got older I realized that life itself isn’t as complicated as we think. She took time with my stupidity and ignorance, always forgiving and always patient. Losing someone you love leaves an emptiness inside. Cherish them, take time with them, appreciate them and love them. Because someday, you or them, will have some wonderful, unforgettable memories to share.

That Inner Voice

Sometimes we are so busy rushing through the routines of life that we don’t have or take the time to listen to the Voice of God. I mean we get so wrapped up going to work, doing our work, picking up the kids, running to the store, cleaning up the house, dealing with traffic congestions, and maintaining our sanity that we actually don’t have the time to make time for a moment of peace. This is what we do! We rip and run to show that we are productive and not wasting our time. We don’t think about the stress and strain brought on by some of our own self-inflicted necessities. We are in such a hurry that sometimes, we ignore that inner voice that tells us to take another route or do something differently. Then we get perturbed with ourselves when we are stuck in traffic or didn’t look down when we should have. I usually say, I knew I should have done it the way my mind told me. Okay, we ignored the Voice that time. But what do we do when we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves and don’t take the time to appreciate it? Do we take the time to eat with our families? Keep up with old friends? Greet passersby with a smile? Do we really take the time to appreciate the sights during our walks? What about looking at our loved ones? Do we even bother to take the time to pray and thank God during our busy schedules? Miracles are happening every day and we don’t notice. We separate ourselves from God and ourselves for the sake of completing today’s mission. Today, we’re already planning what to do tomorrow. We have to! If we can get a jump and expect the unexpected we think we are already one step ahead. We’ve forgotten that we are on loan. Whether it’s today or tomorrow, nothing is guaranteed except death and taxes.

Attitude

Encarta Dictionary defines Attitude as a personal view of something, bodily posture, challenging manner, orientation of aircraft’s axes, and orientation of spacecraft. Of course, a positive attitude can take us to a higher altitude. Since this topic is not about aircraft, we can presume that I want to discuss personal views. It’s not easy being or staying positive. Our surroundings alone, not counting socio-economic conditions, can be the excuse we need not to be positive. That in itself implies that wanting to be positive requires discipline and commitment. In other words, having a positive attitude takes a lot of work. For the sake of not staying rhetorical, let’s keep this simple. The right attitude can make a major difference in your life even when those unforeseen obstacles pop up during our journey in life. We all have had our shares of ups and downs. It seems that the downs dominate. But there is nowhere written that we would be exempt from life’s problems. In fact, Adam and Eve had there share of problems and we all know that they had everything they wanted. But, they made their choice, just as we choose to be either positive or negative. We tend to choose the negative. We can’t help it. Misery, though depressing, makes us focus on the reality of life that bad things happen. And there is nothing that can be done about it. And because we expect the worse, we draw the negative to us. We are what we think. Mother Theresa called problems, gifts. Imagine waiting in line for a while and considering it a gift. Imagine being stuck in traffic for hours and saying it’s a gift. Imagine wondering how you’re going to pay bills with no money available as a gift. As hard as we try to develop our relationship with God and try to do right, when things go wrong, we choose the negative emotion because it’s comfortable and easy to deal with. How can we look at issues as gifts? Trying to be positive is hard enough but look at problems as gifts will take more than human effort. We really need to look for help from a higher being. Frankly, I don’t think it would hurt. What do we have to lose? One thing for sure, we can do something with the presents we have. We can at least try.

Semper Fidelis

In these times of political and national disagreements, let us take a moment to pay tribute to our fallen heroes. As I said before, men and women serve our country in the various capacities in the military, medical response, and law enforcement put their lives on the line everyday. They do it not just as an obligation of duty, but they as a need to make a difference. It is indeed regrettable regardless of age, race, or culture that their families and others will never see them again. It is bad enough that those same families worry day and night whether their loved one will return home safely. How ironic can it be that we lose a South Carolina State Trooper leading a memorial procession for a fallen fellow trooper, who also, was killed in the line of duty in 1992 on the same route? We may never know what was in the mind of the elderly lady that did it. I believe that she is experiencing a personal hell that only she can live with. But, now is the time to mourn a lost life. Both families, friends, community, and the department are mourning a person that was very dear to them. So in these times of frustrations and whatever you would like to add, let us for a moment say a pray for those heroes who take an oath to protect us everyday and lose their lives in doing so. Say a prayer for those people that are close to you that are being taken for granted. You have found a better peace, brother!

Family Love

This insert will be about peaceful, pleasant and positive talk. I’m tired of reading, hearing, and seeing so much negativity and evil done against each other in the news. So today, I’m going to devote this submission to focus on people helping each other. Of course, you know that this was labor intensive. It was hard to find something good that the media reports but I’m sure even the media can get tired of bad news. Here is a wonderful story about a father’s love. “Dad simply wanted a souvenir - not a national television appearance. Steve Monforto won over many hearts after his 3-year-old daughter tossed a foul ball he caught at a Phillies game back onto the field. Stunned by his toddler's toss, all Dad could do was hug her. "I didn't want her to think she did anything wrong," Monforto said on WIP-AM radio Wednesday." By the way, Philly beat the Washington Nationals 5-0. That’s what we need more of, real love for one another. I give the media some credit for this. Hopefully, they'll find more good things to talk about.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Baby John

My baptismal godfather passed this weekend in silence. His name was Crayton but we called Mr. Baby John. Ever since we were children that was what we always called him. He owned a store in the neighborhood when we were kids. He had another brother who owned a store in another part of the neighborhood a little farther from where we lived. Those were the days when a nickel could go a long way. You could get push-ups, ice cream in a cup with a stick at the bottom to push it up. Ice cream cups, ginger snap cookies, and an assortment of candies. Even a penny could buy two for one cookies. As a child there were so much you could get with change. A quarter made you feel rich. After we'd look for loose change or earn our allowance, we would go to Mr. Baby John's and load up. He was a really nice guy, we couldn't be loud or disrespectful in the store but that was expected of us. He knew all of our parents and would tell if we were out of line. Back in those days, parents, teachers and neighbors didn't have a problem disciplining us kids. He wouldn't let us "hang out" in front of his store but we played football and baseball in the back of it. He and his wife had three children, two daughters and a son. All are very successful. Most of the guys back then had a crush on his oldest daughter. I could go about our childhood but I won't. This is a tribute for Mr. Baby John. As Mr. Baby John got older, he closed up his store, retired and did other things. He also owned a building next to the store where he stored things and let other people in the neighborhood use it. I'm much older now but back in those days no one thought of taking anything from his store. If you needed anything, he would give it to you. He knew us like that. This is just a small tribute to a good man. All of us have our ways and all of us have good and bad days. Whatever it might have been, Mr. Baby John treated us kids like human beings. Rest in peace, Mr. Baby John, we'll miss you old timers.

The Agony and Disrespect

The agonizing reality of Congressman’s Wilson absolute disrespect for the president of the United States and the total lack of respect for the office he holds implies that Mr. Wilson does not even respect the man as an equal. What Mr. Wilson has managed to do, whether it was his intent or others, was incite that part of society that will accept the fact that a black man was elected. His qualifications mean nothing to them. They still see the color of the man rather than his character. Mr. Wilson can accept the dishonor of making parts of that negative society now fashionable since it no longer has to hide behind sheets and pillowcases. Thank God not everyone feels the same way. There is good and bad in all races. What I hear is that “just because I disagree with Obama’s policies, doesn’t make me a racist.” You are right! But don’t use that phrase to distract me, either. I don’t see a problem when people disagree, but when not allowed to discuss their views by shouting over them and disrupting a peaceful setting for the sole purpose of distracting the truth, is disrespectful and rude. This is a clever ploy by special interest groups to pollute and distort the facts that can help fellow Americans. That’s right, I said subversive. These are dissident, rebellious folk who cannot accept a black president and want the country to return to good old days where minorities knew their place. The culture of the extreme ultra-right and left are not the only ones that carry guns. The use of fear and intimidation is still effective on the less fortunate. But, there is a new generation that will not carry on the divisive customs of years gone by. They can’t see that whatever we adults do will affect them in the future. I might sound negative to you but I’m not. I am disgusted and appalled that even now in 2009, prejudice and discrimination is alive and still accepted by some. All of this mess is on the heels of a major controversy about the president telling kids to stay in school and learn. Some folks were so concerned about him possibly feeding their minds on his political agenda that they kept their children out of school. How ironic, the president told them how important it is to stay in school. Our children need to be educated to compete in this world market. Let’s keep the jobs here rather than outsource them. At least, give the children a chance to compete. Education is the key and some people know this. It can take you to a different level in society. Uneducated people, unfortunately, do not have those chances for good jobs and pay, thus, remain in low income areas. Which case in turn becomes government dependent. This is what this president sees. He knows education can strengthen America. People would read more and get involved with the community. The more educated means you can make your own common sense decisions and not be led by others simply because they say so. This president has fought every day since he’s been in office and no one from the right has given him any credit at all. From my perspective, if they did, it would be an admission that the president is doing something right and they’d rather see America destroyed before they admit it. Our state (SC) has more than enough problems but our focus is on the governor and now the congressman. Why aren’t our elected officials looking out for the citizens of this state? They want the votes so bad they are willing to neglect the whole than the part? What is wrong with this? You might represent your constituents in your district but when you leave this state you are representing all of South Carolina. Will Joe Wilson’s son, a candidate for the State Adjutant General, feel the same way? Old folks used to say “an acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This is 9/11, a day to pay tribute to the fallen but we have crashed websites blogging about Joe Wilson and his outburst. I personally feel that he didn’t give a real apology, he wanted to use the time to explain his argument. As his son defended him, which I do understand, he too, stumbled through an explanation of his frustration with the president. A real man would accept responsibility for his actions. This mess can setback race relations decades. That could be somebody’s intentions. We were all so proud when the first black president was elected because it took all of us Americans to do it. We elect these people to represent us, if they can’t do the job we can elect someone else. That’s what happens to us on our regular jobs. We can’t do the job our employer finds some one else that will. We must get past name recognition and do research on these people that are running. Otherwise, if we vote simply on the name, we might get continued mess from another generation. Granted our candidate might lose but by the grace of God, people running for office will know that we, the people, mean business.

American Us

For every action there is a reaction. The Party of Not Ever is starting another movement. They didn’t mean to do this. This is a positive reaction to their negative reaction. No birthers, no tea parties but a real American movement, a combination of all Americans who are tired of inequality and disrespect towards others. These are Americans who see that we can coexist with others. We’re not leaving this country so we might as well get along with each other and make the best of what we have. We are speaking out against foolishness and are tired of people thinking for us. We are Americans who realize that the only progress we’re going to have is to accept each other, listen to each others’ ideas, and work toward a better life for our family, community, and our country. So, for all of those negative people who want to see our country in chaos and civil disorder go find your own country of hate and discontent. We will always disagree about different things that affect us but we don’t need to humiliate, embarrass and disrespect each other to get our point across. We are disgusted.

The Truth Will Set You Free

I read a response from a blog in the local newspaper regarding Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina calling the President a liar on 9/9/09 on the immigration part of the Health Care Reform. This has never occurred in the history of the house protocol outburst like that in the house chambers toward a president. I wanted to respond to blogger but instead I’ll do it from here. Of course the blogger sided with Wilson; he was one of his constituents. He even felt that Wilson shouldn’t have apologized. I think that this person took the whole episode as a racial pick instead of a civil response. So many people don’t realize how set for life our representatives are. We don’t do any research but take their word on any subject. Politics are not absolute, but choices can be. At the end of this entry please look at the website about Joe Wilson. He has free governmental healthcare for the rest of his life. Yet, he is against it for others. The article also tells how two-faced Joe Wilson actually is. I hope this website keeps this article on file. My vote may not count but I will not be for him anymore. Here’s what I wanted to say.

“The Truth Shall Set You Free was first said by Jesus Christ in John 8:32. Yet, you preferred to reference “dident m.l. king say it to.” Yes, he did, but I do find it odd that you picked King. We will ignore the grammar and spelling. Obviously, education hasn’t been on Mr. Wilson’s agenda for our state. You definitely have deeper issues than education. I voted for Joe Wilson as long as I can remember but have never seen him behave in such an unprofessional manner. As a Colonel, you are expected military protocol to be observed. He knows that. Had he behaved in such a manner in front of his superiors he would have been severely reprimanded. He has not accepted responsibility for his outburst. In fact, I understand that the party leaders had him do so immediately. It was total disrespect unbecoming an officer and a representative of the state of South Carolina. I think the GOP is using him for a scapegoat. He is being thrown under the bus, but since he is receiving military retirement, he has nothing to worry about. Congressman Wilson is catering to a specific group that he feels he is representing. I hope that group has true Christian respect as Christ had for us.”

This is a good article.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/09/10/joe-wilson-s-dirty-health-care-secret.aspx

Free Speech

In the name of free speech, we are able to voice our concerns. We can voice our dislikes anywhere and at anytime we deem necessary. Even though there is a time and place for everything. Unfortunately, there is still a minority that has taken advantage of this privilege to disclose their true racial feelings. Some will hide behind politics as an excuse. It takes a true man to respect another even though they disagree. Before you accuse me of using the race card, let me finish. A zebra can not lose its stripes, even though it might look like a horse to some people (uninformed). Another zebra will not recognize a horse as zebra but can recognize a fellow zebra. Racists recognize each other and but now hide behind the privilege of free speech. They don’t like that label but are quick to label others as Nazis, commies, liberals, fascists, un-Americans and socialists. It is remarkable that it took a united America of all races, ethnicities, religions, cultures, political parties and ages to elect our President and yet realize how many people still hate others with such ferociousness, that they are willing to polarize and destroy this great country of so many resources rather than let it progress forward. So many people have sacrificed and gave their lives so that all of us are able to enjoy this freedom. We are losing men and women almost every day fighting wars to protect our interests that so many are avoiding. Look at our local law enforcement, fire fighters and EMS and other public service folk sacrificing their lives and families every day! Let’s not forget that there are still people experiencing inequality in so many forms. We still have Americans living in assigned areas and they were one of the first here! There are still families cultivating this hatred and now we find that there are pastors preaching hatred in the pulpit. Is this being pro-American to polarize our country? We still have states wanting to secede from this union. Since Cain and Abel, brothers have hated each other and killed. I don’t know why I think that things should be any different. I get so disgusted at how we behave toward each other. When we have National Prayer Service Day, we really need to pray sincerely for this country and elected representatives. We have one giant headache of problem that only God can heal.

Rest Peacefully, Papa Williams

I wanted to write about something positive in this entry but as life would have it, the unexpected happened. One of my closest, best friend’s father passed away early September 2, 2009 morning. He had dealt with diabetes and kidney problems for years but always fought back with the will to live. God only knows what he went through. He battled pneumonia, flu and other health problems and overcame them all. I was under the belief that he would still outlive us all. Yet, death has a way of putting everything in perspective. My friend hung in there with me when my mom passed. We’re not as close as we used to be and my dilemma is how to show her, without causing complications, that I am there for her. I have written quite a bit a loss and emptiness and it is never enough words to explain the effects death can have on you emotionally. As we get older, we are reminded of our own mortality daily by observing those close to us move on to another life. I wonder if and when that time comes for some of us, do we welcome the end? That sounds very morbid but it is the reality that we face. In a matter of seconds or split-seconds our so called pathetic life can become a pitiful one. I used those words to show that we are not pathetic or pitiful but people capable of choosing what type of life we want to live. That is why we must appreciate every little moment that we have. We should always be grateful for the little blessings, they add up to something huge. It used to be painful emotionally to discuss this subject but not anymore. We shouldn’t be afraid but approach it whenever it occurs as an entry to an unfamiliar journey. A journey that we are reminded of only as we’ve gotten older. So, let us all learn to treat each other with respect and compassion, we might need each other. More importantly, let’s be examples for those who have a hard time finding the good in anything to finding the good in themselves. And, yes, I still pray daily for this world but more so for me, to live patiently and understanding with this world. Because, sometimes, people tend to piss you off and distract you from the common good.

An Open Letter to God

Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
You are God known by many names but
Who knows our strengths, weaknesses, needs and wants.

Hallowed be Thou Name.

You are all-knowing, all-powerful, all-healing, all-loving, all-merciful, all that is good and all that is kind.
The same mouth that we praise You, is also the same that uses profanity and obscenities. Teach me to remember that, O Lord.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done on earth as in heaven.

Lord, I have committed my life to You, therefore, I must have total trust in You.

Give us this day our daily bread.
Teach me to lay all of my problems, my concerns, my hopes and my dreams at your feet. In that way, I won’t be distracted away from your love for me. We worry about everything beyond our control, instead of putting our worries in Your Hands.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors.
You are always merciful and loving towards us with our pathetic and pitiful ways. It seems a lot easier to be less forgiving towards our loved ones and enemies.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Father, we should be eternally grateful for Your patience with us. You have given us the choices to choose good over evil. But we fall by the wayside so much. Strengthen our spirit to recognize your voice to know the differences.

Excerpt from "A Part of Things"

Reflection

I always wondered what you saw in me.
What was our common attraction?
What did we see in each other?
What started this interaction?

Did I seem kind to you?
Did I treat you with respect?
Could you be yourself around me?
What did you expect?

Our children act like us.
they often fight and shout.
Is that how we treat each other,
whenever we open our mouths?

Have we become so selfish and uncaring
that we’d rather ignore these faults?
So mean and unloving
that our children live in doubt.

When I look at you,
I see the sparkles are gone.
This loveless feeling
has taken over our home.

You are not the one to blame,
its not yours to be,
I was drawn to you because
you’re just a reflection of me.
Now, I can see!
A reflection of me!

Excerpt from "A Part of Things"

Sports Opinion

My Yankees are doing pretty good right now, everybody is in sync. Yes, they lost a few but are winning much more. If they can maintain during the playoffs, we got a chance at the series. It’s Boston that I have to worry about. They’re 6 games back, but it's never over with them. I don’t have any comments on the Braves. I was expecting a lot from Forida, too! LA Dodgers started out like gangbusters they slowed a bit but still leading in their division. Michael Vick is back! He did his time, leave him alone and let him go back to work. I can’t remember exactly by someone from the SPCA or PETA left their dog in the car in 90+ weather and the dog died due to kidney failure. I feel for any mistreatment of animals but when folks are so quick to crucify others when they fall, they expect sympathy. SC governor is a prime example. I have never heard so many religious quotes from him until now. He could have used those when he was demanding Clinton’s impeachment. Phil Mickleson hasn’t been able to concentrate on his golf game. Can you blame him? If your loved one is undergoing cancer treatment, what can you focus on other than them? I think someone else in the family, the mother-in-law is going through a similar experience. Tiger is Tiger. But, he has a new addition in his family and I don’t think he’s at the top of his game. Keep in mind, people, I am only giving my opinion. I am not a profession sports critic. I think we are called “arm chair judges.” Anyone not in the games has an opinion. Well, Yang sure came out of the blue and whooped Tiger who has almost never gave up a lead. There are a lot of sleepers in the golf world, they’ll wake up and watch out. Tiger’s advantage is he can ignore the camera and go into a zen-like focus. He’ll need to step up a notch if he wants to stay on top. But, records are made to be broken. The Oakland Raiders are my team. They haven’t done well for years. But I will stick with them. It is always interesting to look at the other teams and see how they will do mid-season. I must not care too much for anything out of Boston. Whoever they play are the teams I want to win. Yes, Boston has some great teams.

Burial of a Statesman and Superstar

Senator Edward Kennedy is being buried today next to his famous brothers John & Bobby in Arlington National Cemetary. He died of brain cancer on August 25, 2009 at 77. I believe with the death of Senator Kennedy the period of bipartisan politics will leave with him. The party in power will no longer need to compromise because it will not be the public interest that will drive them. When I say public, I mean the nation's best interest. Corporate interests are now more important because there is big money to be made. Granted, many of these politicians years ago went at each other's throats but they accepted and respected each other for whom they were. But they had the people's interest in mine. With the age of technology, they don't have to talk to each other face to face, they can just tweet. How personal can that be? Many people will find fault with the Senator's past. How many of us don't have a past? How many of have a clean slate? But, in the end, the Senator and his brothers risked it all to have a better life for all in this country. May the statesman and superstar rest in peace.

Michael Jackson was will be buried on his birthday, August 31st. Sorry, it was cancelled. It may now be September 3, 2009. Michael died June 25th. He was out so long due to the autopsy which found that Michael died due to drugs. The Coroner ruled death by homicide. Some doctors are in major trouble, even though they did it for the money. There is obviously some neglect and moral issues here.

Love This Time

I am convinced that a family that prays together stays together! I don’t just mean participating in church services, I mean praying to God together. What is even more important is praying for each other. Look, we all have individual problems. As couples, it becomes a group problem. At times, the problem seems so overwhelming that it affects the one and the other can’t understand why. That’s why, to me, it’s more important to pray for the other than yourself. Sometimes when we pray for ourselves, we believe we know what to ask for. We don’t. Our individual prayers can be selfish, even though we do have good intentions. When someone else prays for you, they either know or see our weakness. They won’t sugarcoat, but their prayers will be true. What makes them true, you ask? Their love for you will want the best for you. Of course, you are praying the same for your mate. This is not easy, but for better or worse, or whatever joined you in love just really come forward. Fake prayers get fake results. They are like bandaids, they hold the wound together for a while, they cover it up. Eventually, you have to take the cover off and see what’s underneath. Not all wounds heal, the same with relationships. Chip, chip, scratch, scratch and eventually you’ll crack or split. We all start off with the right reason but end up leaving for the wrong reasons. We appreciate God’s blessing and we are grateful for His divine blessings. But if we don’t let him lead our lives, regardless of what we have, we still don’t have a thing! Real love isn’t easy. It requires a lot of hard work. Forgive and move on but don’t harbor resentment. We believed that love brought us together and it could have been. But love didn’t keep you together and it definitely wasn’t the reason you left. But know this, nothing in life is guaranteed! You can make your own assessments. We don't know what the future holds for us. What I do know is wherever you go, whatever you do, if you let God into your life, His love will prevail through any hardship.

Humility

Today was an interesting day. It was a media kick-off campaign for Sober or Slammer for Labor Day at our state fairgrounds. We had few highway safety dignitaries present such as the Director of SC Truckers Association, the Colonels of Highway Patrol, State Transport Police and Department of Natural Resources. We also had the state director of Federal Motor Carriers and a representative from the Department of Transportation from Atlanta, too! Our own Public Safety Director, Deputy & Assistant Director of the Office of Highway Safety was on hand to meet and greet. There was also a good representation of law enforcement there to show support for this great cause. It might not be for those arrested for DUI, but it will definitely help to keep them and others safe on the roadways. Finally, we had our state governor to drop by to say a few words! Yes, he made time for us. Don’t worry I’m going somewhere with this. One, you drink and drive, you will get caught and go to jail. When after everything is said and done, it will cost you more than you think. Two, these are the most humble group of individuals you will ever meet. From the Feds on down, we had some casual and off the wall conversations. Yes, we had just plain and simple talk with regular men and women who worked hard and earned positions to lead and help others. After the event was over, the colonel of HP, a LT, and me went to a local eatery and had lunch. These were just down-to-earth guys, who put in the years and time in patrol and got recognized by somebody that they can get the job done! But, what has humility go to do with this? Ask the question, how can you be a leader if you’re not willing to follow? How can you make decisions that will affect your command, your staff, and your co-workers if you’re not willing to listen to silent cries for help and direction? At the same time, you must be strong enough to make decisions that will not always be accepted by your subordinates but have the common sense to make those necessary changes. But, let’s not forget anyone that works in law enforcement. They are public servants who are underpaid, work in a thankless job, and risk their lives every day, but doing it because they want to make a difference. These men and women deal with surprises everyday! If you had to meet them up close and personal, don’t take it personally. They are working and doing their best to keep you and others safe. So next time if you see them in line somewhere, tell them thanks for the great job they are doing! I know the DPS Staff won’t keep them employed if they don’t!

Thoughts

Have you ever felt that you have so much to say, but don’t? Knowing that you have so much on your mind and want to share your thoughts with someone, anyone. But, who would even care to hear the organized madness of a sane, but irrational man? Haven’t you felt the need to be honest but was afraid of being misunderstood? Sometimes being honest could cause more problems than its worth? More than anything you hate to be responsible for future problems and misunderstandings. But that’s what too much love can do. I will always believe that you can love too hard that it can cause unbearable pain. It can cloud your judgment. It doesn’t matter what stage in the relationship you’re in, starting, married, ending, or divorcing, or dying, there will always be a part of you left behind. Because in all of actuality, love is temporary. No one starts with a conclusion that this love won’t last. But somewhere, somehow, something is seriously wrong with our society. It is accepted to have extramarital relationships from the outside, people who are always willing to forgive. How about the people involved? Loss of trust, betrayal, and denials. What about the wife who finds out the man she loved, the father of her children, the guy she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, is more than just her lover? He’s also the lover of many other women, who quite possibly, might bring more than the other woman home but STDs, too! There are documented cases where women have left their men over more rivial matters than adultery, abuse, financial and other serious cases. They have left their men over snoring, not putting their clothes in the laundry hamper, even not taking care of regular household duties. I’m not excusing women on this. Some of you are no better! So, "For Better or Worse" is just a statement. Is it a belief to be taken seriously. What happened to that person that you fell in love with? This is not the movies we see that have happy endings. To me, that’s why God and faith play a major role in my life. The devil does his best to turn cracks into valleys. Anything to take away your joy, which is also your strength!

Crack In My Windshield

Picture yourself driving along the interstate minding your own business, keeping an eye out for careless drivers, speeders, and tailgaters. You’re buckled in, not texting, and not on the cell phone. The tractor trailer in front of you kicked up some small gravel and it hits your windshield. It didn’t break it, but the sound got your attention. In fact, you heard it hit but don’t know where it. You soon forget about it and don’t think anymore about it. A couple of weeks later, while cleaning your car and windows, you notice a small crack on the passenger side in the lower right hand corner. You remembered when it happened and hope that the crack won’t get any larger. Since we don’t have car inspections in this state, you continue to drive regardless how big that crack isbecoming. It’s now unsafe to drive but you’re willing to take the risk. Hopefully, you don’t hurt yourself or any of your passengers if the windshield breaks.

When we’re hurt emotionally by someone or ourselves, we let the cracks grow until it’s unsafe for us. We know that it will have a negative effect on us but we continue. We just pack it up and carry it with us to the next person. Either we get it fixed, face the facts that something is very wrong, or find somebody we can talk to who knows how to care of the "cracks in our windshields."

The Two Wolves

One evening a wise, old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his Grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The wise, old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

This email is circulating the internet. I thought it was appropriate to our discussion. Which wolf do we feed? One will grow in size and strength to overpower the other. I hope you make the right choice. Either one will affect the outcome of a relationship.

The Onion Test

Let’s do the onion test. You must be honest, truthful and candid with yourself. This is a test that only you and you only need to know. I believe we all are all like the onion with its many layers. We have many personalities, idiosyncrasies, moods, and characters. Unfortunately, a lot of us have some pains inside of us that make us unhappy. We refuse to accept these weaknesses or simply ignore them. So we hide them and concentrate on other people’s weaknesses. We do our best to make others unhappy, too. Are you starting to cut through your layers? Don’t dwell on the negatives, confront them, work on them, and change them. This will take time and should exercise a great deal of patience, tolerance, and understanding towards others. We are not perfect, but there is always room for improvement. Before we start finding the wrongs in others, let’s look at our own personal challenges. Take a real good look at yourself. How would you like to be treated? Do you treat others with respect and dignity? Or do you judge by first impressions? By how the person looks? What they say? Material gains? Maybe, their attitude? Could there be something else associated with it, like jealousy? Are you selfish? Self-centered? Moody? Quick-tempered? Insecure? Afraid? Arrogant? Tempermental? Doubtful? Only you will know when you cut through the layers and face yourself. Now when you recognized your faults and start to work on them, see if others will notice a difference in you. Don’t give up on yourself, even if others already have. Trudge through this journey we call life. We all have something to contribute. Don’t measure by the quantity, but the quality! Remember, the widow's mite? You may not have much but you still got a lot to give!

Celebrate!!!

Today another miracle happened! We woke up! Be thankful!

Issues

We all have issues and problems of some kind. Look around you! Your co-workers that are laughing and joking with you might be having some type of problem(s) that are going on in their lives. Some serious, some not so serious but enough for concern. Look at your family members. Are we doing all that we can to be happy with each other? Are we treating them like we want to be treated? Can our friends really trust us enough to keep confidential information? Can we trust them? We all have got to learn how to be more patient and understanding towards each other.

I had a long talk with a fellow co-worker, who I consider one of the most compassionate and honest person I met on this life’s journey. I'm not excluding my other co-workers, I work with some great-loving people! In our discussion, she expressed deep concerns over the state of the world’s social consciousness. She just can’t understand why some people have a problem discussing their differences peacefully and civilly. And why would some of us hate each other so much that we would rather destroy each other than help each other. We all want a better world for our children, grandchildren and ourselves to live in. Change is like faith, it starts small but grows to a size we can not fathom! Who knows? Keep the faith, baby!