We're Amazing....Damnit we're missin' it!

          We should all hold travel agencies in contempt, they should only be considered mockeries, cameras should only be designed for capturing the human form and everybody should say fuck p.e.t.a.....fuck p.e.t.a strong.

           I kinda wanna leave this blog at that, choose ur own adventure type but my negativity could make it extremely difficult to prove that I Love u, us, and all that we are and all that we can and should be.  If I explain the reasons for my "hit list" above (the travel agencies, cameras flawed designs & p.e.t.a) it may shed some light on our greatness, lol hopefully.  

1. Travel Agencies: Now I understand the greatness and the magnificence of certain places, The Great Wall of China, The Pyramids, and (greater than all) The Via Dolorosa but the affection that's paid to all of our awe inspiring locations throughout this globe is inordinate as hell.  All those bricks (The Wall of China) is impressive architecturally but theirs no way at all that that structure is more interesting or compelling than the million lives it took to build it or the million that died while making it or the "barbarians" that it was built to protect the people from.  Would you rather know the story of how one of those bricks that came to be and where it went in the wall or would you rather know the story of the man that molded the brick?  What he wanted for his daughter, how he treated his mother and what mad him laugh?  And The Pyramids have always (thankfully) invoked mystery, passion, even controversy, and tourism dollars (lol) but is the shape and size of those structures any more enticing than their historical implications, their understandings of astrology (I'm still a follower of The Christ so don't take it to far here lol) and how those with knowledge of certain things always seem to manipulate most of the masses (fuckers)?  The Via Dolorosa (the path that The Son of GOD walked towards HIS sacrifice for our sins) is probably the most appropriate destination for both of the reasons that I'm addressing with this in that I definitely understand why one would want to visit but I also think that the ONE that draws us to wanting to go there may probably be the ONE that's most disappointed with our respect of certain (kinda worship) places more than we admire the co-creators of those spots.  Get it?  I mean, I admire the Sistine Chapel but I've already seen far more beautiful chapels... I've seen folks persevere for their dreams, seen babies turn the lives around of hopeless thugs, seen folks get off of drugs...yeah the Sistine Chapel is cool but it just doesn't do the same thing for me.

2. Cameras: The reasons that I'm gonna list for this one will be a little shorter (ur welcome lol, I kinda went on a tangent with that last one huh, no apologies).  Sense I take pictures it's kinda hard for me to separate myself from the shots I take but theirs usually a story behind 'em.  I mean aesthetics can be "fulfilling" for lack of a better word but once again we are so much more than what we can look like, than what we can create.  The reasons that certain pictures grab us attest ta this.  Theirs nothing to eye appealing of a picture of a proud dad walking his daughter down the aisle but it can grab ya, the picture of a lil boys face when he makes contact with bat on ball during his first at bat ain't really that impressive visually but you may like it and I wont bring up all the telling images burned on the faces of those that have found bodies of loved ones torn from war....ain't nothin appealing to the eye about that but it should move you.  Our stories are whats profound, it's our stories that connect us, and it's our connections that can save us.

3. p.e.t.a Sighhh You may read my Fuck p.e.t.a. statement and assume that I don't care about the "ethical" treatment of animals (lol) but I do.  And I think the story of Mike Vick (I hate puttin his name out there) can unfortunately be seen as an example of what in the world is so effed up about that organization and it's passionate supporters.  Sure I think it's weak and cruel as hell to drown a dog that lost a fight, that's some real coward shit on a lot of levels. And yeah, I care about the dog but I don't care about it anywhere near as much as I care about the condition of the man's mind and heart that did that foolishness.  I wont go on about peta but if you look up any of the criticisms of peta online or elsewhere (by animal lovers or folks less passionate about the treatment of animals) you'll easily find what a dramatically inordinate organization it is.  Where is the "peta" for child sex slave trafficing?  Wheres the widely known celebrity response aimed abruptly against that heinousness?  What about child starvation?  What about the communities of people that die of malnutrition while living in the worlds most nutrient rich continent?  This list can go on and on and me listing it sounds to "soapboxish" and the truth of it all becomes drastically watered down.  

So this was a long blog (regrettably) and I just wanted to encourage you, wanted to share some thoughts and attempt to prove that we are connected, that we can be strong, that we can be beautiful and dramatic stories meant to inspire others....so, take the chance or stick to ur hustle but do whatever it takes to prove your Great(ness).  The World is waiting.

A Man's Man. Part Two

              You see a run down house with grass over grown, a lady worn down before her time, a child without a....Father...need I say more?  Sure theirs children out there that are motherless but we know who flies the coop more often and it's a damn shame.  And I realize lifes hard, relationships can be difficult and shit happens but none of that dismisses a Mans responsibility.  As a matter of fact, both life's ups and downs allow opportunities to refine and purify our manhood.  And I realize that I paint with broad strokes when I point to the state of "men" as the blame for all of societies ills.  That'd take power and responsibility away from women and that'd be ridiculous.  Anyone that has studied nature, history, scripture, you name it, anyone that observes, knows that women are extremely powerful and they too are responsible for much.  But the cure is simple, the tonic is free and the elixir is real.   

               Be a man (don't allow your mind to wonder to all the abused and abusive males in your past that have tried to hinder your glory with their storied up misconceptions of manhood).  You want the girl, the job, the home, the whatever....be a man.  It's in your nature to be aggressive, don't stifle it.  Now Hollywood lies to you and tells you that men don't cry, we never show ourselves vulnerable, and are more well versed in violence than in responsibility but that same institution tells you Blacks are thugs, Whites are cowards, and the rest don't matter (thats a whole other blog).  So be vulnerable, that requires foresight, security and courage....thats man shit.

                 So I've gone ALL over the place with this.  Their are far to many branches that easily stem from this root to keep it short.  My goal was to make a few simple points and show how they/we are all interdependent.

Point One: Men are powerful leaders. 
Point Two: Society, Culture, & Life are dwindling drastically in quality. 
Point Three: Since men are the leaders the drop in quality is our fault.
Point Four: Men thrive when being the aggressor (point our tenacity and aggression in righteous direction to cure the ills).  It is our natural state.

Side Note, Women love the shit outta Men and they're beyond tired waiting on us to act right.  Our women can pay us back a thousand more times than we give to them....invest wisely.

        


    

A Man's Man. Part One

          This subject "A Man's Man" is so simple I don't know how I should start it, that make sense?  Heres my go at it....being a Man is powerful...Men are intended to build things, change things, control things....and our responsibility is staggering (especially when compared to the current state of todays "men").  And therein is the problem, far to many of the males today are Not "Men".  And when I say "Men" I don't mean 6'4, 235lbs of muscle and can build a deck all by his self on a beautiful fall mornin' so he and his lady can enjoy a great cookout that same evening.  But if we (us guys) could get a peek into the mind of some of the lady readers (BTW thanks for readin') I'd bet they're not runnin from an invitation from muscle man any time soon, we (us guys again) might need to consider that.

            You see, somethin's gone wrong (I'm so tempted to type "No Shit" at the end of this sentence).  I wont address how, when, or even why but I'll definitely address the who.  This confrontation must happen, we all depend on it.  'Cause with the who determined the how, when and why can be redeemed.  The who is us...the who is men.  Bandwagon it or hate it, it's true.  Men are leaders.  If that offends you thats far from my purpose but I ask you to consider my perspective.  When I state that the natural order of things is for men to lead don't assume I think that men have lead well....hell, I've probably seen more men lead poorly than edifyingly.  But when men do lead (even at a basic level) life can flourish.  And damn thats what we need.    

           

        

         

          

     

            

GOD Willin GOD Speed

         Tylenol PM & 5hr energy drinks is what we've become. We're bein pimped out by greed.  It's turned would be preachers into crowd seeking people pleasers, civil servants into high paid celebrities...self imprisoned slaves w privilege....cowards w rights.  We live in a land where the most beautiful among us have platforms to preach unchallenged views & the majority of us are so full of voids that we accept what they say w/o question just so we can get accepted by some carefully designed image that was made to appeal to our sincerest hopes of what we dream success can feel like.  We've accepted a persons personal battles with demons as uncontrollable diseases that sickens entire communities.  And we've taken GOD'S Patience and Grace as HIS Tolerance and Acceptance.  And we see the most gluttonous of us as idols that have earned celebration.
          Very few things seem certain or worthy.  We're fallin and mercies lookin like a clenched fist. You feelin lonely, fed up, even hated, what about scared?  Well feel humbled, grateful, sought after and adored cause it's your pain that will provoke your glory.  It's the unrelentin whisper sayin that things can be so much better that ushers in the reality of your dreams.  It's the blistering heat that saves you from the burning fire, it's the tension in your stomach when your headed to work that keeps you up late nights workin on your business plan to make something better.  It's the hunger in the child that makes it cry and it's the cry that will bring it food to end the hunger and nothing has changed.  When your hungry enough to allow the force within you that listens to the whisper to become the force on the outside of you that agrees with the whisper change has started and it can only stop if you quit.
           We are better than this...we are better than what we have, we were created for more.  So lets fear GOD, Respect Love, & Hate the Reprobation.  These are some of my thoughts.  My love for you makes me measure my words as much as I will with out taming their spontaneity...I wont bridle the fire that burns if it stirs the flames that Defy and Revolt.  May we all be found respectable.  GOD Speed to whom GOD Wills...