Monday, December 31, 2012

Oh The Land Of The (fill in blank) And The Home Of The (favorite cuss word here)

"We're entitled!" That's the answer that my friend gave me when describing to my friend how this nations problems, differ from those of the other countries. Entitled or not, I honestly believe that for the new year, we need to make sure that the battle is worth the war. This year ended amazingly for me. The highlight of this year was not the South Carolina-Georgia game in Columbia. It wasn't me getting a full time job and loving it. It wasn't going back to school and finish out with all A's. It wasn't even the brand new friends that I have made from work, or from play. The greatest thing that happened to me this year was "The BronzeLens Film Festival."

It is a festival that celebrates the black film makers, and I saw my favorite movie of the year there. Its a movie that is called "Colored My Mind: Diagnosis." The movie brings about the awareness of Autism in the black community. For a long time, its been looked over due to either status, or education (or the lack there of), and how 5 black mothers, all of different backgrounds of fame, went to Washington to make sure that EVERY FAMILY who has an autistic kid is assured top medical help as they learn about the conditions, and how to manage it... Nia T. Hill, the director of the film did an AMAZING job, and I can not wait to see what features she gets to direct. She is great, and I hope you check her out! Another moment in the festival that stood out was when I met David Frankham. He is the executive producer, and director of the"Witness" series on HBO.

For those who don't know, "Witness" follows the everyday lives that photo journalists who follows conflicts around the world. They followed a woman through the jungles of South Sudan as the Arrow Boys fight to keep their villages safe from the L.R.A. lead by Joseph Koni. They followed a young man through the streets of Juarez, Mexico, as he follows the cops as drug trafficking is ravaging this town in fear and death. Another young man is followed as he revisits Libya where he nearly lost his life, and lost a colleague and personal friend in a mortar attack, but he goes back and captures the country in its latest uprising for civil rights from the black community. It ends as they follow another photo journalist as he travels through the slums of Rio. He follows the police and the military as they attempt to clean up the streets from drugs and gangs as the time of the World Cup and Olympics comes to town in the next collective 4 years. But during this, there are reports of all this crime that is going down and all these "gangsters" that has been killed, but there are no bodies to confirm... So As bad as the drugs are, the law is worse! It has gotten so bad that forensics teams are going around Rio to unearth all these bodies that has disappeared... Its a great series, and like I asked Mr. Frankham, I do hope there is a follow up series.

The series seriously opened my eyes to how full of shit we are as Americans. What were the biggest issues in this country? Gay marriage, marijuana legalization, gun control, and chick-fil-a... These issues are all very insignificant in comparison to what is going on around the world... We sit here and complain about what marriage is, and celebrate a dumb ass plant, and are all so concerned about who can get a gun, and how a company decides to spend their money, to over look at how, by the grace of God Himself, we have it SO easy. You don't have men walking around with already shitty guns, with a flashlight taped to their heads shooting at the first thing that moves (friend or foe) TRYING to protect their kids and families, or at least the ones that weren't kidnapped or killed in front of him. Yes. an Arrow Boy was shot by another Arrow Boy while they searched the jungles for the L.R.A.
 We aren't mothers and fathers who are scared to talk to the police in fear of being killed by the cartels, or talk to the cartels in fear of being killed by the police... We aren't children riding in cars when grenades are thrown in and explodes in our laps... We aren't going dying in front of the cops as they stand around, and you beg for your life...
We aren't in a race war, and we aren't overthrowing a government... We aren't losing our lives to let the world know how bad it is over here...
We aren't people being forced from our homes for the world. We ain't parents and friends that are fearing the worse when our loved ones comes up missing, or when they're names flash across the news and you think they are in jail or in the hospital, but their ENTIRE BODY IS MISSING...
No, we don't any real issue in this country. You will NEVER get rid of guns in this country... Marijuana is just fueling the killings and the corruption of the Mexican government and people. Way to go, America... Gay marriage... for it or against it, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! And Chick-fil-a is still delicious.

So the issues we have here can not hold water to what is going on around the world. Anyone who complains about anything in these United States, does not have a viable argument. You know why? We elected these assholes to make the rules the way they are right now. These are the people who are about to reach the fiscal cliff, where the money is about to get out of control cause of greed by those we elect to office... HIGH-FIVE AMERICA!!! Wanted change, we got it, but it wasn't what we expected...

So, its a new year. It is a new chance to try again. So, instead of complaining, and bitching and all that about what problems we have here, when we get to that moment, lets consider the world for what it is... a place that is messed up and in need of more help and prayer than you can imagine. I don't ever want to know the fear that these people around the world lives with... 1st world, 3rd world, no matter, it is not fun to know life in fear... So, we need to re-evaluate our reasons to complain... YOU have it so much better... I have it so much better... WE NEED TO DO BETTER BY OURSELVES!!! We need to make sure that we can extend a helping hand in one way or another, cause who knows when we will need a far away prayer, or a far way pat on the back... Happy New Year... lets make 2013 count.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

These Are The Days Of Our Lives.... IN HIGH SCHOOL!!! (Yes. We Are Stuck Here.)

On graduation day in 2001, my mom asked me a simple question... She asked "How do you feel?" To which I replied with, "What do you mean?" She replied with "Don't you feel different, cause you're graduating?" And I answered honestly with a "Nope." Same shit, different day.

In all my life, there was a 4 year period where I just hated life and people. Whoever lied and said that it would be "the greatest time of my life," should rethink their lives... High school was/is the worst conceived idea in the world today... Well, at least in America. Why am I talking about high school? Well, let me take you back to Christmas Eve. It's in the middle of the evening, but you couldn't have told, due to the fact that the sun goes down at like 12:45 every day now... Me and my friend are sitting at a bar (only one open on this side of town), and we are going on and on about life, music, and sports, and what not, and then I brought up the fact that we are all still in high school... If I did not make myself clear at the beginning, I FUCKING HATED HIGH SCHOOL!!! Freshman through senior year was the worlds biggest waste of time, and the worst way to "find yourself" as an individual. High school should be regarded as straight up bullshit... Anyways back to the subject at hand... It is apparent that society today has become one big high school. There are cliques and groups that you have to meet the criteria for acceptance, and there are beliefs that you must abide by in order to be accepted by another group, you gotta dress a same certain way to be tagged as a (fill in the blank) to be accepted by those people, and all the while, you have a family that you don't think loves you, but you are neglecting the fact that they are here for you because you have so many styles and beliefs to conform to... Society today has become one big high school, and I'm sick of it... What the fuck is wrong with people!? Nothing has changed since graduation, some people don't want to grow up. All they want to do, is hang on to what made them popular back in those days... Why am I making the comparison to today with high school? Well, lets look at the world today... the people who are on a high horse are animal lovers, vegetarians, gays, nerds, and hipsters... The people in power, were the ones bullied, and tortured for their beliefs in high school... now that they are all grown up, they think they have all the right to get that time back... those 4 years are multiplied by a lot of followers, and this is the life we are in today. Being an individual who just wants to live your life without it being in front of a camera, or a label  has become increasingly difficult. So, to be different means to conform to someones idea of cool or acceptance, but to be yourself, you are just outside of it all... doesn't make that much since to me. But hey! Who am I right? I'm just a guy who likes what I like, and dislike what I dislike, and hates what he hates, and loves what he loves... By default, I don't fit in. I'm the loner, the forgettable, the over looked.  And guess what... I am TOTALLY ok with that. As popular as I am, I'm not really a fan of it. As many smiles I put on faces, I am ok with those who expects more from me, and treat me less than my value. I like the fight of current cause at the bottom of the river, the rocks are already polish.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Every Knee Shall AND WILL Bow...

This is all an observation that I have made for a few years now, and it will not be for everybody. If you don't want to hear what I say, stop reading now... If so cool! Thanks! I will tell you that these are my feelings, and this is my blog, and I can talk about whatever I want... For years on end, I have heard every excuse, under the sun, trying to disprove the existence of "god." From the "facts of science," or the ideas built on confusion, even as far as the anger because "He wasn't there," we have many a people who all have put aside faith and understanding, to go throughout life to try to show that there is nothing more than this life... Personally, I disagree with that, but its not about me... Its about how everyone who wants to disprove the power that we can not get rid of. That power is the fact that we all are guided by the want to follow something greater than us. Deny it all you want, but its true! We will always need something to make us feel "regular." We all need a god. Now a days, there are many gods running around the entire world. Some of them we give names to and we don't even know how to clearly define them. Some have names, and we can clearly define them, but we never want to admit that its more than an interest of ours. Honestly, there are more gods floating around than most want to ever admit. I'm going to list a few of them:

Drugs
Sex
Politics
Religion
Money
Music
Love
Relationships
Fashion
Being an asshole
Hate
Stress
Work
Lifestyle
Reputation
Lack of faith
Judgement
Alcohol
Science
Sports
Technology
Lying
Popularity
Rebellion

The list goes on and on and on... When you think about it, its amazing how many gods we serve. I'm not innocent in this, I see a lot of which I sing praises to all the time... But for anyone to go off and say that they do not believe in a "god," you are a fool. If breathing wasn't an automatic thing for most of us, we would be all about it as well... So, for anyone who says they are an "athiest," prove it. 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Elephant In The Room...

Before I get started with this blog, I just want to let you know that I will try to watch what I say in the means of pointing the finger. I will not be using "I, me, or you" in this post, unless I am giving a personal example from my life, or an example from what I heard or saw from a friend.  What I have to say deals with an issue that needs to be addressed... Everyone of us has missed the boat, but I will show you where we did in my humble opinion. This is my blog, and I promise to try to not place blame, or throw any wood into the fire. I will not get into any political agenda, I will not get into religion, nor will I get into blaming anyone, or any situation. I will be breaking it down as real as I can, without it getting to be something where its just another opinionated person giving their 2 cents. With that said, lets get started

First off, my heartfelt condolences, and prayers goes out to the parents, of the 20 children that was murdered earlier today. I can never imagine a day like today if I was a parent, and I can't begin to try to console anyone who was directly affected. The loss of innocence, and the fear that was implemented by someone who was not well, did more damage that we will ever know. So, again, I pray for peace for the parents, and the loved ones of all the victims today. Such a sad day... Now to the meat of it all...

Today was a day that we never have wanted to witness, Just like Columbine, and the events in Aurora, CO, and Virginia Tech to name a few, its just another day where we like to give our opinions about the bad. We never want to see the lead up to any situation. A lot of people want to blame the events today on the "lack of gun control," or the "fact that someone sick got a hold of the weapons." And we also want to go as far to blame God for such evil, which is unfair to Him... But in all the fear and the anger, and the want to hold our kids more, we neglect to blame the people responsible for events like what happened this morning... And the ones to blame is US!!! Yes. Us! You, me, them, EVERYONE! We are all to blame for the events that happened today. Everyday, we like to keep our worlds as shut in and keep as many people out as humanly possible. We sit on the bus or train listening to our ipods, or pull up our itunes, on our ipads, and answer our iphones to talk to the people we know, or avoid talking to the person we don't, all the while we are missing the person right in front of us, or right beside us to just see how they are doing. I believe days like today could have been avoided if it was not for the lack of HUMAN INTERACTION. We have allowed technology to take away from us the means of being there for one another. If someone would have just talked to the young man, or just tried to be there, that wasn't family, I believe that we would be sitting here talking about a totally different subject. But because of what happened today, here we are, and I am touching the root of the TRUE problem with humanity. Everyone is quick to ask "Whats going on with this world?!" Well, I have the answer... It is the fact that we, as one human race, lack the balls to just go out of our comfort zone... we religiously go about our daily routines, in which we have it down to a damn near exact science. 6:30 wake up. 7:15 shower. 7:45 bagel and coffee: 8:15 SPEED TO GET TO THE HIGHWAY. 9:24 call boss tell him I'll be late for work. 9:45 finally show up... 1:45 lunch. 5:45 finally leaving 7:10 home... And in that time, how many people have we talked to that isn't in the office? How many bums or homeless guys have we passed, and lied to saying that we don't have a dime on us? How many times have we talked about, or added to the gossip of someone we don't even know? How many people that we say we will be there for, were we never to be found by them? The point is: We have all conditioned ourselves to follow some sort of weird protocol to protect ourselves. We are ALWAYS looking out for ourselves. We like to say things like "I stay on my grind!" or "Steadily hustlin to make this money!" And we expect for everyone to "like" our feelings for the moment... We have worked our way to making sure that WE look out for our individual selves... We encourage our kids not to talk to strangers (which is not a bad thing), and pull them back when a man or woman who may appear unsightly. When we walk down the street now a days, instead of looking ahead, we look down. If a person happens to smile at us, we just keep our heads down and keep moving... We have all conditioned ourselves to fear any and everything that we do not know.

As I said before, we have allowed technology to kill human interaction... When was the last time we made a call to a loved one, and not sent a text? When was the last time, we did not get on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network site? We like to post about what we are doing, and brag to everyone who is missing out on the "good time" that is being had currently. We also LOVE to post pictures of sayings that someone else came up with, and "agree" with what is said, by "sharing" and "liking" said bullshit saying...  Technology is taking us all away from the things that use to matter like getting to know our neighbors, or introducing ourselves to a stranger. We are so afraid to allow our circles to open up, that we don't even want to sit in the chair directly next to the person in the chair next to us at the movies... We always like to sit a few chairs away... right? We like to go to the malls to people watch, and pass judgement on this or that person for whatever they are wearing that moment, correct? How is this going to change?

I honestly believe that in order to avoid tragedies like the events that happened in Newtown, Connecticut, we all have to step out of our comfort zones... What I plan on doing is going out 2 nights a week, and learning about 2 new people. No matter where I meet them, and no matter if I get the cold shoulder... if I get it, OK  At least I tried... If change is to happen, it needs to start with the individual, and not the people we elect... And anyone and everyone who is all about gun control, be so! But realize that this country has been built on the right to protect our freedoms by any means necessary. For those of us who believe that God had something to do with it, He didn't... Personally, the one attribute that has me falling in love with God the way I do, is the fact that he gave US ALL free will. Any God who is willing to allow us to chose yes or no, right or left, up or down, right or wrong... So, if anyone wants to blame God, case is not valid. God does not allow the orchestration of evil. You can not convince me of that ever, I don't care if you believe or not.

I apologize about the soapbox moment there, but some things needed defending. We definitely need to work on being human, and not trained robots allowing our phones, our agendas, our "lives" to get in the way of being decent human beings! It can, and it needs to change! We have to take the effort to extend an honest and loving hand of help to anyone who may be in need. If its a bum, give him the measly change that is jingling in your pocket, or a dollar or something... If its a "creeper," let ourselves be known to them! Maybe they aren't creepy at all! Maybe they are just attracted to you... you can tell them no if you want, but get to know who they are... Make a friend before the movie, or before the game, or before the concert... You already have one thing in common with that person... We just have to do better by ourselves. We have to start taking better care of each other by just simply smiling. Show that you care! Make someones day better by just being kind... We can not allow another killing of 20 kids and 7 adults to happen again... we can't allow 22 more kids to get stabbed again... WE, no matter color or creed, AS ONE BEING, NEEDS TO BE WILLING TO TRY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE! It does not start with complaining to the higher ups... it starts by us trying to become humans again... Maybe, our first collective step should be to turn the phone off in public. We don't need to take pictures of our food, our drink, our friends... We should just enjoy the company. Let's try that out for a while.

I do hope you get what I am trying to say in this blog, and I hope you are willing to share my thoughts with your friends and family around the world! By no means am I trying to make you abandon the loved ones we have grown to love, but we just have to try to make being human something more than a proverbial now a day rarity. I also stand by what I said... If I didn't I wouldn't have put it in this blog. If you agree or disagree with what I said, cool! That's your opinion, but, it will NEVER change mines, and I do hope you respect that. Its been nearly a year since I have done one of these, and it feels DAMN good to be back. Thanks for reading, and I hope that this motivate one of you to break the current trend of being about ourselves, and actually start to care about our fellow human beings out there. And when we do, lets leave all the politics, and all the religion out of it. Let's just be friends with differences.  ALSO, by no means am I trying to make ANY company out to be the bad guy, I'm just naming products to show how small our worlds have become as individuals. Let's not allow another tragedy to realize how precious our lives are. Let't now allow our selfishness to get in the way of being semi decent humans, WORLD WIDE! We have to allow pebbles to be pebbles, and not turn them into boulders like we did with a certain chicken company, in comparison, that should not have mattered ever, ya know? Instead of feeding the hate, lets at least find a way to agree. All in all, we just need to find a way to slow life down, and allow ourselves to love someone new.