Don’t Simply Blow Away

There comes a time when you must find your purpose. Not the one that is written in any text. Not the one that is counted by pieces of fiber and cotton. A real purpose-we cannot simply exist to follow the footprints in the sand and watch the waves wash them away.

 Our will is that of survival. But in order to survive one must create something that is worthy of that task. Steel crumbles over time. Wood burns to ashes and blows away. But words can lasts forever. Passed down orally, transformed digitally and shared forever.

Finding a cure for a disease will save lives, kindness spreads and knowledge enlightens all those that seek it. As we live in a world that is self- centered- artificial prophets arise for profits. Individuals are indoctrinated and baptized into toxic waters that drown all hopes of love and forgiveness.

Seek a life that is worthy. Not one that is full of judgment and demands the persecuting of others. Try to create something that will remain in this realm forever. Like flying in an X-Wing fighter and destroying the Death Star.

Imagine the possibilities not just success. Success is often only celebrated for a moment. A moment that is quickly covered by another moment- someone else has to shine below the lights, and have their run around the track. 

 Possibilities are endless. The world is in our hands. Our pockets- But who's world are you in?  Is it theirs? Or is it yours? I share mine. So share yours. Your possibilities are endless- mine have just begun. 

Cosmic Bumper Bowl

Don't you wish life was like cosmic bumper bowl? The stars would magically align themselves, and with some uncertainty the pins of destiny would fall. Both hands slightly and gently guided down the lane. Techno soundtrack included. The pins fall and the lasers continue to swirl around the alley.

Destiny, dependent on motion and impact- of course, some other scientific explanation could offer insight. Spin the ball to the left for wealth.  A little over to the right for health.  A well placed ball directly down the lane and more than wealth will fall from the skies, fame and fortune. A strike.

But nope. It's not bumper bowl but rather a bowl of controversy and adversity- water included.
We often swim against the current. Swim away from meaning, away from satisfaction and toward gratification. 

Rented lane, rented shoes, and a borrowed ball. Order a large fries and add a few more particles of salt. Thirst quenched with a coke that needs more carbonation to really be enjoyed. Just staring at your rented shoes, wondering who wore them before you. Knowing the possibility of Lysol killing all 99.9% is acceptable, but that one germ is all that it takes. The germ of doubt. Protected on both sides, but yearning for a life jacket. 

Did we Forget?

Did we forget the reason we left? We left for freedom. The freedom for all, not just for some that believed there was only one way to live. Some have found a path that is right for them, but they should not believe that that path is the only way. There are many paths and many trails- many ways to reach the point of true happiness.

But instead of freedom we often stand for division, we stand for class, we stand to punish those that have made it, and deny those that want to escape the hell that freedom has turned into. The lives that have been lost are often turned into capitalistic holidays, while we all light up the night sky with fireworks and claim independence, in that same sentence we preach hate and discrimination.

It would seem as if this country’s flag is a cross. But it is not. It is a symbol of our independence. It is a symbol of the generations of slaves that built this land, the generations that have fought for this land, the generations that have yet to come and change this land.

Freedom should not be a set of laws based upon old beliefs that deny love, deny opportunity, and are dependent on castes, and classes, economics, and knowledge that separates one another. Man’s history on this planet is dark. We have killed in the name of our Gods, and our beliefs. We have killed for material; we have killed for simple pleasure of killing.

It comes time for us to understand something, a simple fact in America; we are not separate- but one. We are one people under one law that no longer believes in freedom for all, but rather freedom for those that believe that same ideas and rhetoric that has been forced fed over and over again.

Republican, Democrat, Socialism, race, sexuality, and economical status are all tools to destroy, divide and conquer. Divide the people allow for them to fight so that others can remain in power and control. Some of those that often follow religion do not know what they are following. Why? Because they have been taught not to question, but only accept.

Is this right? If society did not question slavery, bigotry, and opportunity, what type of world would we live in today? Because even those these issues, or problems, have been buried beneath the false flag of hope. We continue to judge what actions are correct, we continue to engage in gluttony and greed as our waistlines increase, and our debts become unbearable.

Even those that claim to live the righteous path are caught in the lies and deception of freedom in this country. We should not be bound by ancient stories that guide us to real darkness and control. Because our original creator is a loving and caring being that created a world that gave us life. That gave us a brain, a heart to love, an opportunity to experience, and then wither and return to the earth. But these religions, these political positions, were not created by God- but by man.

These stories to ethical and intelligent minds make no sense. Those that have learned to question authority, and to seek true peace, often find themselves pointing to contradictions in life that cast us further into the darkness. For I am not the original man, I am the second generation of man. I am enlightened by the world around me.  I see the harmony between the earth and the creatures that walk on all fours. I am one with the planet, the wind, and the sea.

When the sea dies, I die.  When the planet dies, I die.  When the sun dies, I die- we all die.  The human race dies. We are all interconnected. If you want to believe in God then believe in all of God.  Think of the blades of grass, the leaves of trees, and the animals that run free in the forest, because we are all God. And we are all beings of God. That chicken or shrimp on your plate is a part of God and not anything else. If you want to experience true enlightenment and true peace, you have to forget all the trash that was produced to control you.         

If you want freedom, then accept all freedom- not just freedom for the rich, the religious, or those that believe the same so-called truths that you agree with. Our freedom and relationship with God is one that offers all freedoms, and not freedom restricted or limited to those that believe they are superior or live life the right way. 

A Message to Fathers Raising Daughters

Raising a daughter is a task like no other. Fathers always hear that their little daughters will have them wrapped around their finger. You will do anything for them.

I am very lucky because I was able to watch my mother and father raise two girls. They raised their daughters to be strong and stand up for what they believed in. They made sure to never break their sprits. It is very important to make sure that a child’s spirit is never broken. Parents play a huge role in the mental developmental process of children.

As a stay at home father I have spent long periods of time with my children alone and have had to deal with all types of situations. When I was left alone with my daughter for the first time, I was in shock. I spent 14 months alone with my son, but all of the sudden I was afraid to change a diaper. I didn’t want to do it, but there was no way that I was going to allow her to walk around the house with a saggy diaper. After overcoming my fear of the little girl zone there emerged several new obstacles that were different from raising a son. These are my tips based on what I have learned so far:

1) Treat your children fairly

My son was rather easy and very calm. My daughter was always very excited and full of energy. She was always trying to keep up with her brother. Since she is younger than her brother she is always in a competitive mode. No matter what the situation is even to this day my daughter is always trying to get praise and beat out her brother in any situation. After hearing all of the comments of how she was going to control my feelings and that I was going to treat her differently then her brother, I made a conscious decision to make sure that I raised them fair and treated them the same way.

2) Give them the attention they need

Children need a father’s attention, but especially daughters. As fathers, our job is to raise children that are productive and can offer something to society. As a father raising a daughter I have taken the approach to show my daughter what it is like to be around a man that treats women with respect. I hope that this will show her how she should be treated by any other man that may enter her life.

3) Treat your wife with respect

This may sound rather simple but this approach is very important. I make sure that I treat my wife with respect in front of both my son and daughter so that my son knows how important it is to respect woman, this also demonstrates to my daughter how a man should treat her in the future. Our current society is still disrespectful to women. It is shown in our movies, music, advertisements, and many other aspects of our society. It is important to offer our children, especially daughters, positive images of women in society.

4) Find role models

My daughter is lucky that she has the opportunity to see such a positive woman like her mother in her life. My wife is a breadwinner, a scholar, a nurse, and to most a feminist. All of these traits have helped my daughter develop into a strong little girl due to roles being reversed in a household. But it is also important for the negative images of women to be counteracted by positive images of women. For example most men enjoy watching sports, if your daughter is in the room and the opportunity is available let your daughter watch women playing sports. My daughter enjoys watching women playing soccer with me. The first time she watched women playing she was happy and sat down on the couch and watched the whole game. This was one of the best moments that I have experienced this summer with my daughter.

5) Teach your daughter to respect herself

Do not force her to become a sex object by letting her run around town in her two-piece bikini, and cover her face in make-up in the early stages of her life. This only helps promote the sex image that the media is dependent on. Fathers, we are raising the women of the future and it is important that they have the tools necessary to find men that will respect them and love them.

So in short fathers- treat your daughter like she is the love of your life. Cherish her and allow her to be who she is. If we love them like they should be loved then we can help them grow into the strong women we know they can be.