Wearing the Red Dress

Real men wear pink!  Actually, real men can wear whatever the hell they want, and smoke a cigar while doing it, especially if it's for charity.  

If you've never been to New Orleans, especially the French Quarter, it is different than any other place on earth.  A close second, for me, would be the Las Vegas strip, but there is something so much different about the French Quarter... the people.  For the most part, everyone that comes to New Orleans wants to have a good time whether for charity or just for themselves.  Isn't that what life is all about?  Shouldn't it be?

Bourbon Street seems to be closed as often as it is opened, and this day was no exception.  By the time morning was in full swing there was already a red tide of people pouring down from Canal Street, and beer seemed to be the breakfast of choice.

I was told that every college in the surrounding area was represented and I would have to say they were probably well represented.  Partying didn't stop until just before breakfast the next morning when the collegiate groups poured themselves back down the street.  One can only hope none were driving.

But this wasn't just about the young.  This was also about feeling young, and taking a moment out of life to just be silly and enjoy life.  All ages, races, political parties, and economic status were represented here this day.  It wasn't about whom you were, it was about having fun, meeting new people, giving to charity, and just relaxing for a while.

Many Christians will say that the devil was afoot in the French Quarter.  When is evil not afoot somewhere?  If we worry about the evils of life we will never be able to enjoy the fun things in life.  Evil is here for a reason, to test us.  I think a person's unwillingness to show up for the test is a sign to God of your cowardice, and your lack of faith.

I watched a young street artist, tap dancing in the, already sweltering, heat of the morning.  He was doing this on a roasting hot iron cover set into the sidewalk.  He was sweating bullets.  He could have just begged for the money, as many on the street were doing, but he was working hard for a living.  While many dropped the odd dollar and change into his box, I left the balcony our group had rented and went downstairs to give the young trooper a bottle of water, and advise him to get out of the sun.  He drank it and crossed the street into the shade, for a short while, before returning to the iron lid he required for the sound of his dancing.  How many people passed the young boy without a care for his wellbeing, I have no idea, but their test was left wanting for the correct action when they did nothing but threw money as their answer.  

I'll be the first to say you can't be responsible for other people's happiness, and you shouldn't.  However, you can lead the horse to water, whether the horse drinks is entirely up to the horse.  Throwing money at the horse presupposes he knows what to do with the money, beside squander it.  This is the problem with the welfare state of our own society, but that is political and I will leave that to each of you to chew on.  Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach the man to fish...

By late afternoon it seemed God had won the day.  There were no altercations with the law, no fights, and only one ambulance responded to what we all thought was probably an alcohol or heat related event.  That isn't to say that evil was not in our midst.  I'm sure that prostitution, theft, rape, and the like, were all pretty well represented behind the scenes for those with lesser morals, lesser faith, or no faith at all.

With God's grace I will return next year to wear the red dress again; to exercise my manhood and flex my fashion sense.  One thing's for sure, however... next year the men will all be in attendance again, only this time it will be all about accessorizing, accessorizing, accessorizing!

I hope you all have a blessed week!

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."