Questioning Life?

“Two great questions exist in each day; 'what must I do excellently today?' for morning and 'what did I do wrong or right today?' for evening. When we fail to know the real reasons why we wake up each day and why we retire at night, we fail to know the real reasons why we live.”

-- Ernest Agyemang Yeboah, educa

Why do people think they have nothing to live for?

Because they don’t understand “why” they’re here. This is about them, and then, it isn’t. They are here to learn, to absorb, and to move on into the next life. They have everything to live for, taken in this context. People who think they have nothing to live for, need to put themselves in my father’s position after his last stroke.

He couldn’t speak to communicate. He wanted water that he couldn’t have because his throat would have let it drain into his lungs. He was a Sicilian who loved to cook and eat food, but he couldn’t ever eat again and had a feeding tube. He wanted to come home, but he couldn’t because he’d die. He died anyway, alone, in a cold convalescent hospital, being given “comfort care” because there was no hope.

Do you taste food? Do you drink a cold glass of water? Do you go outside to feel the sun on your face? People who think they have nothing to live for are so selfish it makes me sick. They have everything to live for, if they took precious time out of their misery to see it, to feel it, to taste it. But they just don’t want to understand why they have so much to live for. They are so selfish they would rather die than live. How sad is that?

Is it weird to not have a boyfriend in high school?

My son didn’t have a girlfriend in high school and most of college. As a father, I was a bit concerned. I asked him if he was gay, not that it would matter to me, I’d love him anyway. He explained to me that he was focused on his studies and would date when he was out of school and had a good job. He was, in fact, on the dean’s list all but the last year of college. And, he did get a good job, and he did date. If memory serves, he has been with the same girl since graduated. 

What is what if what is everything?

It is what it is, until it isn’t.

Reality is what it is, and what it ain't, it ain't.
Sometimes, what it is it ain't, and what it ain't, well... it is.
Other times it is nothing, and then it ain't nothing.
But, if it is nothing, it ain't, and if it ain't nothing, it is.
Acknowledging nothing gives nothing existence;
Therefore, whether it is or it ain't, it must be,
Because even nothing that ain't, already is.

-- Me

What are your predictions for the future of social media?

It will continue, unfortunately, under the auspices of the liberals. It will continue to indoctrinate the weak-minded of this society until eventually, we suffer the next civil war. At his point, mass media and “social” media will be defined as anarchist propaganda for the obvious reason that what they report cannot be backed up by facts, as is usual. The media will have to return to factual reporting and leave editorials to editors who will, actually, have to answer to the stockholders when the company loses money.

Can you think of a time when you used your intuition to analyze an outcome, only to be surprised to find that your explanation was completely incorrect? Did this surprise help you understand how intuition may sometimes lead us astray?

Military intelligence is all about using facts and intuition to analyze possible outcomes. You use the best information you have and make the best analysis you can. But, even with facts and intuition, the outcome always remains a crapshoot. You hope for the best and plan for the worst.

My 18th birthday is today. What is some life advice you can share?

STAY OUT OF DEBT! That’s pretty much it, except, maybe, making sure who you’re banging is clean. Just saying.

Are you a writer who doesn't write?

If you're a writer who doesn't write, you're not a writer.

“Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.”

-- William Faulkner (1897-1962), writer, author

Half of me went missing. Where do you think I went?

I assume you mean “mentally” missing because physically you’d be dead and not asking this. The half you’re missing is hiding somewhere in your mind. I usually do something stupid which then causes all of me to come back together just to critique and judge me. Depending on how deep you are, it could be well hidden.

What would be the impact of asking yourself each day, “who do I want to be today?”

If you followed through, you’d never be who you really are. No one would ever know the real you. How could you be trusted? Better we should be the best us we can be. Practicing good, humble, ethical conduct, and learning to be happy always with you we are.

Is there an institution, a tool, a place, or anything in that matter that can take your data and tell you what to do with your life?

They used to have “aptitude tests” that would give you some idea of what you have a natural ability for. I think the tests were more effective the older the person was, though. Giving the test in grade school was a waste as opposed to giving it in high school.

What forces or factors influence the ways you perceive others’ views about you?

Why would I care how others view me? I try to live an ethical life. I try to be happy always, helping others, and being a friend to many. If who I am isn’t good enough, I suppose the “others” should look to their own less than laudable characters that feel it is appropriate for them to judge my worth.

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”

-- Lao Tzu (c. 500 BC), philosopher, writer

Trump stated, "The Ten Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. are all run by Democrats." According to the FBI data, there are more crimes committed in Republican-run cities. Do you feel safer living in Democratic or Republican-run cities?

I’d like to see your referenced FBI data that refutes the “Ten Most Dangerous Cities” claim.  One wonders why more crimes are committed in Republican run cities, considering they will be arrested by fully funded police, go to trial, be convicted, and do time.  Democrat cities seem to be much more "criminal friendly."

Comment: The article I read said that murders are up across the board (about 25%) in other Democratic and Republican-run cities, but the top 10 most violent cities are Democrat-run. FBI warned that it shouldn't be politicized, but rather be an issue of concern of upward violent trends.

My response:  I feared the President might have misspoken. So happy to hear he has not.

What is a more polite way to say, "Thanks for nothing"?

“Well, thank you for nothing!” I’m not sure the message would get across any more politely. Try smiling while you say it in French.

What is the difference between half-empty and a half-full glass for the person watching both of them at a time?

They will notice that one is being filled while the other is being emptied. 

“The optimist sees the glass as half full, the pessimist as half empty. What I see is water that can save someone's life.”

-- Abhijit Naskar, neuroscientist, author

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. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, 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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.