Questioning Relations, Jobs, the Past, and Fights

 

“What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head?

What are you talking about? You do what they say or they shoot you.

WRONG. You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty-six other things.”

-- Harvey Specter Suits

If you had to fight one guy who's holding a pistol to your head, who would it be?

The guy with Attention Deficit Disorder. 

Does marriage really make one responsible, or is it just a myth?

It helps cement responsibility, but, my God! One should have “responsibility” before even considering marriage and the partner should be even more concerned if they don’t. This is a “life” decision, not a road trip.

Why shouldn't you argue in the stairwell?

Someone might have the urge to push.

What are 10 reasons for dating?

Companionship, friendship, romance, fun. separating the wheat from the chaff, love, sex, sex, sex, and more sex. If there are more than seven reasons for dating, someone needs to learn how to edit. Personally, I want to have a bit of fun and companionship while I’m separating the wheat from the chaff.

What should I do for a part-time job?

Anything that doesn’t take you all day.

"Today's undergraduates have been tested every month of their lives, from kindergarten to high school. They are the measured inputs and outputs of a commercialized global higher education market worth $1.2 trillion a year - excluding the USA. Their free time is minimal: precarious part-time jobs are essential to their existence, so that they are a key part of the modern workforce."

-- Paul Mason

How can you predict the future with the past?

The past tends to repeat. With this in mind, looking at current trends that might have happened before, you can predict the outcome that might happen again. The stock market works like this most of the time.

Do we need stress in our lives?

No. Be happy always and in all things. Leave stress and drama with other people.

Is it wrong that if my girlfriend aborted my baby, I would break up with her?

It is wrong but, unfortunately, she has the freedom of choice when it comes to killing her unborn child. You and she should have been more careful.

What happens if you meet your past self?

Time travel.

What does it mean if strangers attack you for no reason, like high schoolers shouting how ugly you are, two women pushing you where the cars are so you can get hit, drunk men following you, and middle schoolers imitating you?  What is the point of it?

It means you live around people that are shit. There is no point to it, they’re just piles of smelly shit. I would be moving to where people treat people with a modicum of respect. Anywhere along the “Mississippi Gulf Coast” comes to mind. 

“If they don't like you for being yourself, be yourself even more.”

-- Taylor Swift

How do I connect the past with the future?

Commonalities. What happened before that is happening again? Are the same players involved? Does the possible current outcome line up with the outcome of the past?

Do you leave someone that hits you?

I would leave so fast the fingerprints at the crime scene would come with me. 

What are some ways you can bring a smile to someone's face?

Chocolate, roses, a puppy, a pratfall, oh, and walking into a meeting with your zipper down. Yeah, that put everyone in stitches when the boss asked if I forgot or was I trolling.

Is it possible to become comfortable with your partner?

If you’re not, why are they your partner? It strikes me as counterproductive.

What should you never do or say in an argument?

Never say anything derogatory about the other person. It is a sure way of letting everyone there know that you have just lost the argument. Control your voice and you control the conversation.

“Language matters because whoever controls the words controls the conversation, because whoever controls the conversation controls its outcome, because whoever frames the debate has already won it because telling the truth has become harder and harder to achieve in an America drowning in Orwellian Newspeak.”

-- Erica Jong

I am 30 years old, but I don't have a source of income. What should I do?

Get a job.

Why would someone you broke up with for cheating want revenge on you?

Psycho, by the way, is another good reason for the breakup. 

What, if anything, is unforgivable to you?

Lying about you to the authorities. Lying about you to anyone, but especially the authorities.

My ex-wife told the county sheriff I threatened to kill her, which I didn’t. I did a night in lockup for something I didn’t do. I forgave her, several years later, and accepted the apology I knew she was never going to give me. What she did was an unforgivable act, but my hatred of her was eating me alive. I “forgave” her so I could have happiness again.

Reader's comment: I'm sorry, that's so awful

My reply: Thanks, but it was 21 years ago, and I am so over her. But, I do appreciate your thoughtfulness.

What is the most tragic moment ever caught on film?

The fall of the Twin Towers in New York.

What kind of person would tell another person to commit suicide?

Someone with a serious mental issue and tremendous lack of good sense.

“It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.”

-- Emil Cioran

Why do we live in a world full of dickheads?

Who is “we”? I just ask because the world may not be full of them. There’s already you and me against the world. There just might be more.

If you were in an animated movie, who would you want to meet?

Jessica Rabbit, or Holli Would.

Is sex on the beach that great?

The peach schnapps is a bit much for a guy that likes straight bourbon. Or, were you asking about sand in nether regions?

How do you prove you love someone in words?

You really can’t. You can tell them, heartfelt, that you love them, but then you have to show them that you mean it. People say much, but actions, as the saying goes, are stronger than words.

What are your short rules for a better life?

Make the conscious choice to be truly happy always and in everything you do. Make this “Rule Number One” and all the other rules you think you’ll need will be grateful for it.

"When you lose, don't lose the lesson."

-- Dalai Lama

 

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 volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com