Questioning Passion, Balance, Love, Debate, and Temptation

 

"The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scotts as a joke, but the Scotts haven't seen the joke yet."

-- Oliver Herford

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Question for my readers:  Who did the Irish get the bagpipes from?  No cheating!  I'll tell you at the end. 

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What does the UK do that you admire?

Bagpipes!

Should you end the relationship if there is no future? What if it's too late to let go?

If there is still love, there is still a future. If it is a loveless relationship, better to find true happiness before it’s too late. I spent 25 years trying to make my ex love me. I was an idiot. If there is no love you can’t force it. Let them go and get on with happiness.

What was a past passion that you can't believe you were so passionate about?

My ex-wife.

Why do I lose a sense of joy, pleasure, and fulfillment after I felt I’m fully healed from emotional trauma?

You’re obviously not as fully healed as you thought. Sounds to me like you still have some issues to work through. Personally, for me, what's done is done. Instead of worrying over the “why” of it, let it go and make the choice to be happy always and in all things. Keep drama out of your life and let happiness reign. I found that true happiness can defeat just about any amount of emotional trauma, even thoughts of suicide. You have life left, maybe you should be living it.

What wild encounter caught you off guard?

An affair with a married woman, when she began it.

“Wildlife management? Wildlife only needs managing because we can't manage ourselves properly in relation to our environment.”

-- Michael Corthell

With the pace at which numerous events are vying for your attention (in this day and age), are you willing to sacrifice depth for scope in life?

As I approach 70 years in this life, I no longer concern myself with such things. I have had depth and I’ve had scope, and I’ve learned that a good balance of the two works pretty good when you’re striving for true happiness always and in all things. And, speaking of all things, there must always be a good balance in the universe. It is the nature of things.

How would you like to spend your next vacation with your partner?

Spain. She speaks the language, so it’ll be more fun.

My boss's wife told me in front of her husband that she is in love with me and requested that I should have sex with her. I respect married women. What should I do?

Oh, hell no. You can’t ask this question and not tell us what the husband's reaction was. I’m on pins and needles wanting to find out.

I’m turning 20 in a few weeks and I really want to make a change in my life, in every aspect. Do you have any advice for me because I want to change my life for the better?

Make the conscious choice to strive for true happiness always and in all things regardless of your circumstances. If you make this choice and work to stand by it, you make this sustainable happiness that will never leave you.

What makes you happy?

As a grandfather, small children ay play together. They don’t judge, they play. It tickles me. We can learn much if we remember our childhood.

“When you really realize how you have lived your life, you indeed realize how you must live your life. It is mostly they that have the least time to ponder always, who always find time to wonder.”

-- Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

What is something a person can do to make you stop loving them?

Lying, cheating, and stealing, would make me disappointed in them. If I’ve given my love to someone it is almost inconceivable for me to ever stop loving them. I know this because my ex-wife tried her damnedest and, when the dust settled from the nasty divorce when she took my life from me, I was “disappointed” in her, but I still had a love for her. She gave me two great kids, even though she wasted 25 years of my life. It is what it is.  Not loving them doesn’t make it better.

What were you most afraid of when you were younger?

Getting beat up.

Are data-driven decisions superior to gut instinct?

The data say that if we eliminate most of the people on the planet, there will be enough food to end famine. My “gut instinct” says not to do it. I’m almost certain Hitler had massive data and ignored his Gut instinct concerning opinion about world domination and genocide. 

What are reasonable expectations for children?

Security, education, and happiness. This “expectation” seems to elude most parents. 

What if I repented of my sins but did not make restitution? Will God forgive me?

God notwithstanding, honestly, would you forgive yourself? When you think about it, "restitution" goes a long way to prove your “heartfelt” repentance isn’t just so much bullshit. 

“Accomplishments don’t erase shame, hatred, cruelty, silence, ignorance, discrimination, low self-esteem, or immorality. It covers it up, with a creative version of pride and ego. Only restitution, forgiving yourself and others, compassion, repentance, and living with dignity will ever erase the past.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

What life should mean to you?

True, sustainable, happiness. I should be striving to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstance.

Are conversations taken for granted?

If you look at the definition, it means “to assume (something) as true, real, unquestionable, or to be expected, to value (something or someone) too lightly” or “to fail to properly notice or appreciate (someone or something that should be valued).”

If I’m in a conversation, I fully expect the other people to be attentive and involved. If you’re in a conversation and simply have an expectation of how it will go, you’ll probably miss salient points and ask me to repeat myself. Rude, if you aren’t paying attention. I’ve been known to get up and vacate the area if people are taking things for granted, especially if it is their conversation. This is like asking for an opinion and then not listening to it.

Why is it terrifying to express love for the first time to another person?

Numero uno on my list… is the fear of rejection. And, if they're a “first-timer” at it, that fear will be palpable.

How is it okay to make mistakes if you can't afford to make them?

Everyone fails and makes mistakes. These are the pitfalls of being human, therefore it is okay to fail. It is okay to fail and make mistakes because these are simply opportunities for us to learn, and these are the best way we learn. Having said that, if you can’t “afford” to make mistakes, you will have to learn the first time so you can mitigate ever making the same mistake twice.

Are you able to debate both sides of an argument?

Yes, and since only one side can be right, it’s pretty easy to purposefully lose an argument. On the flip side, my humility will take a hit if I win.

“He who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of dispute.”

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

When do people stop doing business with a company?

When quality goes to hell in a handbasket, or the quality costs more than you can afford, or someone invents a better mousetrap for less money.

How can one really avoid temptation?

Stay away from anything fun or delicious. For me, this means women and ice cream are forbidden, and that ain’t gonna happen. Temptation is around us all the time, and the best thing you can do is try to be your best. Will you fail? Probably, but try not to enjoy it too much. Keep in mind that nothing good comes from temptation. Well, almost nothing.

If the temptation becomes an addiction, you are going to work hard to overcome it, and professional help may be required. I’m in current need of a workout coach since I haven’t really seen passed my belly button for a while.  They're going to tell me to lay off the ice cream, so... no workout coach. 

What's the most embarrassing thing you did?

I accidentally “mooned” the Dean of Students in high school. I was bearing it all, when I heard a familiar voice call my name. 

As an American, do you spend more of your time chasing dollars or material things?

Dollars. I like to ensure the wolves stay on their side of the gates. Too much debt is just asking for trouble. It isn’t what is in your wallet you have to worry about, it’s who is in your wallet. The more debt you have the more freedom you surrender. Everyone in your wallet is a master of your lack of destiny. As a slave, whatever destiny holds for you isn’t going to be pretty.

What should you do if you're not interested in your date?

Don’t make plans for a second date. It would be rude to leave in the middle of a date, so tough it out.

 

Answer for my readers:  Who did the Irish get the bagpipes from?  

The Romans!

"The evolutionary chain originated in Sumeria during the third millennium BC. From Sumeria, the double pipes traveled to Egypt, Phrygia, Lydia, and Phoenicia. Then, they came to Greece and Rome. Eventually, they made their way to the northernmost frontiers of the Roman Empire. A military staple, they were often sounded along the walls dividing Roman-occupied Britain from unconquered Caledonia." 

-- Ripley"s Believe It Or Not

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