Think Faster Than You Walk (Updated from 7/29/2014)

 

"You need to think faster than you walk if you ever expect to get where you think you are going. But, then..."

-- F.A. Villari

I think most kids you see downtown couldn't run if they saw anyone level a pistol and shoot toward them.  They have earbuds shoved so far into their ears as to have a direct connection to what little brain matter they seemingly possess; they probably wouldn't even hear the shot, much less feel it hit.  The crotch of their jeans is down around their knees and prohibits any long strides required. Especially when you're trying to run away without grabbing a handful of the waistband.  Try to run with one hand attached to your front button and the zipper.  Be sure to untie your tennis shoe laces... so you can step on them, and trip.  It's a fashion statement, remember?  Good luck. 

God forbid the kids accidentally knock off their sports cap that their subculture dictates the tags must remain hanging off of.  They look all the part of Minnie Pearl (my sincere apologies to Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, God rest her soul).  And, no, you can't wear the cap with a suit, especially in an office environment, and when you do wear it, the bill of that cap is supposed to have a curl to it, and you have to stop wearing it sideways when you reach the age of thirty.  You look stupid.  None of this is a fashion statement, it's more a non-fashion statement, but, then, isn't this the generation of, "I'm not expecting to get anywhere in life, so why try?"  

Some of our young people are without mature guidance, as they grow up. (Really?)  Without quality role models, they are taught by their "friends" that it's okay not to accept responsibility for their own shortcomings; not to think faster than they walk.  For them, society is to blame for them being a  generation of losers and dumbasses that don't have the fortitude, the drive, and the testicles, to even give personal responsibility half a chance.  Unfortunately, to some extent, this is true.  But, regardless, you can't constantly deny responsibility and call yourselves "men" or "women" in society.  Perhaps this is why some kids have chosen to be neither, or both, or a gender they aren't. 

Speaking as a man, men don't need to use guns to intimidate.  Real men don't leave their unborn babies or not take ownership of their children.  Real men take responsibility for the child and do right by it.  Real men don't sell drugs to kids, and real men don't feel a need to belong to a gang just to "fit in" and feel macho.  "Gang members" need to ask themselves, "What kind of a real man needs be belong to a gang to bolster their manhood... or lack thereof?"

Women are at risk of becoming the submissive punching bags attached to these "men."  I'd think any intelligent woman would have to ask herself, "What does hanging with this 'man' say about my taste in men?"  And, after the first four or five kids with still no prospects for wedding bells, I think they'd also be asking, "Why in God's name do I keep doing this to myself?  Why do I hate myself this much?"

Life is more than living "bullshit" until you get so old that you begin to look really stupid doing it. It gets to the point that everyone you know is laughing at you behind your back.  Have you ever seen the balding old guy who takes what little hair he has and puts it into a thin, gray ponytail?  He doesn't look young.  He isn't reliving the heady days of getting laid at Woodstock. We've all seen how silly this bullshit ponytail looks on a mature man and have made a side comment about him being lost in the sixties.  

Theirs is the tail end (no pun intended) of a circular life path that goes nowhere because they have refused to use their God-given brains to think before taking each step.  They began their journey by not thinking about where their life was going.  Probably, because they didn't really care, and now it's too late.  If you can't think faster than you can walk, how do you ever expect to get where you think you are going?  But, then, if you don't think at all... 

If the path is a circle, then it isn't a path. It's a track. And, if you can't learn to concentrate on the direction when you're putting one foot in front of the other, you will never be able to get off this circular that takes you right back to where you started.

I think, for most young people in inner cities, it would seem the kids are satisfied to be what their government wants them to be; forever on the government dole, with little or no prospect for a future, and with little or no self-respect, except that which the government allows them.  This is called "indoctrination," which has nothing to do with freedom of choice.  It is another unfortunate reality that this kind of "entitlement" mentality is becoming pervasive outside of these poor inner-city communities, as well.  Political parties use these people to great advantage.  Some people are okay with being used by others.

The next time you think about declaring that you're nobody's bitch, remember who you have chosen to belong to.  The next time you're being taught something that you don't agree with, say something.  The next time you grab that welfare check, remember that someone is buying your vote.  The next time you use those "food stamps" when you really don't need them, think about the definition of a whore and ask how much, or how little, cash you're accepting to be one.  And, if you're voting to allow this kind of philosophy to flourish, at least have the balls to accept responsibility for higher taxes, higher prices of energy, food, gas, medical costs, and the surge in crime, just to name a few of the non-benefits.  If someone convinced you that it's okay to facilitate this thinking, aren't you simply paying money for the right to be their whore?  Who does that?  Slavery never ended. Everyone is a slave in one way or another.

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill. Well, I suppose… we would have to discuss terms, of course.
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?
Churchill: Madam, we’ve established that. Now we are haggling about price.

This all sounds pretty harsh... and it should.  Life is all about choices; your choices, not society's, and certainly not the government's.  Do not fall for the political bullshit being spoon-fed to you. This bullshit that keeps you humpin' the leg of your "master" while you're convincing yourself that you're not.  There comes a point when it's time to stand up and admit a whore is a whore, and come to grips with just who your pimp really is.  Or, you can just say no.  No more!  There are plenty of people out there that will help you rise above it all, and if that fails, try faith. Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. The proof is all around us if we take the time to grow up and look.

All men fail.  Pope Francis even admits to his failings.  But all sin can be forgiven if you just trust in yourself.  Have some faith.  Don't let anyone convince you you're a loser and can't ever amount to more than you are.  Concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time, and choose a good direction, a good path.  When you begin to think about each step, you will, finally, be on a path leading to somewhere, and not just in the hopeless circle that others want to keep you on.

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 view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions 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.

I fervently 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 offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a 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 United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

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 a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He 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 personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

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