America, Life, Motivation

Dream

 

 

Dream

Last Night I had a Beautiful Dream, that was something refreshing for me. Usually my Subliminal ventures are Nightmares. In this Dream a Storm had just passed, in my Post Over Tampa, I told you how I slept through the first and only Hurricane that I had been through. In this Dream the Wind picked up all the Sand from the Beach and blanketed everything. The sheeting Rain followed, washing everything to a pristine cleaning. The Toxic Air was now gone, People could  Breath again, not Suffocated by a Hateful Mask.

Now a gentle Breeze rustled through the Leaves, they were singing, an Island Tune ran through my Head ” Don’t worry be happy, every little thing gonna be alright”. All the People who had took Shelter indoors were back outdoors enjoying the exhilarating feelings of togetherness. We were back on the Subway up in each other Face chasing the American Dream. The miserable congested Commute was back, who cares, that steady Paycheck was back. I was sitting at a Table in my Favorite Waterfront Cafe knocking Glass with a perfect stranger, who didn’t seem so strange. People were in the Streets like one Humongous Block Party. Not Protesting and Burning, but Embracing each other like seeing a friend they thought were Dead.

The Party was Kicking, Patti LaBelle was there singing ” You are my Friend, my Heart cried. The Beetles smashed the Animosity with ” Come together”, Jethro Thul’s ” Life is a long Song eradicated the Anxiety. The little wannabe Writer in my Head re- wrote Pat Benitar Lyrics to ” What are we running for, what are we running from, when there is no place for us to run to. Stand up and fight the Enemy of Hate, we shall be Invincible, us Americans are Pragmatic and Resultant. Man this is what I call a Kick-Ass Dream, I could sleep forever. Then I woke up to find that the Wicked Storm of the Virus is still blowing strong, Isolation has Blanketed me With Depression, my Wallet is shrinking.

I have been Blessed to have a steady Income, but what of my Neighbors who are facing Foreclosures and Eviction. I go up and down the Block checking on my Older Neighbors who won’t even go out to shop.  My Immune System have kept me Strong, but can it withstand a second Wave, can the Economy survive a second Wave. Anticipation and Anxiety is wearing me thin. Drinking alone is no Fun, no one is there to tell me that I am silly, so I talk to myself saying what a Nightmare.

From my Blog Page

Broken

I’ts okay to be a Glowstick, sometimes we have to break before we Shine

Morning Affirmation

Today is a Day of  happiness and peace I am grounded and centered. I am grateful for my beautiful Life that is filled with many Blessings. I move through my day with conciousness, grace and Love

Courage

You can never cross the Ocean unles you have the courage to lose sight of the Shore

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there,

The best and most beautiful things in the World can not be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the Heart. (Helen Keller)

It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort, and when you bring that effort every single day that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs

You do not judge a great Fighter by how many fights won or lost, but by how many times he got knocked down and how many times he got up.

Parting Words from Toots.

Still is still moving to me

And I swim like a fish in the sea all the time

But if that’s what it takes to be free I don’t mind

Still is still moving to me

Still is still moving to me

And it’s hard to explain how I feel

It won’t go in words but I know that it’s real

I can be moving or I can be still

But still is still moving me

Still is still moving to me

And it’s hard to explain how I feel

It won’t go in words but I know that it’s real

I can be moving or I can be still

But still is still moving me

Still is still moving to me…

Source: LyricFind

America, Life, Motivation

Reaffirmation

 

 

Reaffirmation

The way that People live their miserable Existence and interact with others, is enough for one to drop out of Society and become a Hermit. Many years ago while living in Pennsylvania, being a Nature lover, I would Hike uncharted Trails deep into the Woods. One Trail I charted for myself was a one and a half Mile incline only fitting the travels of a Billy Goat. At the bottom of this Gorge was a pristine Lake made by Nature, top of the up-climb was a Plateau of five Acres. Many times I contemplated buying and Building a Log Cabin. I knew that I was only dreaming, because my Wife hated the Woods. Regardless that is one of my secret Places far away from Bellicose People.

Yesterday I read an Article that gave Creditable reasoning for my Log Cabin. Right here in Florida, a seventy nine years old man who had lived in the same Home for twenty five years. Came Home one Day to find a Cinder Block Abutment erected two feet onto his Driveway and the Adjacent Property. The new Neighbor is said to be some kind of Minister, did I mention Bellicose. He bought the House, did his Survey of the Property and discovered that his Neighbor’s Driveway was two feet onto his five Acres Property. Without discussing it with the Man who have been living there for twenty five years, The Rambunctious Idiot threw up a Wall his first day of Ownership. I have seen on Police Drama Shows where bad Blood among Neighbors got ugly to the point of Murder.

Thank God that this Wall didn’t get to that point. Nonetheless it created a lot of Stress for a seventy nine years old Man trying to live out his remaining years in peace. The way we Live with each other never amazed me of the Underbelly of Life. Last Night coming Home at Twelve A .M. Something happened to me that I had to say, thank you Lord. As I have said over and again, I don’t go through life Blindfolded. I see things beyond the average Human Capabilities, I recognize such things as Inexplicable Occurrences. Things that can be perceived as signs from God. Before I left the House I had to use my portable Generator/ Compressor to put twenty one pounds of Air in one of my Tires.

I should have repaired the Tire right then and there, I had everything I needed to do it myself and it’s something that I do profeciently. I didn’t I just pumped it up, My Wife nags me all the Time that Men do things differently, she is right, they live on the Edge. As a result I had to pull off the Road coming Home and put more Air in the damaged Tire. While pumping up the Tire a Man Drove past me then backed up and asked me if I was ok. In these Dangerous Times that we are living in, that is something remarkable. If I was truly in need of help he was there for me. Isn’t that what this thing called Life is all about, looking out for each other, willing to lend a helping Hand.

So I said to myself thank you Lord for showing me that all is not lost when it comes down to Humanity, cause I would have done the same. Not even knowing if the Person was on the Run from the Law and would have Jacked the working Vehicle. That is the sign that my Soul needed in these Turbulent times of Race-baiting that we need each other and how Fragile we are. As the Song goes I need a Jukebox Hero, and there he was, regardless of Race, Color or Ethnicity. Thank you Lord for showing me that I should keep the Faith in My fellow Man because we’re are all not like that. It could have been a Car full of young Thugs willing to bashed my Brains in for the Change in my Wallet, but it wasn’t, it was my Guardian Angel. Talking about signs, I passed him along the way, then he passed me just before he made his turn off the Main Drag. I glanced in his Car and Focused on him looking for his Halo, all I saw was the Face of Love. As the saying goes I walk not just by Sight, but by Faith also. The Beetles said it Fifty years ago ” Come together right now over me”. I could go on and on about the Subject but I think that I have said a mouthful, as the Man said ” Read my Lips”. Parting Words,  “Games Without Frontiers, War without Tears” . Here are the Lyrics from my Favorite Song by my Favorite Group.

By Through The Roots

Where are we going

Look where we’ve been

Ignoring the signs

Blinding our eyes

Where will it end

We can live in the light

Or hide in the darknes

We continue to fight

Though we didn’t start this

And it’s killing me

See this world that we share

Painted by artists

Placing strokes without care

Think it’ll be easy to find some peace in a world but we’re are all just fighting each other

But a perfect pitch has a perfect plan and it’s not just a crushing of color

Can you hear my voice as I’m crying out

This is the movement, so move with me now, now

I believe that if we come together

We can get higher, higher, higher

I believe that if we stand together

We will rise higher, higher, higher

I believe that life is a canvas its all part of something bigger

Constantly changing with the times an ever evolving figure

What will it take to walk hand in hand change with the times and understand

Make harmony what’s unity

Erase the meaning of a foreign land

Now it’s a world with no borders

Demanding a new world order

Imagine that we never had to read another story of a life cut short by a murder

It should be easy to find some peace in a world since we all share this place with each other

Its up to us to spread the love around

We’ve got to support one another

Can you hear my voice as I’m crying out

This is the movement, so move with me now, now

I believe that if we come together

We can get higher, higher, higher

I believe that if we stand together

We will rise higher, higher, higher

I believe that if we come together

We can get higher, higher, higher

I believe that if we stand together

We can rise higher, higher, higher

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Dwight Duncan / Troy Barrington Mclean / R. Mcleod / Carl Mcleod / Dwight Marvin Duncan / Carlton Oliver Mcleod / Raymond Mcleod / Raymond Vincent Mcleod

America, Life

Courage to be Different

Ever since I was fifteen I was always drawn to People with Convictions, people who was not afraid to be Different no matter the outcome Joe Medler is such a Person and has won my Respect. This Blog was written four years ago I dug it up going through the Directories of one of my old discarded Phones. I had lost contact with Joe but now I am one of his most Devoted Followers. To those of you who don’t like my Controversial Style, remember it takes Courage to Grow.

 

To Exercise Virtue

‘Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without it you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.’ -Maya Angelou

I’m thinking a lot about this quote and the idea it contains today.

Last night we elected a man to lead our country who I find to be dangerous. And I’m a white, middle class male. I can’t imagine the fear that my darker skinned brothers and sisters are feeling right now. I identify with them and I agree with them and I vote with them, but I am disciplined in acknowledging always that I am not in their shoes. I cannot have their perspective, even if I empathize with it. I am not the father of little girls nor am I a woman. I’m a native English speaking American and don’t have to fear being rounded up. I advocate for the disabled, both professionally and personally and I’m not them, watching a man openly mock an actual person with a disability, bullying him while doing his job from the podium with flags flying and crowds cheering and guffawing. I’m an advocate, but I’m protected.

I’m from the disaffected, largely white area of the country that would appear to have given the Presidency to Donald Trump. I know that the people that voted for him see something other than a dangerous, white supremacist, misogynistic monster. From my angle I’m afraid that that thing they saw allowed them to think they were supporting someone of virtue. Someone who would prioritize them without hurting others. I fear that they similarly can’t see what this feels like to fellow, hard working Americans with skin darker than theirs. Or the hard working immigrant families who’ve sacrificed whole lives, whole histories and all social standing to come to the place where hope lived only to find it lead by a man threatening to deport, insisting on building a wall and enthusiastically able to belittle and dismiss the sacrifice of families who’ve lost loved ones in defense of our highest ideals.

I don’t have any idea what I can do but stand up and try to find a sliver of light in the dark where I can try to send love through. It’s hard to listen when you are afraid. I am afraid. But it’s incredibly important to listen. I will try. I’m pretty sure I’ll fail a lot of the time, but i will keep trying.

What I do see is there is a lot of anger. There is a lot of fear. The air has been thick with it for years. My instincts in this moment are awful. I want to scream. I want to yell and lash out and blanket the land in judgment. It would feel good to do that. The fights that would ensue would make me feel like I was doing something. But I’d be working against the solutions we need. The fact is that this is a time that demands virtue. You can’t defeat the dark without light. You can’t address fear with fear. Anger will not go away with louder anger.

Patience. Love. Understanding. Compassion. Empathy.

These are the virtues we are lacking. There are real world problems that require real world answers. Yes. But if we can’t hear each other, if we can’t understand and empathize with the real fears than we can’t even begin the difficult conversations we need to have. We can’t ever learn to understand why something so confounding, how something so terrifying ever could have happened. I’m scared, I truly am. For me to overcome it’s going to take courage. It’s going to take courage to be patient. To listen. To try to reseed humanity, whatever tiny little portion of it I can effect with love.

There’s work to do. We must shine light into darkness. We must stay curious. We must seek out hate and counter it with love. We must find fear and meet it with empathy. We must meet anger head on and do whatever we can to show people compassion and love.

We must have courage and exercise our virtues. This is a time for our better angels to reveal themselves.

Author: joejmedler

Joe Medler lives in New Jersey with his wife, who is universally understood to be far too good for him, and his two young sons, who are far too smart for him. His work has been featured on MamaLode, The Original Bunker Punks and Sammiches and Psych Meds. You can find more of his work at https://developingdad.com/ and follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/developingdad

One thought on “To Exercise Virtue”

  1. The article is very riveting and revealing.
    I Blog about parenting and relationships, so it would be inappropriate to interject Racism. I do have a Blog written on the subject. I will forward it to you at a later date. However I do envision a lot of civil unrest down the road and pray they don’t escalate. With no mention of relevance I a Black.

    Liked by 1 person

Thanks for reading… I’d love to hear your thoughts

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Life, Parenting And Relationships

Mother And Son Reunion

Talking To my Mom

I guess I have Blown the Window of Opportunity  to say the things to you that I should have said in Life. Nevertheless just to let you know that it will never be the same  without you. I can go on with my Life , but I will forever be Grateful for the Life you gave. Remembering the many times you jumped into Action like a Super Woman to save the Life you gave, once thinking that you could run seven miles to the E.R. with a four year old on your Shoulder. Carrying me to the point of making my first Buck, being twelve and a sneak Thief, throwing small change at you, That was to let you know that there was nothing I wouldn’t do to shoulder your Discomfort.

When you Discovered me, you gave no Shame, only Counseling. These are just some of my Shortcomings that were never Discussed in Life. Just to let you know that I deeply Regret not Talking to you. Many People babble Words yet they don’t Talk, some Speak Eloquently yet say Nothing. There are People you can Talk to about anything, you are one of those. Living in the Bronx at Fourteen we had the Greatest Conversation we ever had. You found one Ounce of Weed in my Clothes and flushed it in the Toilet. While I searched the House frantically you kept asking me what was I looking for. The Composure and the Diplomacy you presented left a lasting Lesson for the rest of my Life.

You have my Respect for Life. You didn’t go off the Deep End and try to Crippled me like you did when  coming Home five A.M. Shit-faced at sixteen. Thanks for every Hit you gave me for Dragging myself up instead of Raising myself Up. I chose to be a Deviant, instead of Rising to your Expectations. How Deserving of me to have a strong Willed Woman for a Mother. One that would give sweet Love as well as Tuff Love. One who could defend herself if I ever got the Notion. For all the Love and Respect the only Hand of mine would only be a Comforting Touch. How come we can’t and won’t say the things that really matters to each other in Life . Now you are gone and you never Heard the Words of Tears. As a Result of you Teaching me how to Talk, with my Heart, from the Heart, I am able to Compose this Dialogue.

I consider myself Fortunate for Knowing you. I Remembered when J.F.K. and M.L.K Died you Cried. Fifty years later I now Discover what those Tears ment. You saw their Vision. You told me that they may never Accept me but they will Respect you for the Job you do. Those Words have kept Food in my Stomach two New Cars in the Yard good Health Insurance and many other Trimmings. You didn’t Preach, you Teached. How fortunate could I have been, to be Homeschooled as well as Public, as well as in Life. You are a Beacon in this Storm called Life. You Thought me that a Man can Prosper by the Sweat of his Brow and be Loved by giving it. I ask your Forgiveness for not doing what you wanted of me at sixteen, be a Scholar.

They say that when you are getting ready to Die you come Full Circle with Life. I hope I am not getting ready to make the the big move. Having this Bly ( To give one a chance or to ignore/overlook something) is as Full Circle as it gets for me, Talking to my Celestial Mom. Anyway Mom I am a Blogger, they need to know that one should connect with the one they Love in Life, not after they are gone. Like Richie Heaven said “Old Friends what a Time it was , I have some Photographs”. Pattie Labelle bring Tears with you are my Friend. Niel Young said ” Old Man take a look at your Life, I am a lot like you were”. You Thought me the Importance of Music and Poetry. I know that she is Reading this while I write. She was such a great Listener. You could Talk for a half Hour, she would listen not saying a word then walk away. Penny for your Thoughts, you couldn’t pay anything for her Silence. I envied her for being so Poised. Interacting with each other takes great Communication, not just Talking but Listening and Feeling. Do you Feel Me? Make good use of good things while you still got them. Shower them with Love and Understanding while you still got them. Forget about correctness, I am Talking, saying things that should have been said. Because when Life have Ceased, Words have no Weight. Regardless, I love you Mom.

Lyrics

You are my friend,

I never knew it till then

My friend, my friend

You hold my hand,

You might not say a word

But I see your tears when I show my pain

You’re my, my friend

I never knew it till then

My friend

I feel your love,

When you’re not near

It helps me make it knowing you care

The thought of you helps me carry on

When I feel all hope is gone

I see the world with brand new eyes

Your love has made me realize

My future looks bright to me,

Oh because you are my friend

You are my friend

I’ve been looking around and you were here all the time

I’ve been around and around and around and around

I’ve been looking around and you were here all the time

You know what I’ve been doing

I’ve been looking [Repeat: x7]

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Marty Paich / Glen Campbell / Traditional

You Are My Friend lyrics © Spirit Music Group, BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave

P.S I tell my Wife I love her so much she hears a Broken Record.

Life, Parenting And Relationships

The Monsters We Create

The Monsters we Create

One of my Readers once asked me , how do I get Centered to start writing. I told him that most of my Blogs are created in my Head as I go about the Business of Living. Situations I encountered, People I meet or just Daily Occurrences around me. For instance today one of Dr Phill’s Guest were a Teenager whose Mother was in Jail for Animal Cruelty. The Woman is said to be a good Mother who involved herself in School and Parent Teacher activities. One Day while punishing her fourteen years old Son for not doing his Homework among other things. She placed his Hamster in a Plastic Bag, gave him a Hammer and ordered her Son to Kill it. Now I ask you since when does Parenting comes to training your Children to kill. I have always held the Contention that Children who start out killing Lizards and small Animals graduated to People. So there you have the motivation for this Blog people creating Monsters in the way they Handle Children. The problems they create for Society by performing mindless acts of abuse on a Child. Not having the foresight to see down the Road around the Bend what a Traumatic experience can Manufacture. My first experience of Adults abusing Children came at the age of eight. We were going through a desperate Straight, deep in Poverty, Heads below the water. My Mother was one of the hardest Working Woman I have ever met.

She raised two Boys by herself after our no good Dad ran out on us. That was actually the first act of abuse, even tho too young to see. During that period Mother spent more time in the Hospital than Home. I was sent to live with Affluent Family Members whose Children were in College. My Father- in law thought that College made Fools of those without Common Sense. Here I was eight years old and just about starving. One Day I went to the Refrigerator and help myself to a Delicacy I didn’t have at Home, Milk. My Cousin the College Man observed me drinking the Milk. This Idiot took off his Belt, equivalent to a Barber’s Razor Strap, three inches wide. He beat me like a Jockey trying to get his Horse to the Wire, all the time calling me a Thief. At eight years old I considered Murder in Retaliation. In the County Government where I work as a Contractor, we have an eight years old awaiting Trial for the attempted Murder of his Sister. Also a nine years old awaiting Trial for Stabbing his Grandmother to Death. Take Head People, be careful of the Monsters you create. Siblings and Children in general are brutal punishers. Many times Parents cast a Blind Eye, or just think that its just Sibling rivalry. Many times the Tormentors have deep Rooted Hate and resentment for the Recipient of their Wrought. The following Blog is from My early Collection, I thought it was perfect for this Train of Thought and needed to be re- Blogged.

Favorite Son

Mothers are supposed to be our protectors, our Guardian Angels. Julie however did not see it that way. When she was young she fell in love with an older Man, suave and debonair, also well to do, but a Player nonetheless, she was totally overwhelmed by his charms. Women are so foolish when it comes to that type of thing, they are so easily played. If I was a woman and a Man turned on the charm on me like that, to the point where I was helpless and could not say no to his Casanova’s suave style. That would set off a red light in my Mind, that this Guy could charm a Hooker out of her hard earned money, and instead pay him for his services. Some Guys are just that good, most young Women have no defenses to a man like that. Julie was a sucker for his charms, she crumbled and had a child for him.

Did not take long for her to realize that she was taken for a ride and that this Man was a formidable Player, and that she wasn’t the first and by no means the last. Some Guys think that it is a form of conquest to have a whole lot of kids with different Women, sort of like a Sheikh and his Harem. Julie’s Heart was shattered, but the Child she had for him kept her Heart happy that she had something of his, that one day may bring him back. All this Child was to her was a Memorabilia of someone she would never have. She spoiled the Child rotten, never setting limitations or Boundaries. The Child grow wild and out of control, a ticking Time Bomb. Nine years went by Julie met another Man got married and had a child. Bad mistake, for nine years it was only the two of them, the Kid was quite satisfied with the way things were, no one else for her to share her affections with. The jealousy and resentment on his part was never masked, jealous of his new Brother and resentment of the Stepfather.

Big Brother was not up to sharing his Mother with some Half Brother, he rebelled, whined and snickered, always up in her arms where his infant Brother should be, in her Lap and in her Bed. For God’s sake what does it takes for someone to call the Child Psychologist. What is it? Am I the only one with a figurative Head on my Shoulder. Jealously was rampant in this little spoiled rotten Brat, after a while it finally hit him square in the face. Little Brother was here to stay, unless he took him out of the perfect Picture that once was, the relationship he once shared with his own personal Mom. I don’t remember when the Beatings started, I believe it was when the infant was one. This little Monster unleashed a campaign of Terror on his infant Brother. The Infant had Black Eyes, and highly visible Bruises representative of Abuse. The Baby always showed signs of fear for Big Brother, always cowering from sharp advances. Mother was as demented as son, all the time looking the other way, Daddy Chicken Shit fearing losing his beautifully Ugly new Wife refused to face the reality of what was transparent. They both neglected to put a stop to the Terror the Child was undergoing, at the hand of his Evil Step Brother. The Abuse continued for four more years before Eunuch Dad decided that Marriage or not, after cries and prompting from onlookers urged him to stand up and be a Father to his Child.

It was apparent that the Ignorant Woman chose to be Mother to only one Child, who was a constant reminder of her first Love. Without a doubt as evil as her Terroristic Son. the beating did not stop until the helpless Child ended up in the Hospital with Bowels obstruction and intestinal damage, where Big Brother had targeted his blows to avoid detection. As everyone knows that Psychopaths are clever in covering their Tracks. Am I the only one here that see a clear case of Child neglect, abuse and conspiracy, these People should be in Jail, one thing for certain, they will have to deal with their conscience and their God. Life is so ungiving, there are People out there that possess all the traits of good Parents and can’t have kids, and others that shouldn’t have a Pet, have all the Children they wanted.

My God what a Wicked World we live in, both Parents were aware of the Abuse and did nothing for four years until we threatened to expose them to the Child Welfare Department. How do these People live with themselves. Parenting does not sink to a lower level than that. This is why I can’t cast Judgement on the eight years old Child awaiting Trial in the Justice System where I work. No one knows his Situation for trying to Kill his Sister. Or the nine years old also awaiting Trial for killing his Grandmother. I would not be the Ideal Juror for either of these Cases, because I am Prejudicial to Abusers, being abused myself.