What Does It Matter?

This is a birthday blog for a very special lady, on a very special day. God graced us with a leader on this day. A leader that has ambition, compassion, and intelligence. A woman that I am proud of, and her name is Candace Tiana. 

Candace you remind me that the struggle for a woman's rights didn't end in the 60's. You remind me that Rosa Parks didn't sit or take a stand alone. So what difference does it make if I don't write this blog or vote? 

The difference is that if I don't exercise my rights, I may very well lose my rights. 

If Mrs. Parks hadn't taken her stand, it would have to be a Candace Tiana. Then Candace Tiana would have to be someone else, perhaps my baby girl in 2030 or there about? 

So thank you Candace for continuing to make a stand, I hope more women take a stand with you, and pursue their education, their passion, their rights!

With this I conclude, women (not just stemming from African ancestry either), do you want equal pay? Do you want equal rights? Do you want a voice? 

A group of men voted because enough of you women were heard! Do you think things would've changed if Harry Thomas Burn, Sr of the Tennessee General Assembly hadn't taken heed from his mother and braved the actions of others and voted in favor of a woman's right to vote? So yes, it does indeed matter!

If they had been silent the silence would have remained. 

Candace I applaud your work, your drive, and your inspiring ways. I love you Madame Senator! I hope to see you in office soon! 

Happy Birthday!

Lessons In Life

Image courtesy Richard Davenport and The Primitive Quartet

There were two men that made a huge impact on my life during my years in the music industry. They were/are Doyle Lawson and Norman Wilson. I read today, on Mr. Lawson's Facebook page, that Norman Wilson had passed away. 

These two men will always have a huge impact on my life for one simple reason, they were genuine in their compassion. When they asked you how you were doing, they were sincere. Mr. Lawson NEVER made one visit to our facility when he didn't stop by my office to check on me. Wait, I stand corrected, there was the one time that he was rushed and had to leave as quickly as he came in. He came in on the next visit shortly there after and apologized for being in such a rush an talked with me for a good bit. Doyle Lawson is more than a true professional, he is a true humanitarian that cares for people (especially those that are lost), he is a true Christian. When Doyle Lawson leaves a room, his spirit remains and bears witness to the Holy Spirit. His ethic, his drive, his will to make others around him better. I am forever inspired by Doyle Lawson. He taught me a great deal in a short time. The wonderful post that he shared today has taught me a great deal. 

Then there was Mr. Norman Wilson. Wow! He was an inspiration, not a member of the Southern Gospel group (it's ok to smile there), but a true inspiring soul. Mr. Norman stood with me outside one day, prayed with me, and I prayed for him. Mr. Norman prayed for me. He came to my office, and he and Mr. Reagan Riddle (another Primitive member), sat in the break room and had coffee as they shared with me. Mr. Norman took me outside one day. The sun was bright, the air a bit cool, and Mr. Norman had another cup of hot coffee in hand. He looked at me, and said something close to this: 

I know good people, and I know good intentions. That's what makes a true Christian. 

Then the man that looked YEARS younger than he actually was, and had a man's man of a hand shake looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said; 

You're a good one, and I know God has big plans for you. Your intentions are genuine. I know your prayer was earnest. 

Mr. Norman Wilson taught me a new lesson in humility, a lesson in good and true intentions. I began to tear as well when he opened up to me and I apologized. 

He said, I see the real you, don't apologize for that. Then he asked me what made us as Chrisrians. "Why do we do what we do? Why do we put our entire paycheck in the collection plate? Is it to impress another individual or our church, or do we do it for the betterment of the Kingdom, do we do it for Gods' glory? What are our intentions." 

God please show Mr. Norman my intentions now in this article. Show him that I was listening to You, through him. 

I will miss a great Christian man and his family is most definitely in my prayers. The Primitive Quartet comsists of not only great musicians, but great families. My heart goes out to the Primitive family and the Wilson family. God bless you all.  

"Travis what separates us from others is our intentions!" Norman Wilson

Pretending

Big purple dinosaurs influence some of us to use too much imagination and not enough reality. We pretend to be a friend, but then we don't have time for our friends. We pretend to care about people, but are so carefree that we become careless enough to become uncaring and rude. Some people will go as far as to lie to one another and pretend not to be interested in another's caring or compassion then they observe the other individual (stalk) them for the sole purpose of the self-indulgence in ego tripping. Yes ego trippin'! They watch you just to see if they're hurting you, or if they're getting to you. What's good is that the purple dinosaur can't trump a purple clad spirit. Don't pretend to care, no instead prove that you do care. The imperfect Christian's spirit is in tune with a greater spirit. That spirit is the Holy Spirit. 

In the first pic, that's an image of a great friend (a brother of mine), and myself. In the second pic, it's actually the two of us, not a reflection, or refraction. We don't have to pretend that we are there for one another. We are actually there for one another. 

When I say I don't need Facebook to appreciate this brother, I'm sincere in that. I don't have to follow him on Twitter or lie to him about losing my password (both of us knowing I can retrieve it in my email), to keep from helping him out by following him and trying to be stealth and stalk him without his knowledge of it. 

Do we agree to disagree? Sure, but we don't pretend to be something we aren't. We're friends for life and we have taken and take time to grow as friends. That's what good friends do. That's how good relations are conducted. Whether it be public, private, or otherwise, that's how rational people conduct themselves. When I was a child I spake as a child (I cursed without caring, I talked without thinking, I talked vulgar and partook in like events), I understood as a child (my understanding was that as long as it was good for me, that's all that mattered), I thought as a child (I thought it was ok to rush into things, that it was ok to say one thing, then do another), but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (Sometimes the childish things will put themselves away, let them be done, let them stay lying, and if you have to put them away yourself, then put them away and do not look back. Do not look back just rejoice and be glad that you're not the one having to figure out how it was that you missed and allowed things to go so wrong, that it had to be put away in the first place.
I Corinthians 13:11

Pretending leaves you in a fantasy, not a fantastic voyage. Happy sailing realist. Happy drifting without a sail pretender.

In the News

What do I love most about working with the public? That's right... The PEOPLE. 

A more mature gentleman approached me while I was working and asked me if I had heard the latest news. I told him that I had not. Therefore, he began to tell me about the breaking news: 

"An 85 year old man in Avery County was arrested for trying to rape a young woman this morning," he said. 

I replied with, "Wow!"

Then the gentleman closer to 80, (by a few years) than myself said, "They caught him before he could do anything."

Relieved I said, "Well that's good."

He concluded his news briefing to me saying, "Yeah, fortunately they caught him, and charged him... assault with a dead weapon!"

I laughed out loud and scared a more mature woman standing nearby. This joke was by far better than the joke that ended our last conversation with the question, "That wasn't so funny was it?"

Again I wonder what things will come out of my mouth if I am blessed with golden years. 

What I Am, Is What I Am

If you're a quitter, you breed quitting or shame. 

If you are a hypocrite, you breed hypocrisy. 

If you are a perfectionist, you breed (oft times), intolerance and displeasure. 

We complain or we ignore. That is to breed complexity, and ignorance. 

We try to be the best friend or the tyrant. That is to breed failure and cowardice. 

Things become difficult and we allow life to do what it will of us, rather than doing with life what we will. The strong parent gets up, knocks the dust off and teaches perseverance. 

"Smoking is bad for you, I don't smoke." "Going to church is important." 

"Don't you dare use that kind of language with me!" 

"You need to take your time!"

How many parents have you heard use these phrases, or better yet have you said these words?

You don't take a promotion because you're afraid of responsibility. The boss makes you mad. Your spouse makes you mad. What do you do? You resign, or remove yourself from your duties. It's a cop out. A cop out that is instilled, bestowed, thrust upon even the youngest of your children. Why? Because they are products of their environment. 

You don't go to church with your family, but harp at how God should be first in everyone's life. You tell everyone drinking is a sin, but you drink like a fish. Yes, I am preaching at self. 

I personally can't stand cigars or cigarettes, and I seldom ever drink and when I do it's not Dos Equis. I'm not the most interesting man in the world or the perfect parent, I am the imperfect Christian that your mother warned you about. 

I am the hypocrite that needed prayer and still does. I'm the parent that tried to learn from other parents and not just my own. I am the parent that tries to learn from the good and the bad in order to make good for all of my children on all occasions. I am the parent that is trying to lead as I am rather than the opposed and lead as I am not but say that I am. Pray for me reader as I pray for you, "Lord let me be more like you!" Amen. 

2 B U10 Again...

The lessons learned.

Humility: 

When a beautiful little girl brings you a box of pudding crackers (Nilla wafers), because her mother is a great coach and has a compassionate spirit that believes in bettering her players lives. It's amazing as to what a box of Nilla wafers and a box I doughnuts will do for you. Thanks coach Meredith. 

When a great coach tells you he'll assist you in coaching a team when he's as capable if not more so in leading the team to victory. Coach Ramos, you sir are the man!

Honor:

When your parents tell you they're grateful for your taking time for their kids, and you're thinking, I'm grateful you trust me daily to mentally, physically, and spiritually push your child(ren) to be better people and good little soccer players. Thank you Knockout parents. 

I love this game, and I love my players even more! 

They Didn't Stand A Chance V

Blogwizer (BW) speaks with the families in this blog. Married couples (MC), as well as single mothers (SM), single fathers (SF), even the children (CH), and here's what they all have to say:

BW: What does it feel like not having your mom or dad around everyday?

CH: It's hard because the other kids ask about what your dad does, and you say, you don't know, because you don't. 

BW: So then you don't know what he does for work, or for fun, none if that right?

CH: Yep. 

BW: Do the other kids pick on you at school because your father is away from home?

CH: He's not away, he don't live with us. They don't say nothin' it was just sad for me when all the other kids said their dad's (were) with them and what they did, and I couldn't say nothin'.

BW: What do you think you would like most about having both parents at home?

CH: Someone to teach me things.

BW: Like what?

CH: How to understand better. 

BW: Understand better? What things?

CH: Football and mama. 

BW: It's very important to understand those things. How could your father help you understand your mother and football better? 

CH: (He could) Tell me why she cries sometimes and don't (doesn't) talk to me (during the crying). [Fighting back tears at this point, wishing a hug could cure the pain!]

BW: Does your mom ever say why she's crying, or say that it's your dad that makes her cry?

CH: I just know she works a lot and talks about the rent, and cooking. We don't have as much money. She don't talk about him at all. 

BW: How do you feel about your father? Do you think he is good or bad? 

CH: I don't know. I don't really know him. He's never around. 

BW: Does he send you letters, or call when he's not around?

CH: Nope. 

BW: Does he send you things for your birthday or holidays like Christmas?

CH: No. 

BW: How does that make you feel?

CH: I would like to have him teach me football. I don't need nothin' else. I do good in school, I ain't in no trouble, I (would) just like to have him to talk to. Sometimes, though, I like it with just me and mama. 

BW: You really like football, that's good. If you're glad your father is not there at times can't your mother practice with you? 

CH: I looove football! I'm gonna break Peyton Mannings records! Mama's ok, she don't watch me play, and don't practice with me. She's a girl, so I understand that part. I just wish my dad was here to teach me stuff like changing plays and how to get faster and stronger. Mama always cooks or says she's tired from working. My dad could practice with me when she cooked. But with him gone, I ain't got nobody to boss me around. 

BW: It's tough missing your dad, I wish that I could've talked with my dad before he died. I'm here if you ever need to talk hoss. I love ya. 

CH: I don't miss him, I just wish he was here, but I'm glad he's not sometimes. I love you too. How did your daddy die, was he old?

BW: He was sick and about my age. I didn't know how to miss him either. My mother never spoke much about my dad either. So perhaps we can help each other and help others like ourselves (you and me), in the future?

CH: You help me when you talk to me. You're like a big brother. You're nice. You're a good dad (referring to me and my children I believe).

BW: [Big lump in my throat, fighting with everything in me not to cry] Thanks hoss, you are a great young man, and hopefully you'll be an awesome dad one day too. Take care of your mama, and let me know if I can help. 

CH: Great, I need help with passing. Maybe you can come over and be Eric Decker one day? 

After much debate on why I would never play for the Broncos we agreed to be there for each other. 

His mother never bad mouths his dad, and for that I was grateful. No one wants anyone to remind them that a portion of them is faulty or worthless, especially a child. I'm a morale booster, not a morale buster. Regardless of whether or not he's present, he's still that boys father and that kid deserves better than to grow up thinking he's damaged because of a broken or damaged dad! Think (both parents) before you lash out. It's not just about you, you need to be mature enough to see how it affects your child. 

Peace to all, and I'm out.