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Harnessing The Power of Love

As I’ve listened and talked to folks the past couple days regarding the Royal Wedding, I’ve come away with the perception that we are missing the mark on the great opportunity provided. These two people that wed disregarded race nd background. They found love nd they ran with it.

The public, especially large pockets of Black America, has been picking apart the Wedding nd chastising it for the reactions of the Royal Family nd some others in attendance to the Bishop’s Sermon. Pundits have said he missed an opportunity, some have said the Gospel Choir was out of place and many are questioning the Dutchesses Black card.

I for one have had enough, damn! The woman is beautiful, has pigmented skin and doesn’t have to validate herself to all the dark is better movement that exists. It makes me wonder if anyone heard the message being delivered by the Bishop. He talked about the healing power of love. He spoke of how God’s love is unique nd unifying. He talked about how we can heal a nation nd unite a people behind love.

He spoke about taking the fire and passions of life nd harnessing it to work for the good of the people. Tying it together he said if love is present with harnessed power it can’t be stopped. What was the point? Instead of using the fire to damage each other, learn to harness that power nd combine it with real love to make the world a better place

So come on man stop the fucking bickering. End the Black card games, dismiss the wrankles of the past. Tske history and learn from it. Take ur passion nd channel it into positive action. Love each other genuinely nd then we all can harness the power of love nd prevail.

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The American Royal Wedding

I told my friend who asked me the other day that I was not gone wake up at 4am ET to watch the Royal Wedding. True to myself I didn’t. Yet I did find myself watching the nd the replays and commentary from the wedding on CNN.

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the Dutchess of Essex had a Gospel Choir in attendance to serenade her and the Prince. She made such a beautiful bride. Her dress was georgous nd fitting of the occasion. They looked as happy as the ceremony was grandeous.

It was the comments of the panel assembled on CNN that stirred my mind nd thats what I’m diggin deeper into today. Leave it to my boy Don Lemon to provide wordly perspective on the most hyped wedding this year. He said it so well: At a time when the US is so divided nd the World is in chaos we have a wedding that brings hope of change because its inclusive nd focused on love.

The history of this moment is not lost on those looking beyond the fashion nd A List celebrities. An American marrying into the Royal Family. The greatest ally we have nd one of oldest Establishments in the world. And no less important that the woman marrying into this Dynastical family is a mixed race Black woman.

Let that sink in. The Royal Family has been known as an all White Privilege society. And while the Dutchess is only one we have already seen how she nd Prince Harry nd the young guard plan to operate. They are an inclusive bunch nd time will tell how much change comes to England.

During the analysis of the ceremony, the optics nd people there Don mentioned that this was change. A Black Bishop delivering lively remarks nd echoing King. A Gospel Choir delivering beautiful perfomances nd leaving that Chapel mesmorized. Things never seen at a royal wedding. One of the English pa elists said she felt the Gospel Chour, while they were quite amazing, was uncomfortable nd out of place for a Royal Wedding.

I think she is systematic of the problem in England. My question is why the fuck are they outta place. Cuz they Black. Cuz they sing music with passion nd flair? Cuz it foreign to all you Brit elite bitches? It sounds very prejudical and radically short sighted. This point was proven when about 30 minutes later when the panel was reflecting again. This same woman said the song choice, Stand By Me, was befitting for both as they’ve both had major struggles in their lives nd they found that one who will Stand by them.

It was in that moment when she reflected within nd she began to tear up thinking of the symbolism nd message of the song nd the choir singing it. And it was there she acquiesced nd said that maybe the song nd voices chosen to sing it were perfect.

Change doesn’t come over night nor does it come when we look subjectively thru what is to be an objective lens. America and the World knows inclusivity is the way nd Black is beautiful and always fits in whatever surrounding you place it in. Congratulations Prince and Dutchess party on!

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Tragedy Repeated

People must know that I’m very supportive of gun rights in this country. As a licensed gun owner I don’t want to see the Right to Bear Arms taken away. Having said that the shit needs to be changed.

In having the debate over gun control in the wake of another mass killing, this time in Sante Fe, Texas I’m reminded of the position many of our gutless Republican politicians took following Parkland nd Las Vegas. When the fuck will it be time to deal with the gun control conversation. How many teenagers need to get their hands on guns nd senselessly kill their classmates before we say enough. How many perverse grown men do we need mass murdering us before we say no more.

This is not a new conversation but damn it it’s a society changing one that must be had now. We can’t just continue to sit nd wait hoping the bull shit bandaids our leaders put in place hold over. They arent working nd the wound is about to gush.

I sat nd saw the Presidents words yesterday when he learned of the shooting nd honestly it pissed me the hell off. For all of his bluster about being the best President nd not being hostage to Party lines.. Which we kno is bullshit cuz he’s already hostage to Russia.. I did think for a moment after Parkland that Trump would “Do Something” but that was not to be.

As a former High School teacher I am hurt, sad, mad and disturbed that educators can’t teach without the fear of being killed in the classroom. I’m even more disgusted that the children of today can’t learn nd develop their skills for leading without fear of being killed in the classroom. What kinda soceity are we living in nd creating. There is a major link missing from our discourse that is damaging us, the Millennial Generation.

As we now exist in the technology age, gone are the days where kids go outside nd play. Where after doing school work you wanted to be out with your friends. Instead its all computer nd cell phone based. While social media has helped spark change nd exciting new movements, it has also created an age of isolationism nd social bullying that is dismantling the confidence nd minds of young people.

Truth is that guns have been around for ages nd we never had the issues like we do now. This ain’t no foreign terrorist shit either; this is home grown Americans. Young white people nd old white people mostly on these mass killings. Black men. Young nd old in their neighborhoods needlessly killing. We must address our culture nd our system. We must address the ease with which guns are obtained. It’s time to stop sleeping on the issue nd be the leaders that we profess to be. We are the only developed nation with gun control issues of this magnitude. Yet we claim to be the most sovern.

The answer isn’t to look tp Trump nd his allies. The answer is not going silent. Keeping the movement started by those Parkland kids alive. Don’t let this go dark. Keep the light shinning.

God Bless the people of Sante Fe nd those who lost loved ones nd those injured. We are all one people.

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A Perilous Nation

As I continue to sit and watch the scandalous bull shit of the nations 45th President, I continue to think how close are to pure and utter chaos? To some the answer might surprise you..

I believe that we are living in a time right now where all of our most sacred institutions are under assault. We are living in a time where Politicians are telling the bodies of Justice in this country how to prosecute. We have a corrupt Attorney General. We have a corrupt HUD Secretary. We have a Corrupt Secretary of Education.

Not to mention the most corrupt President and executive cabinet in history. We have a Congress that has effectively done zero to in the removal of this President or to adequately check his power. We have police brutality still at insane levels. Racism is alive nd well nd the law enforcement community isnt doing enough to deter it. The business community isn’t ballsy enough to eradicate it from their businesses.

We are a nation still begging for leaders to galvanize us around the issues of race and inequality. Waiting for people of this nation to say they’ve had enough of the bigotry nd stereotyping. It’s now that we desperately need leaders from all walks of life to come together and guide the people of this nation to a better place.

Sadly enough we look past the preamble of the Constitution nd run right to our political or ethnic motivations and its destroying us as a nation. Remember the first line: We the people. Think about it. It doesnt say we the Black or we the White, not we the Latino or we the Asian. Not we the Christian or we the Muslim. It says We the People.

Lets take back the narrative and remove the hate. Lets Remember that all of us are We The People. Stay strong stay independent stay open.

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A tribute to you

There is no greater experience in my mind than becoming a parent for the first time. To kno you have created a being that will be in your likeness. That will have your blood in its bubb veins. To see the first smile, hear the first cry, witness the first steps, hear the first words and the list goes on.

These are some of the early joys of watching a life u helped create learn the new world they exist within. To hear their little heart beat. To see the innocence in them. To hear the first time they say I love you daddy. What a special gift. To have a son for any man gay or straight is a prideful thing. To know your heir is here.

Now imagine being told you’re going to be a father and then four months later that gift is taken away. Then imagine being told the real reason why your son isn’t here.. Because the person carrying your child killed him. No notice given to you and the only explanation is its my body nd I do what I want.

Just because the relationship ends doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be an involved nd constantly present dad. Having a child is a want of mines. So to have been so close only to have it snatched away in devastating fashion has fucked with me since finding out nearly two weeks ago.

The pain is unexplainable. The hurt is paralyzing and the thoughts are debilitating. I never wanted to kno this feeling. To be on the doorstep of fatherhood only to have spite and jealousy take that away. It hurts so bad every day. It’s just one more thing that makes u question yourself. It puts u in a constant state of hurt yet the show must go on

So to you my unborn son, Jeremiah Solomon Reynolds. I wish u peace as u never got to take a breath on this Earth. Daddy loved u beyond any measure u will kno. The tears that fall don’t console my heart. My love for u is always there.

This is my tribute to u.

Drop a line nd lets talk about it

Leave a comment Posted on lifestyle, love, real talk, Uncategorized

A broken soul

Damn it Im back and it feels good. My absence from my release vice has been killing me. So much to write about. So many thoughts to lay down.

The hardest thing to do when ur reviving urself from a difficult relationship is to manage the emotions and pain you feel. People will constantly try to tell u to just move past it cuz you’ve survived it but bitch do u kno what the fuck I went through? Most likely not which means fuck u saying just push past it. Ive gotta heal and restart all over again.

See there is so much emotional damage that comes from a breakup. If you had any sort of trauma or extreme challenges there’s more damage done. It all adds up. The longer you were together the harder it is too. It makes u question yourself. You have doubt and all types of thoughts eating away at you. When you experience so of the extremes of a relationship you also lose track of yourself. You find yourself searching for answers and for who you are.

You lose friendships and distance yourself to protect you and those you care for from the madness and destruction. Not knowing that you’re really tearing yourself apart in the process. Yet you find the strength from God to continue on until you find the will nd power to walk away. But the damage is already done. You are destroyed and heart broken. You’re left to pick up the pieces of your heart nd soul to put it back together again.

That’s where the doubt and disbelief set in. It’s when the depression and hatred set in. It’s where you question your existence and purpose. Its where the dark cloud rests. Trying to find the desire to move on. The levels pain fluctuate and only you can stop it.

Ask yourself can you stand and rebuild yourself again?

Speak ur mind nd lets discuss

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The Power of Two

If you don’t like kinda sermon type blogs, then this one you might wanna skip. It’s not going to be the traditional sermon but it will sound like I’m preaching, and it might just be to you. Every once in a while something like this comes into my spirit and I feel the need to get it out. With that advanced notice, here we go.

I wanna take some time to explain why two is very powerful. Think about how many are in a marriage? What about a committed relationship?  It’s only two. Two people who learn how to come together, how to share their collective talents, how to bind their hearts as one. Two who learn how to command a room. Two who know how to be successful together. I can only imagine that for some, they don’t feel that you need two to be successful and that’s true, but how much stronger are you when you have that special one to hold on to?

When two come together and find that cohesion it can create things that weren’t thought to be possible. When two figure out how to find their commonality it’s like poetry. When two work together to get past the past hurts and pains, it’s better than any Psychologist or Therapist. When two learn how to love, my damn it’s stronger than just about anything. Two is one of the most powerful numbers in human nature, because two can create magic.

Again, let me go back to my opening statement, this blog ain’t for the person that wants to be alone, nor it is for the person who doesn’t want to settle down. Rather, this is for the hopeless romantic, this is for the broken-hearted who still has hope, this is for those lovers out there that are already working to on their two. This is for anyone who already knows what the Power of two is and can lend their testimony.

When you lay in the bed at night and you are cuddled together with your one and only, the two of you are creating chemistry, energy, and heat that feels second to none. When the two of you are working on plans for your future you see the light shining so brightly in the sky. When you two are making decisions as to how to facilitate things, it’s like creating art. See the ability to form two and make a beautiful union is extremely powerful.

When you feel down on yourself, the other picks you up. When you feel alone, the other reminds you that they’re there. When you think that you can’t do something or that you’re break ain’t coming, the other reminds you that your breakthrough is just around the other side of the corner. This ain’t to say that friends can’t help you or encourage you along the way, because they can, but that one that’s your rock their voice means just that  much more to you.

Lemme tell you this, if you’ve tried to develop a Power of two and it falters that doesn’t mean that you stop, because the energy that comes from that twosome is worth going hard after. If you trying to work on that Power of two and you encounter some hardships, don’t stop because it’s hard, just keep plowing ahead. The Power of two is just that special. The Power of two can make you feel like ten. There is not another feeling that can outlast it. If you think it ain’t real ask those folks who are happily married or been in long-term committed relationships.

 

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When the Rains Fall

Most people have a emotional connection to the weather. That is when it’s dreary and rainy their emotions tend to be either very bland because of the lack of sunshine or their highly volatile. It is truly an interesting phenomenon to see. Something that is truly an essential part of our survival can have such an impact on the human emotion. Rain is the substance that helps the plants and grass to grow. It allows for us to see the beautiful rainbow when the sun comes out.

Rain is the substance that, for many people, puts you to sleep with it hits calmly against your window pain. But, it can also jolt you awake when it pounds heavily like bubbling volcano. Reactions are different to Earth’s natural bath. Some love to hear the rain and enjoy being in it, while others can’t wait till it’s over so they can bask in the sunlight again.

I wonder how it’s possible for so many different reactions to come from the one singular substance. Water. Some like to stand outside and drink in the rain as it falls from the sky, others run and hide to avoid messing up that outfit they just put on. Kids like to jump in the puddles and play with little care, most adults try to bundle up so they avoid the cold that over exposure can bring. There are so many different reactions one can have to the rain, but the root seems to be pretty much the same.

Either you like rain and have fun playing, dancing, or even singing in the rain. Or, you just want it to be over, so you see the sun and feel a little bit warmer. I have always wondered what causes this difference in reactions. The sleeper when it rains versus the energizer bunny. And why it is that when you’re younger you tend to enjoy the watery puddles and rain soaked clothes, but once you become an adult, well being out for sustained periods in the rain is just a huge no-no.

Either way it’s all apart of the process. And as we all know, you gotta have some rain if you want anything to grow.

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Obama Second Class

For the first time in a while I’ve returned to give my comments on what’s going on in America as we inch closer to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. I’ve heard many around the various networks calling for America to now rally around this first time politician. We hear things like he’s going to need all the help he can get and ugly Presidential contests are part of the business. While both of these things may be true, there is another truth in this.. Obama wasn’t gettin this benefit of the doubt when he won in a landslide.

Where was the GOP calling for a unified America when Obama destroyed Senator John McCain? It didn’t exist. See the Republicans were already bunkered down trying to devise their strategy to limit Obama to one term, not help him be a successful President. Am I saying that they should have been holding hands and singing songs, No I’m not. But, there should have been an attempt to really work with this President and it wasn’t. The first chance Republicans could take at shutting him down they did and it continued for the next 8 years.

They complain that we aren’t further along in our recovery, that jobs aren’t more plentiful, well maybe that’s partly because Republicans refused to continue to work with Obama on initiatives that would have helped the country be even more successful. And the funny thing is despite the record growth of American jobs and the success of Wall Street it still wasn’t enough. Yes millions of Americans voted for the first Black President in American history, but you can best believe those elite, snobs on the Right who made their careers on Capitol Hill didn’t want to see him occupy the most Powerful post in the free world.

Fast forward to 2016 and now 2017 and all we here is we need to reconcile as a country for the good of the Nation. Really? I guess we couldn’t reconcile under Obama, but it’s appropriate under Trump. Man, we will miss President Obama for sure. He was the man that oversaw so much history in this country and as time passes from his Presidency we will realize that he truly was one of the great American Presidents.

 

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The Obama Effect

I know it’s been a while since I wrote about the outgoing President of the United States, but as we finally come to the end of this election cycle it’s time to help cement the legacy of President Barack Obama. Many are now saying, both privately and aloud, they wish that Obama could stick around just a little while longer.

Now, yes many on the Right are ready for him to go, because in their minds, this Black man has been in the White House far too long for them. They have despised the site of him and his family occupying that place. They have long waited to usher him out and put back in someone who looks, talks, acts and sounds like them. Well in less than 72 hours, we will back to that place. The only question is will it be a White woman or a White man?

I was watching a clip of Obama giving his speech and a protester who’s a Trump supporter came into the rally. The President’s reaction and response was amazing stuff and I only wish that the two candidates would have such grace, style and respect for the office that their running for. See instead of trying to usher the man out himself, or shame the gentleman, the President made the case for why the man should be given respect and stick around.

He reminded the audience that in America we have freedom of speech, he also told them that he appeared to be a Military Vet who has earned our respect, and finally he said that he was an elderly gentleman, which also calls for respect. Then he pivoted back to his speech and reminded folks that they were losing focus by engaging that man. Rather than engage him, he urged them to Vote! Amazing right, he still got his message across about America being distracted by insignificant things and losing focus of what issues each candidate stands for. He quickly told folks that if they don’t get their focus back America could be in trouble.

Imagine if Hillary could do that just once. Can you imagine how she could sway folks and get the public to possibly refocus the conversation on matters of importance. But, that’s part of that Obama mystique that we’re going to miss. He gives you so much of the calm, cool man. Respectful and always mindful of the characteristics of a person before just instigating disparaging remarks.

We may not agree with every decision he’s made. We may not think he did enough for one group or the other, but make no mistake President Obama is a figure that’s needed right now. He has tried to further the conversation nationally about Police brutality, inequality and the stigma in the Black community. He has talked about the opioid epidemic, the injustice in the American prison system, reversing the extreme prejudice from the War on Drugs. I can keep listing things that he’s done without support from a Congress that wants him gone.

These approaches to the office of President may seem simple, or automatic, but remember there is one candidate who wants to be a dictator and rule with an iron fist, the other, while no where near as authoritarian, is still slighted to the well connected. Obama showed us how to be a humble President, and that we certainly could use a lot more of in the current candidates.