Of this, that and the hoidays

May I take the opportunity to wish for Christians a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah for those of the Jewish faith and also Happy Kwanzaa for those  African Americans who are celebrating their African Heritage and traditional values.

It is easy to assume that our religious beliefs makes us superior and this is reason enough to look down on the religious beliefs and traditions of other people. On the other hand it is obvious that there are many persons who does not observe the religious festivals that take place at this time of the year and so they classify the celebrants as being illiterate and ignorant.

The month of December is fascinating because the Jewish and Christian celebrations that take place in this month are determined by some people to be based on fairy tales and legends. It remain fascinating that the very stories that are being denied, these deniers cannot prove to be not true.

I only recently heard about Kwanzaa and I am not in a position to say anything about the desire by African Americans to celebrate their African heritage and traditional values. I am sure, however, that the heritage and traditional values of ancient Africa have been diluted because the traditions that existed in Africa 500 years ago have certainly been subjected to changes and modifications. Technology and modernization will have rendered many ancient traditions of Africa obsolete.

At the same time keeping the African heritage and traditional values alive may not be as silly an idea as it may appear to some. We who are of African descent and heritage could learn a lesson from the persons of Jewish descent. The Jews are celebrating, Hanukkah, the cleansing of the second temple after it had been desecrated. Historians and Jews maintained that a miracle happened then and remembering the miraculous events are a part of the celebrations. For centuries Jews anticipated a time when they would hold their religious  festivals in Palestine and finally their dreams have become realities. Those of us who are of African descent may one day have to face the reality that we may have to return to the motherland Africa. The motherland Africa may one day have to face the fact that one day she may have to welcome home and accommodate her children of the Diaspora. 

The Christians celebrations of Christmas presents sometimes interesting discussions. Many Protestants take pleasure in denouncing the Roman Catholic Church as being wrong in doctrine and teachings. I once asked a fellow Christian, "If the Roman Catholic Church is as bad as you claim, why do you celebrate Christmas? After all we did get Christmas from the Roman Catholic Church." His response, "Some things are for every Christian and not just the Roman Catholic Church." There are other Christian groups that are quick to point out that there are no commands in the New Testament to keep any day holy or the appointment of any festivals for Christians and so these groups reject every Christian religious festival?celebrations.

One of the things that have generated much debate over the years is the fact that December 25th is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ. Christians continue to take a lot of bashing because they cannot explain this date. There are many critics who are quick to point out that shepherds would not be in the fields in winter and others understanding is of such that they do not comprehend that the weather is not the same everywhere at the same time around the globe.  In years gone by knowledge was limited and many persons who possessed the faith but not the knowledge proclaimed the Christmas message. The information about Christmas can be easily accessed by those who oppose celebrating Christmas and those who celebrate Christmas. 

The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December (Copied)

The most loudly touted theory about the origins of the Christmas date(s) is that it was borrowed from pagan celebrations. The Romans had their mid-winter Saturnalia festival in late December; barbarian peoples of northern and Western Europe kept holidays at similar times. To top it off, in 274 C.E., the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun), on December 25. Christmas, the argument goes, is really a spin-off from these pagan solar festivals. According to this theory, early Christians deliberately chose these dates to encourage the spread of Christmas and Christianity throughout the Roman world: If Christmas looked like a pagan holiday, more pagans would be open to both the holiday and the God whose birth it celebrated. (Copied)

One of the dangers in our modern world is to deliberately dismiss the Jewish festival of Hanukkah and the Christian celebration of Christmas as just myths and legends. The reality is that there was a temple in Jerusalem and the fact that the time of his birth was unsure does not any less make Jesus Christ real. 

As a person of African descent Kwanzaa is celebrated in the US and we in Jamaica had our ways of keeping our African heritage and traditional values alive. My ignorance of Kwanzaa is of relatively little value. Keeping the African heritage and cultural values alive in the US may or may not be of lasting value

The celebration of the re-dedication of the second temple in Jerusalem and the attending miracle speak to the fact that God is real and provides the proof also that he is concerned about his holiness. Christianity hinges on the fact of the reality of the God of the Jews. The fact that the God of the Jews is alive and real exposes the world to the dangers of ignoring this God.

The celebration of Christmas is about God intervening in the affairs of mankind. It is celebrating the fact that God cares so much about man that he became a man and experienced what it is to be a man. It is being cognizant of the reality that man is so valuable to God that God voluntarily for a time gave up being God in order to bring man back to himself. It becomes scary for man to mock and ridicule God for doing so by insulting and maligning this God.

It is a common concept that no one knows what happens at death so it is okay to ignore, mock and ridicule the Christmas story when in reality the Christmas story is actually preparation for what happens at death. It is the Christmas story which gives life a sense of meaning and which makes life worth living.

"Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come if you gamble on its truth and it prove false? i you gain , you gain all; If you lose, you lose nothing. Wager then ....."
                                                                                                                             Blaise Pascal

Have a Merry Christmas.

Class and Crass

After 340 years of independence  the United States of America has realized that all its advancements and achievements have very little value and there is now a desire to return to the values held by Europe. The very things that were thrown off and abandoned in order to sever ties with Europe more than three hundred years ago are the very things that the US now realize make the difference between class and crass. This is being borne out through the results of the 2016 US presidential elections. There continues to be a cry "We want to be white again". It is quite convenient to ignore and deny the historical records.

This is not as strange  a phenomena as it may seem because children have a tendency to adopt the values taught by their parents.The US experiment of abandoning the values of Europe have not worked and one only has to look at how the US is fascinated with things British, French and Italian to find the  proof. The values that have been embrace by the US are lacking in substance and lasting effect and these are the things now that the US is seeking. It is time which validate value and permanency but the US is designed to keep the industries going so nothing is built to last. The US is finally learning the lesson that quality supersedes quantity because it abandoned the notion of quality and permanence.

Many centuries ago the Romans empire conquered the Greeks and then discovered that in comparison to the Greeks they as Romans were  boorish. The Greeks were learned, had class and culture and aspired after the finer things in life while the only thing that the Roman empire  had going for it was its military might and prowess. The Romans saw in the Greek the noble traits and qualities that they desired in their children and many Romans citizens had Greek slaves teaching their children how to be classy and have sophistication. It is not by accident that the  Greek  language, learning, philosophy, arts and culture have survived to the present while one of the few things that have survived from the Roman empire is the Olympic games. It has always been known that brains is superior to brawn.

In the US there are many that did not change with the changing times and were left clinging to memories of the "so called good old days". These persons conveniently  forgot that America's wealth was forged through the labor, blood sweat and tears of African slaves. A people dehumanized because they embodied the very qualities that other races envied. The descendants of these slaves continue to be hated and are the scape-goat for those left behind by progress. It is conveniently forgotten that the Africans were enslaved because of their strength. The descendants of these Africans slaves have courage and hardiness in their genes. The fear of many are that with his already superior strength when the playing field is leveled then others will be at a disadvantage because these descendants of former slaves have demonstrated that they not only have superior strength but they are also just as intelligent and brilliant as other ethnic groups. This [laces the descendants of the  former slaves above all other ethnic groups.

The 2016 US presidential election  provided the ideal conditions for a message to be proclaimed that there will be a return to the past or at best this is the hope of some persons. This was at a time when progress was being made into the future. The message embraced was riddance of minorities and those who are different so that once more there will  be a super race. The real problem being that some persons whenever the look at an African American see who he would like to be but lacking in the necessary qualities. The need to prove that you are superior simply means that you are not superior.

Let us forget for a moment the Native Americans who the Europeans found occupying the land and the treaties that the US signed with Mexico and consider the ignoramus. These ignoramus are seeking a return to the past when they need to be retrained for the future. The jobs they once had are now being done by robots. Their jobs have been replaced by technological advancement. However these ignoramus desire to see the heyday of the past. The ignoramus continue gloating and basking  in their ignorance while their inferiors are keeping pace with the advancement into the future.

It was not only the ignoramus that got a glimmer of hope for the future in the 2016 presidential elections because there were many of the educated and elite females who saw a glimmer of hope for the future. It was a glimmer of hope that civility, class and culture may return because if certain classes and groups no longer existed then once more there may happen to appear a semblance of what is in Europe. For these females there was glimmer of a chance to not be seen as a woman but hopefully get a chance to be feminine. The US society long ago rejected feminism and embraced womanhood and now desire to blame other ethnic groups for the lack of opportunity to display femininity. The present culture makes life even worse for these women because not only are they denied being feminine but they are being relegated to being gender neutral.

It remain a pity for the focus was on I and me and  and not we. Quite often it is said if I ever get the chance but no one foresee the headaches that accompany opportunity. The philosophies that were embraced in the early days as being high and noble are now being realize to be equated to cattle let loose in a field to graze.

Can the Evangelical Church be trusted?

 Pathetic

The color of your skin, really

That is your claim to supremacy

You who are a product of evolution

And claim no national origin or group to belong

You originate out of nothing and that is what you are

Oh come now, please try something better

There are multi millions with skins of the same color

Ah it is only to the African that you fell superior

Well, maybe, to a few others

You do not know the origin of the genes of your forefathers

Unlike the Indians, Chinese and Japanese to name a few

Your knowledge extends to those who came

And through deception and trickery stole

Robbed and slaughtered the natives

Then went to the motherland to enslave the African

Bring him here to enrich your pocket and work your land

That was your mistake

The African showed you up to be less than a man

What have you to take to the table?

To show that you are superior

Sophistication belong to the British and Spanish

Romance to the French and Italian

Technology to the Japanese and Chinese

Population to the Chinese and Indian

Need I tell you why the African is the best?

Enslaved you valued the African less that your animals

But lust and passion rise in you when you look at the female African

In her lies the ultimate of what you desire in a woman

And standing beside the African man you fall short

Because he is what you would like to be as man

For the African man is what you never will be

For although you are prouder than a peacock

And more puffed up than Lucifer with pride

Behind mask and gowns you continue to hide

While proclaiming your hate

To the African who you claim is minority

But who shows up your inferiority

And while you clamor and shout that you are supreme

The African take to heights that you will never reach

© Prince W Bradford 2015

(Exert from "Wha'a Gwaan Man?" by Prince W Bradford  published by Create Space

I have lived in the United States for close to seven years now and it is not often than I encounter racial discrimination. It does exist but I do not have to directly deal with it most times probably because I live in South Florida which is a real melting pot of nations.

Today there was an African American gentleman doing his job when an elderly Caucasian gentleman looked on him and declared "Now that we have President Trump, you will have to return to where you came from." This elderly gentleman proceeded to repeat President Trump several times in a way to suggest that he was issuing a warning to the African American gentleman.

I personally remain baffled as to how persons of Caucasian descent are able to lay claim to a section of North America. I take it that those of us who by virtue of the color of our skins are identified as descending from the Continent of Africa, we at least identify our origin. The challenge to those of Caucasian descent will be to identify where they originated and how America became the possession of persons of European descent. Maybe their intention is to make America an extension of Europe.

It is fascinating that the United States has taken on the task to police the world and the State Department of the US issues reports about the faults of other countries but somehow continues to ignore its own back yard. This may partly explain the renewed fascination that the United States should finally become a country of whites only. Even Native Americans (those people the Europeans came and saw occupying the land) are being threatened with being deported to where they came from by these persons of European descent.

Unless what I was taught in history class in high school was wrong it was Christopher Columbus who opened up a whole new world to the Europeans. These persons of European descent in their determination to make the United States whites only continue to conveniently ignore the extermination of the Native American population by claiming that it was not so much acts of genocide that was responsible for the extermination of the native population but that it were the diseases that the Europeans brought on their breaths and in their bodies. The native population had no immunity to these diseases.

It is fascinating to hear the boast "We are the pretest country on earth,  We are  the leaders of the free world." and along came one man who was well aware of the bigotry and hatred that simmered and decided to exploit it during the 2016 US presidential elections.

On a matter of principle I do not publicly criticize Christians and the church but as a black man living in the United State what shall we do when church leaders embrace the man who encourages violence against us and assure us that this man is God's choice to be president. May I remind the church that in the past the same persons who dressed in white hoods and lynched black people in the past were the same persons that were in the church pulpits of  the church on Sundays.

The President-elect encouraged violence  at his election rallies and the violence was aimed at certain groups and sects. 4 in 5 white evangelicals voted for the President-elect. Why should  we as blacks believe what we are being being told by white evangelicals when they support a man who encourages violence against us?

I have fought against black men that have ridiculed and criticized the church and defended the church but what shall I say now that I face the reality that I could possibly be attacked or killed because of the color of my skin and since the man that is ultimately behind it Christians and the church are proclaiming to be God's choice.

The reports are becoming more and more frequent in the news media and on social media of blacks and others being attacked based on the rhetoric proclaimed by the president-elect at his rallies. What consolation shall the evangelical church give these persons?

Somehow I had thought that we have gotten over this thing that black people are cursed by God. Then again the President-elect could be God's choice but for a different reason than the one being given by the church.

Two Principles

Our world have become so overcrowded that new entrants are being encouraged to seek out niche market. The bigger problem is that there are too many people who does not have the desire to put in the necessary work and effort but somehow expect to reap big rewards for mediocre effort or reap immediate success. There are too many people whose greatest dream is to win a multi million jackpot by buying the lottery. Most persons if they win the lottery will in five years end up back where they initially begun.

It is a given principle of life that what is sown will be also what is reaped. The principle extends to the fact that sowing and reaping does not occur at the same times as it pertains to the same crop. There is a time span in between where growth and maturity takes place and then comes the time for harvest. The idea behind sowing is to reap an harvest and this implies reaping an amount that far exceed the amount that was initially sown.  What ever is accumulated over time will most likely last a life time.

The principle of sowing and reaping is supported by another principle, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly. Although the soil may be fertile  where the crop is planted the reality is that there are  limits and sometimes results will be determined not by the fertility of the soil but by the amount that was sown. Planting must take place at the right time and in accordance with whether it is for household use or as a commercial crop.

Our world is being overrun with those who are sowing very little but are expecting great rewards. In addition to this there are novices who are being given formulas by the experts that will guarantee that they never succeed. The novices are being asked to study the experts and based on what is learnt from the experts then give their best initially. This again will require time and effort but our world demands immediate results. Success need a foundation and fuel to sustain it and these are lacking then success soon become failure.

The overcrowding in our world is also leading to mental deficiencies to the point where failure is being rewarded. Mental toughness is being discouraged and shortcuts are created to success. Our world is now overcrowded with qualified people who are lacking in the knowledge that goes along with the qualification. People who now have the qualification must now get certification.

It is a given that children although they share the same mother and father  are most times totally different from each other. Within the genes of a child may be displayed character traits from  past generations. This is why it is important to teach and allow children independence. Unfortunately in a child's early years the child thinks in terms of pursuing a path that pleases parents and teachers. It is often later that the child sometimes begin to discover a natural leaning and sometimes this is not discovered until adulthood. The earlier that a child understand that what is conceived in the mind is possible will be the better for the child.

The principle of sowing and reaping and also that of sowing sparingly leading to reaping sparingly is a principle that should be taught to children. Children should be taught these principle and shown how these principle can be applied to the mind. The mind if  it applies these principles will envision the limitless possibilities that life will offer or at the worst find that niche that although small will provide a life of endless possibilities.

Mind & body

My wish as always is for you to have a Happy Monday.

It is amazing that where the study of anatomy and physiology goes back for millennia the study of psychology is a relatively new discipline. It is probably even more amazing that the study of philosophy is as old a science as that of anatomy or physiology but relative few persons desire to pursue the depths of the various disciplines.

Anatomy and Physiology is the study of the function of body parts and the body as a whole.
Philosophy is the study about knowledge, truth, The nature of the meaning of life.
Psychology is the study of behavior and mind, embracing all aspect of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought.

We cannot ignore the fact that at present there are tests that have been developed that measure the intelligence of individuals. These IQ test enable teachers to select the super brilliant and to early identify  potential geniuses. It is a pity that those person whom the IQ test show to be at the lower end of the scale remain knowledge reserved for those administering the test. Those who score high are lauded and the low scores are hidden.

If those who score low on IQ tests were revealed then the intelligent would be spared  the ache of having to be attentive to the ignorant. Those  persons who willingly declare that they have no use for learning or knowledge neither do they care for their benefits because it is painful to watch the knowledgeable and wise try to impart wisdom to those who have no desire to learn.

The wise and knowledgeable are partly to be blamed at the same time because it is impossible   to move a man beyond his default mind set. Each time such a man is moved beyond his default  mind set he enters a realm outside his comfort zone and at the earliest given chance he will return to his default mind set. This compares with the man who desires knowledge and learning and has an insatiable appetite for knowledge and learning.

It will help if the psychologist as they study the human mind and human behavior could  determine what makes some persons lack the desire for learning and knowledge. It would be good if these psychologist could possibly develop a science to reprogram the human mind while erasing ignorance and negative thinking.

The study of psychology as a science also confirms what man has always known and it is that man is both a physical as well as a spiritual being. The mind exercises control over the body and ultimately a strong body controlled by a weak mind becomes almost useless. In most instances it is not the body that is so much desired but the mind that is within the body. The body need the mind to take it beyond its perceived limits while the mind need challenges for it to fully develop.

What if we were to form a team comprising the psychologist and the philosopher. The philosopher could focus on the pursuit of knowledge and the meaning of life while the psychologist could harness the thoughts of the mind and focus them in the right direction. Unfortunately we would have to ignore those who don't know and are content to remain in ignorance. This is one way that we could identify super minds.

What shall we do with anatomy and Physiology, they will continue to be the tangible that are seen and handled but the truly noble will be figuring out how the mind and thoughts work while focusing on trying to figure out the meaning of life.

Dynamite, yeast and baking Powder

To deny the desire to become totally independent and not be answerable to even the highest authority is to also to deny a fundamental shortcoming of man. This is similar to a woman denying that she likes pretty things and that she will ignore an opportunity to gain advantage over a man.These are inbuilt desires and denying that they are a part of our core being is one of three things. The first is that we are superior to the most perfect of  man and woman, the second that we are  non-ambitious and is contented to live on pickings  and the third is that we are just plain liars.

Immortality, fame and popularity are most men's dream and those who lack these aspirations most times also lack the ambition for upward mobility.Money is the ever present companion of fame and popularity and  immortality is readily sacrificed for these. An ever present dream for most men is to have a windfall of money because building wealth requires time and effort and many are willing to take shortcuts to the desired goal.

There are many persons who do not realize that the process of building wealth over time teaches responsible money management. Sudden or overnight wealth is quite often destructive because there are too many persons who believe that they can be their own investment advisers. These persons heap up headaches when faced with multiple choices which does not guarantees a profit. There is also the ever present ignorance of how money works.

A sudden windfall of wealth is comparable to being given sticks of dynamite. Dynamite is good but it is used most times for demolition. It is controllable and predictable which make it ideal for use in the quarrying and construction industries. Wealth that is not handled wisely will disappear. Wealth just like dynamite should be handled with care. Wealth is one of the doors to independence.

Baking powder does not act suddenly and its unique quality is that it makes the baked product more palatable. The actions of yeast takes even longer but the idea is bring about changes. In some instances baking powder and yeast bring about the same desired effect but the baking powder is faster acting. The action of baking powder may not be big and explosive but it certainly achieves the desired effect. Yeast is also use in some fermenting process to produce alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is one of life's little pleasures to make life a little more tolerable.

In life there are many ambitious persons who desire to have the dynamite effect. Their desire is to be quick, effective and explosive. The idea of being slow and imperceptible but effective is unappealing.
The idea of building wealth over many years is unappealing because that will take too long because life with its uncertainty demands enjoying immediately what can be seen. What can be is only maybe or at best a possibility.

Destiny and choices

My wish as always is that you will have a Happy Monday.

We are the masters of our own destiny and the choices that we make are similar to seeds beings planted so then we can easily look  forward to  crops at a later date. There are many persons who will readily disagree and declare that it is fate that determine our destiny and therefore we have to play the cards or the hand that life deal to us.

There are certain facts that most of us knows but we still need constant reminders. Among these fact are the knowledge that each of us is unique. There are no two individuals among the approximately seven billion of us on the earth that is exactly alike. There never was in the past and there will not be in the future. Each of us is bestowed with our own unique gifts and abilities. These unique gifts and abilities are that gifts given to us to make us stand out.

One of the sciences that is studied is psychology which is essentially the study of the human mind and its functions. This compares with anatomy and physiology which are the study of the human body and how the different parts function. These sciences clearly indicate that there are two different aspects to man. It will be interesting when psychology discovers what it is that make a man truly noble because then we may just be able to fix the wrongs in our world. Hopefully we will endow every man with this trait and have a world comprising only of noble men.

An English word whose meaning is continually being redefined is the word heart. It is not understood in the same sense in all cultures. The heart at one time was regarded as the core of a man and was considered to be the place where his desires, passion, intellect and will originated and was also considered to be the place where his character originated. The great thing about the heart is that it is only accessible to the individual. It is also considered to be  the place of  where his decision are made.

It is because our hearts are only accessible to us why we are the masters of our own destiny. This begs for the question to be asked what part does the fates play in our live, The idea behind the fates is that there are some things which happens in our lives which are beyond our control because supernatural powers intervene in life events. The supernatural powers works in tandem with us and therefore a person who has no need for opportunity will not receive it. There are also the hearts that are noble and perfect and these are the hearts that are ready to receive the intervention of the  supernatural and to whom unbelievable things happen. These supernatural events differ from the man who wins the lottery because for most persons who win the lottery the expected happiness never materialize. Rather these noble and perfect hearts when they experience the supernatural the ripple effects continues into eternity.

The mind and also the body must learn discipline but it is important for the mind to learn mastery over the body. Teaching and training will educate but will not necessarily make the heart great. True greatness reside in the heart of man and can be found in anyone. Those who subscribe to Judaeo/Christian teachings will be familiar with the idea that the Lord  searches among men seeking those with perfect heart.

It is interesting that quite often the knock of destiny that we seek when it knocks does not shout I am destiny embrace me. The same thing can be said of opportunity. Quite often it is the little opportunities that are embraced that later grow into something big.

So then I looked at the sand glass as time passed and observed as destiny and opportunity passing by man. One man spent his days watching the television and fantasized that his ideal is similar to what he see on the screen so he ignored what came his way. Another man's opportunity fell into his lap and he looked at himself and said I am not good enough go present yourself to some one better than me.The next man's excuse was that his opportunity involved  delays and he wanted all the pleasures life had to offer life right away. The other man decided to take up opportunity the next time because he must play the present safe in preparation for the future. Another man said there is nothing to lose and something might be won so I am coming on board although I do not know the ultimate destination.

Presented were the choices to take chance while embracing opportunity to discover destiny.

Why not you?

My wish for you as always is that you will have a Happy Monday.

There are reasons why rivers originate in the hills and mountains and not in the valleys and plains. There are also reasons why it is much smarter to dig wells in the valleys and plains than in the mountains. There are vast reservoirs of waters under the earth and the same can be said that there are natural reservoirs of waters in the mountains. These reservoirs of water source the rivers.

The run off of rainfall in the mountains form rivers and these rivers flow thousands of miles and are so powerful that they conquer the deserts. The reservoirs of water under the earth does not suddenly overflow or burst through the earth to case flooding. When there are flooding however the earth have its natural means to accommodate flooding. Although rivers will sometime cause flooding the rivers follow a course.

Our minds can be compared to the vast natural reservoirs of water in the earth. Think about this "there are rivers that have continuously flowed for millennia transporting multiplied billions of gallons of water each day." There are no reasons to believe these rivers will stop flowing. Our world for millennia have continue to produce geniuses and there are no reason to believe that our world will stop producing geniuses. You could be the next one to be discovered.

It would only be reasonable for the present generation of geniuses to believe that they are the ultimate of geniuses. This is not necessarily so because modern inventions continue to reveal the brilliance of the past geniuses and the present geniuses are having difficulty matching those geniuses of the past. This is not really a problem because future geniuses will marvel at the brilliance of the present geniuses. Then of course, the present class of genius continue to wonder if they will ever equal those genius of the past.

There is no way to accurately measure or quantify the amount of water that are in the natural reservoirs on the earth, in the plains or in the mountains. In a similar way there is no way to measure or quantify the power and potential that lies in the reservoir of the minds of individuals. Presently there are millions of potential geniuses waiting to be discovered, or waiting on an opportunity to bloom. You are one of these potential genius. All the past events and circumstances of your life has been preparing you for this moment.

There are two essentials to the human mind and these are the things that are allowed to enter the mind and the things that leaves the mind. There are many person who believe that it is the things that enters the mind that will be processed and then passed out in variations and different forms. This is not necessarily so because the human mind has the capacity to be creative. It can produce new thoughts, ideas and concepts and it is well known that if the mind can conceive a thing then it also has the power to achieve it.

In life there is just a thin line between being a hero and being foolhardy. Quite often it is the outcome which determines which one you are. You can sit safe and comfortable in your small corner or you can put on a bold face and go out and challenge your fears. There are millions of geniuses that exists right now but are not yet discovered. Statistically this is a fact but many of these geniuses will never be discovered and many will never come into their true potential.

This does not have to be you, It is time to begin pursuing your passion because then you will see the world of opportunity before you and the doors will begin to open to you. Remember that there is no equipment that has been invented that accurately measure the capacity of your mind in term of the power to think and to be creative.

Our inherent greatness

From time to time you and i need to be reminded that we truly do not know our selves. We will never fully comprehend who we are because there are too many factors about us that remain outside our control. We will never know when we have maximized our abilities and full utilized our potentials because there will always be more goals to explore and a little farther to go.

The genes in our blood goes back into infinity and there is no machinery as yet to calculate the qualities and characteristics in the genes that we have inherited. Consider for example the fact that a female’s ovary matures one ova each month while during copulation a man may release more than a billion sperms and of this number only one will fertilize the ova. This in itself make you and I rare because of the odds. Coupled with that fact is is another fact that no two of a man’s sperm cells contain the same genetic traits. If this was so then all of a man’s children should have been clones of each other. This also is enough for you and i to see how special we are and allow us to determine our value because we are just as likely to have better potentials that those that we look up to. it is very rare that someone will inform you how to become his equal.

You and I cannot determine what character traits that we inherited from our fore parents will manifest itself in us. It is a proven facts that to allow for a happy and meaningful life then follow the path of our natural talent or have a natural leaning. Perhaps, just nourish the character  traits and let them grow if they are positive. Our own character trait make it difficult at times to determine who or what we shall be. Some character traits are needed early in life while some are required later in life.

There is a lot of onus that lies with us as individuals because ultimately we shall determine our destiny. Being talented is no excuse not to get trained and certified or to make use of the knowledge of those who are more skilled and experienced. Knowledge and training along with talent will always make a better individual. This does not negate the fact of many having the knowledge but not the talent and they become comparable to square pegs in round holes. Ultimately the path of our lives is determined by our decisions and choices. In our minds we determine the heights that we shall ultimately reach. It will be difficult to surpass the mental limits that we have set.

In life there is a point where our teachers can take us and no further. This is because there is a limit to our teachers knowledge and this is the farthest point that our teachers can take us. Our responsibility is to allow our teachers to take us to their limit then go on to explore the unknown. The great discoverers were those who refused to accept the given and were willing to venture into the unknown. It is easy to deceive oneself and think all that is to be invented and discovered have already been invented and discovered but this is not true.

Each new generation has its unique challenges and need to produce its own heroes,inventors, discoverers etc. The accomplishments of the past must be equaled and surpassed by those living in the present. There has to be a legacy for future generations to wonder how it was done. In a similar way to how  we continue to look at ancient restructures and wonder about the technology that was used.

There are countless stories of teachers, coaches, experts etc. who never recognized the potential in an individual and declared them hopeless. These individual later went on to become geniuses, top players etc. There are also stories of teachers, coaches, experts etc. who recognized the potential in individuals and invested in these individuals while providing them with the best opportunities.

In life most of us are simple ordinary individuals or that is how we class ourselves but if we were to check our genealogy then we will discover that there were great individuals in our past. These individuals can become our source of inspiration. If there was none there is no reason why we cannot be the one. We can become the person that our children and those coming after aspire to better.

If you believe that I can’t, there is nothing that I can do then you rightfully deserve to be where you are.

Nothing is new.

My wish is for you to have a Happy Monday.

One ancient writer wrote a long time ago that there is nothing new under the sun because life is following an endless cycle and that writer issued the challenge to produce something that is new. We create new things daily but then our creations utilizes preexisting material so in reality it is what already existed but in a new shape or form.

The recent explosion of invention and creations begs for the questions to be asked what have man been doing for the millions of years prior to now? Where will this newfound  explosion of knowledge take us? This is in light of the fact that man has shown an uncanny ability to survive. Prehistoric dinosaurs have become extinct, the many races of giants that once lived on the earth have become extinct, there are many species of fishes, birds and animals that have become extinct but man continue surviving to the point where one country have seen it fit to limit couples to having only one child.

In this march into the future man has eradicated countless diseases and have also become immune to many diseases while new and even more deadly diseases are emerging . I read recently that there are tribes in the Amazon basin that the Brazilian government has made it illegal for outsiders to contact. These tribes present an interesting scenario in that on the one hand they have survived as long as other mankind. On the other hand our so called civilized man carry diseases and germ to which these tribes have never been exposed and so poses a real threat to the health of these tribes. It is possible that both the civilized and uncivilized could learn from each other.

Although the claim is that there is nothing that is new under the sun we have to pause to wonder at the new things that occur. One of our present boast is the reduction of infant mortality and the eradication of numerous childhood diseases. However, in recent times there are billions of dollars that are being pumped in research and to develop vaccines because of previously unheard of diseases. The ease and rapidity of travel in recent times make the spread of these new disease even more devastating.

One of the things that should not be ignored with all that is going on are those people that does things with malicious intent. One of the greatest teachers that ever walked this earth told a story of a farmer who sowed wheat in his field. The farmer had an enemy and the enemy at the same time went in and sowed tares among the wheat and went about his business. The enemy did not have to do anything after that because he knew that those tares would thrive. It was only when the wheat began bearing that the farmer realized what had been done.

In recent times there has been a lot of talk about invasive species. These are plants, fishes, birds, animals etc. that are thriving in places that are outside their natural habitat. Often times the question asked how did they get there in the fist place.

The answers are many. This may have come about through ignorance, accidental, maliciousness or even possibly for monetary gain. It has been noted that some persons have a penchant to circumventing laws because these persons believe that laws should be broken. They are somewhat like Pandora of Greek legend. The gods gave Pandora a box and told her that under no circumstance was she to open it and one god as an act of mischief bestowed on Pandora the gift of curiosity. Then there are things that happen as a result of an accident (The introduction of the mongoose into Jamaica is recorded as a great mistake. The mongoose were introduced to kill snake but the snakes are nocturnal and mongoose hunt during the day). Finally there are those persons that does things out of malice and for monetary gain. An ancient writer wrote that the love of money is the root of all evil. If cures were found for all the disease afflicting mankind than a lot of persons would go out of business. In a similar way someone will get paid to hunt and destroy invasive species.

In life we have at least four  groups people. There are the neutral because they are neither good or bad. There are the good in that they aspire after the best for mankind. There are the bad in that these choose to be the opposite of the good. There are also the bad which are corrupt and evil but pretend to be good and offer themselves as an alternative to the good.

At present I am forced to use the internet for business and other matters. I am aware that some information that I would rather others do not access is being accessed. This for me is an headache because I have no idea who or what is being accessed. I consider myself as being of relatively little importance but when I hear of organizations and governments experiencing the same thing it lead me to wonder where is our world heading?

The Rio Olympics

My wish as always is for you to have a happy Monday.

I can think up a number of things to do instead of sitting in front of a television to watch the Rio Olympics and I do. It should easy for you to guess that I am neither an avid television fan  nor sports fan. In spite of my best effort I did watch some events at the Rio Olympics. I got royally treated to good doses of American classism and bigotry.

I had the good fortune to have only one television channel carrying the Olympics and the commentators were committed to extolling the superiority of the American team. That was not a fair statement because the American team comprised two classes the Americans and the African Americans. It became clear that the gold medals won at the Olympics made the Americans proud but some would prefer if they had been won by the other class of Americans.

I noted in the past week someone taking offence with being referred to as an African American. My curiosity was once again stirred to a question that I have been pondering for some time. I logged into Google and typed in "Which countries make up North America?".

I was pleasantly surprised when the answer that came up was that North America is the third largest continent and it comprises 23 countries and dependencies. These countries include Mexico,  the US, Canada, Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Greenland (the largest island) among others. This answer was not getting me where I desired so I typed "Why do citizens of the US exclusively use the term American?" That question had too many definitions and no conclusion.

The best answer appear to be that American was a term used by the British to denote those belonging to the colonies of the Americas. This seem the only plausible answer to explain the class system that exist in American laws. (Some feared losing the British identity because at some point in the future the Native American will revive and the Africans will sooner or later gain power). Entrenching African American becomes the way to entrenching white supremacy. These guys were smart and foresaw the day when Africans would begin to dominate and sought to preclude it.

As previously mentioned there were two notable classes in the team to the Rio Olympics the superior class that descended from Europeans and you know who.

The African American population comprises 15% of the population of the USA and the US team to the 2016 summer Olympics is approximately 500. This mean that if the US team had 75 African Americans in the team then everything is in a right proportion. If there are less than 75 African Americans in the team then it show discrimination against the African American population and if there are more than 75 African Americans in the team then it shows that the African Americans are superior to their counterparts.

It was interesting listening to the sports commentators at the Rio Olympics. They were not off because the reports online were similar. The US was proud of the gold medals that are won but how dare these African Americans to win gold medals. This was privileges reserved for their superiors. This was why reporters were flabbergasted with Simone Emanuel winning a swimming event. Another fact that the reporters had to contend with was the feats of  Simone Biles. She has done what no female gymnast was able to do in more than one hundred years of Olympic history.

Every mention of these names has to be accompanied by the fact that they are African American.

One of the highlight of the modern Olympic game is the final of the 100 meter sprint. For more than a year the great American hope has been giving off a lot of empty air that he was the best. It may have been fortunate for him that he was not privy to the sports commentators because they did not give him a chance. It is not often that one get to hear American commentators express hopelessness. Maybe if the American hope was in the other class they would have sworn that he would win until he lost.

I  readily  confess that I am no good at math but it would be nice to do some math here based on the population of the US. The US team to the Rio Olympics is 500. The US had the largest team so it should be no surprise that the US won the most medals. Based on the US population if 75 of the 500 are African Americans then it is fair for African Americans to account for 15% of the medals won. So far the African Americans are holding their own. At the end of the Olympics it will be interesting to tally the medals won by African Americans and compare that to African American Americans as a percentage of the US population and the answer will give an idea to their problems in the US.

Emancipation Day

Today Monday August 1st is celebrated as Emancipation Day in Jamaica  many former British colonies while other countries that participated in the slave trade or were former colonies of European colonizers have varying days that are celebrated as Emancipation Day.

Today August 1st is then the day when the continent of Africa should rejoice because the colonial powers of Europe and the USA after forcefully transporting Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to be slaves for over 300 years declared that those of African origin who were in slavery were finally free. It is the day when those of us who are of African descent should feel grateful to our colonial masters for granting to our fore fathers freedom from slavery.

Since today is Emancipation Day it becomes a day for reflection. The only thing that those of us who are of African descent have to feel ashamed of is the docility with which our fore fathers accepted their role and allow those who were their inferior to dominate. It is this passivity which cause us who are of African descent to continue being treated by governments with injustice while we are continually accused of being violent. This will always happen when those who are inferior lord it over their superior.

Each Emancipation Day becomes a day for those who are of European descent to stop and reflect on who they really are. Those who are of European descent continue the blood line and have the genes of those responsible for genocide, murder, rape, stealing and a list of ills that will take up too much space. Those of us of African descent can rise above the enslavement of our forefathers and prove to those of European descent that we are their equals and betters but those of European descent cannot purge their blood or their genes of the crimes against humanity that were carried out by their forefathers.

Today is Emancipation Day and therefore today it is a good time to look at the factors and institutions  that were responsible and which led to such a day as this being commemorated.

The church

I was taught in school that the slave trade began at the suggestion of a Roman Catholic Priest, Bartholome de las Casas. The priests came with the colonizers from Europe to convert the uncivilized to Christianity. These Europeans were more in need of conversion to Christianity than the uncivilized. It was the extermination and the genocide of the native population by the europeans that led to the priest suggesting that Africans be brought in.
The church sanctioned the activities of these Europeans and agreed with the Europeans that the African slaves were similar to the beast and had no souls. The church condoned the murder, rapes, dehumanizing and all ills practice by the Europeans.
The role of the church was so complicit in the slave trade that at present some church groups are dropping the name of some church denomination in their names.
The church continue to be an institution that is looked on with mistrust because the church continues to embrace those of European descent who advocate that the color of their skins make them superior to those people who are of African descent.

The Africans

I hold no acrimony toward persons of European descent or of any nationality because I am convinced that it were my forefathers in Africa that captured and sold each other to the Europeans. I know that there are claims that this is not true. However, I am yet to be provided with the evidence that the Europeans had the knowledge, skills and manpower to travel into the interior of the continent to capture the Africans.

The Europeans

The Europeans were greedy for wealth and their violence, cruelty and the diseases they brought on their bread and in their bodies to the West Indies and USA decimated the native population of the Americas and the West Indies. The natives of the USA fought until almost exterminated but were never subjugated. What the government of the United States could not do through force it did through trickery. It signed a number of treaties with the natives but never felt compelled to honor these treaties
In the West Indies the rigors to which the Europeans put the natives caused the natives to wilt and some to no longer exist. It was out of pity for the suffering of these natives that the suggestion to bring in Africans originated.
The Africans when they came, in spited of the hardships thrived and survived. This in itself showed that the African although considered inferior were of superior constitution to both the natives of the West Indies and also to the Europeans. This in itself caused the Europeans to fear the Africans and made the African subjected to violence because the Europeans feared that one day the Africans would rise in rebellion.
There were other problems that the Europeans had with the Africans slaves because the Africans slaves embodied the ideals of the Europeans. The Africans slaves were who and what the Europeans wanted to be except for being in slavery. The Europeans also considered the Africans slaves to be less that the beast and animals but still went ahead and satisfied their lusts on the African females slaves. It was punishable by death for a African male to look on a European female with lust but that did not stop the European females from lusting after the African males.
Although the Europeans considered the Africans slaves to be less intelligent than the beast and animals the Europeans recognized that the only advantage that they had over the African slaves was their ability to read and to write so to maintain his superiority The Europeans decreed death for the African slave that could read and write.

The Europeans had two claims to being superior and that was the color of his skin and his ability to read and to write. The reality now is that the gene of the African is dominant and the privilege of learning to read and to write has been adopted as a right to which every living human is entitled.

As we celebrate Emancipation Day today the native population of the former British colonies and the USA have been drastically reduced. In the USA emancipation is not often talked about. The people of African descent continue to be a problem. They comprise approximately 15% of the population but their impact is by far too significant. This impact is so significant that even now those of European descent are fearful. This comes about because persons of European descent believe that they have a God given right to the land. Each time they see a person of African descent it becomes a reminder of the ills perpetuated by their forefathers. A person of African ancestry is a reminder of their history as those descending from those who came from Europe.

It is interesting that a person who is a second generation immigrant can threaten  those who can trace their ancestry to twenty generations or more that he will deport them to their original homeland.

It remain ironic that those of African ancestry should be celebrating Emancipation Day. Especially in light of the fact that they can trace their ancestry back to kings and emperors in Africa while their superiors can trace their ancestry to those responsible for genocide, murderers, rapists, liars and thieves.

The persons of African descent can rise above .their forefathers being slaves but who shall purge the blood and the genes of those descending from the Europeans

Me and my lucky break

My wish as always is that you are having a Happy Monday.

Half filled minds occupied with dreams of possible accomplishments should the day ever come when I am given my lucky break then I shall have a ball. Although I do not even know if I am pursuing the things that may generate a lucky break. When I stop to wonder and examine the possibility of my lucky break happening then I am told that I stand a better chance of being hit by lightning this year than have a lucky break. My chances of being hit by lightning this year I am told is one in a million. So I fantasize about the things that I would do should my wildest dreams ever come true. I have already defied a one in  nine million odds so maybe something will happen for me.

Then it occurred to me that should my lucky break comes then I would be totally unprepared for my good fortune. Oh yes, I would be immersed in me and ignore the need for productivity (If i was involved in productivity I would not be involved in idle wishing). I would go about gorging myself like a swine and forget that ahead of me was the remainder of my lifetime so the hours that I spent in idle dreams then would become my ruin. Should common sense prompt me to invest then how would I know what product was the best.

My lucky break has come and will continue coming my way because in me there is a God given talent and multiplied abilities. Also in every person alive there is latent possibility but whether the odds are one in twelve thousand or one in a million I do not like those odds against my lucky break happening. I prefer to keep myself busy developing and utilizing my God given talents and abilities. When I am equipped should my luck break come then I shall be ready.

Fate would certainly be unkind if it knew that I did not know how to handle $10,000 and it chose to hand me a $1,000,000. If however I had worked hard and through diligent savings and investing I accumulated $10,000 and the good fortune smiled and my lucky break comes and I got $1,000,000 then I certainly be more prepared to handle a large sum of money.

The things that happen suddenly and unexpectedly in life are often destructive and this is why I become more amused as I watch persons trying to evade waiting to get things done. The joys of delayed pleasure has been lost and the guiding principle has become "I want it now." The chance of my lucky break happening while I am bust multiplies immensely.

I have discovered that I can follow one of two principles in life in that I can sit and do nothing while hoping that my lucky break will come. The other principle is that I can set a goal based on my God given talents and abilities and persist until the goal is accomplished. The good thing is that this is what every person can do and what I encourage every person to do.

It is only in science that I read of nothing becoming something and I suspect that if nothing becomes something then sooner or later it will return to its original state. I have set my goals and if the Gods smile and I get a lucky break I shall embrace it but because my chances of a lucky break are so slim I prefer to work toward a goal.

Race, religion and politics

My wish as always is for you to have a Happy Monday.

"You don't have to know all the intricacies of how a car engine operate but it should be enough for you that when you put the key in the ignition the engine turns and you are able to drive the car ." 

I have heard that statement often and I have come to the conclusion that it is a very silly answer to give to an inquisitive mind. It is a response that indicates I do not know the answer and I have no idea where to find the answer. This also is a nice way to say just accept what you are told and do not ask questions.

The above quote maybe will be accepted by a primary school teacher but would not go down very well with auto mechanic students. The teacher who does not encourage questions in the class room leaves the students to find answers outside of the classroom.

We are living in a world that we had hoped had reached a point where we can tolerate differences. Unfortunately our differences may ultimately become our destruction because race,religion and politics continue to divide us and the innocent are losing their lives.

We can either be tolerant of each other as human beings or have the United Nations formulate a standard to which persons who think that they are superior must subscribe, or formulate tests and examinations that these person must pass. However 100% of those considered inferior must fail the tests and exams . It should not be in a country that a person's value is based on the color of his skin. The USA continue to provide entertainment  because persons who will never qualify for the highest offices sit in a corner twiddling their thumbs knowing they will never achieve the standards of those they consider inferior.

The gods does not cater for any competition and so encourages the destruction of the followers of other gods. It is man who fight the battles of the gods because the gods look on and give to man their commands. Man find it necessary to demonstrate the superiority of his god and this is demonstrated in the destruction of his fellow man. There now rises a problem because with the advent of mass killing by way of suicide bombing and other means of mass destruction the god are not selective of who dies. This will ultimately provide a problem for the gods because their own are being destroyed along with the enemies. It is because of this that  the very thing that should draw followers to the gods becoming a deterrent from following the gods.

We live in a world where a country having an undisputed leader is discouraged. The citizens of a country should determine their leaders and the most popular person with the people should be the leader. Alongside this  concept is encouraged divergence of ideologies and these ideologies provide checks and balances in government. This entrenches  and encourages factions and divisiveness among the citizens of countries. This we are told is healthy for democracy

Here is the world in which we live today, we live in a world where those who twiddle their thumbs look on their superiors and continue the centuries old claim that the color of their skin make them supreme. Instead of allowing the gods to fight their own wars to determine which god is superior, mankind continue destroying each other in the name of the gods and religion. Some who are seeking political office capitalize on the belief of some that claim they are supreme because of skin color while seeking to banish the gods.These politicians advocate ideologies while knowing other will oppose their ideologies.

The uninitiated and ignorant are asking questions and the teachers continue to give the answer that you don't have to understand how a car engine operates, be content with knowing that when you turn the key in the ignition the engine starts.

We are living in a crazy world and the ones who should be giving answers have not the slightest clue as to what is happening and so the people are scared but they are being told don't worry.

A tragedy for all

It is ironic that the body camera of two law officers should fail at the very moment when they were needed most and in the very situation why they are give body cameras. However, the camera of others functioned properly and they captured and show to the world the very situation that some groups claim which is that law officers target a specific group.

The USA, it government and people will feel proud of the videos shown across the world of how it’s own is treated especially in light of the fact that the USA police the world and dictate to other states how they should treat their citizens. The USA will also be proud that the action of some law officers are so barbaric that demonstration have gone international over the excesses and abuses carried out by some law officers.

It is even more sad that in response one man took it on himself to execute vengeance so he killed five law officers and wounded another six in retaliation. The death and wounding of these law officers is overshadowed by the horrific events that led to the attack so that there have not been evoked the horror that it should. An attack on a law officer is an attack on the government and also on the society that empowers the government. In a similar way law officers enforce laws that are made by the government on behalf of society therefore the actions of the law officers becomes the action of the government and of the society.

One of the few names that I have remembered from my history class in high school is that of a Roman Catholic priest Bartholome de las Casas. This Roman catholic priest I was taught was the person responsible for the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The motive of Christopher Columbus was questionable when he sailed west with the hope of reaching India. Columbus did however open up new land for Europeans to colonize. The priest came along with the new settlers to teach these heathen Christianity. These new settlers were however were more in need of the teachings of Christianity than the natives. According to the historians it was in an effort to save the local population from extermination and genocide at the hands of the European colonizers that Bartholome de las Casas suggested bringing in people from Africa to work the fields.

There is at present debates as to the genocide of the native American population. The historians in order for things to look good claim that the decimation of the native American population over some four hundred years was the result of diseases that the European brought in their bodies and on their breaths. The sure thing is that the native American population has been reduced to fraction of what it was and efforts are being made to have them forget their past and their culture.

The native American population has almost been made extinct so to who does the land now belong.

The African that were brought from Africa did not succumb as did the native population of America. In fact the wealth of America was built on the blood, sweat and tears of these people that were brought here from Africa. Now that America is wealthy it would seek to be rid of those who made it rich. This is why a politician can put up a billboard announcing “Make America white again” and also a third generation American can proclaim that he will send home persons who can trace their ancestry for hundred of years of living in the USA.

It would prove interesting if persons of African descent and other ethnic groups were repatriated to their native lands. This of course would require repatriating the whites to wherever they originated.

If the persons of African descent and other ethnic groups were repatriated then it would be interesting to see who would get exploited and to whom the others would compare themselves.

The persons of African descent has been dehumanized and made to suffer more than any group in the US. The question then begs to be asked why is the person of African descent targeted.

The answer lies in the fact that the person of African descent embodies the other nationals ideals. The person of African descent is both strong in physical constitution and strength of mind. The person of African descent physical strength makes him an object of fear because the oppressors fear that one day he will rise up in rebellion. In physical constitution the others nationalities see in the person of African descent what they would like to be and the qualities that they desire.

In the USA persons of African descent are probably more easily identified than any other ethnic group and comprises approximately 15% of the total population. The impact and contribution of the person of African descent in comparison to their numbers is tremendous. Historically it has been recognized that if the person of African descent is provided the opportunity to use also intelligence then others will be at a disadvantage. This disadvantage comes about because the person of African descent is already of superior physical strength and strength of mind.

The present reality is that the person of Africa descent will continue to be hated and will be portrayed in the worst light. I was cooking and listening to the television and the story was being read of a man who had used a rifle to kill several persons and he was taken into custody by the police. I stopped what I was doing to verify that the man was not of African descent. The newscasts that tell the stories behind the killing of persons of African descent by law officers are ridiculous. These law officers are agents of of the government whether federal, state or local. They are simply doing the wish of society.

The groups that are taking up arms to retaliate against law officers must put down their arms. The ideal condition would be for the government to hold those law officers who break the law accountable but this will not happen because these law officers are simply carrying out the wishes of society. One answer lies in empowerment through education.

There are enough persons of African descent that are controlling enough wealth and influence to train a generation that has their goals being the sky. There is a solid foundation that has already been made and now through education the oppressors can be challenged.

Commemorating milestones

Happy Independence Day and 4th July USA.
My wish is that this will be an awesome and great Monday.

Commemorating important milestones and events provide reminders that countries and people do not necessarily need others to determine their destinies and future. This does not negate the rule of law but highlights the need for laws that are applicable to a particular situation. Independence means that individual people and national wealth should not enrich other nations to their own detriment

One responsibility of parents is to train children to become responsible and independent citizens of their country. This involves preparing the children to make meaningful contributions to society and for these children to recognize that a point in the future they will be the leaders and elders in society.

Our present generation of children need to recognize that at some point in the future there will be a collapse of society and the need to begin all over again. There are at present hints of this and also rumblings as elements in society seek to make mockery of the heroes of the past and to discredit their achievements and contributions. The irony of this being that these persons are willing to destroy and discredit but has nothing meaningful to contribute to society. These are the persons whose death evoke no remorse but rather a sigh of relief. Unfortunately these persons continue to destabilize an already shaky foundation.

Historians it appear were more interested in glamour than facts and even at present there are so many versions of events that it is probably that the truth will never be discovered. Historians glamorize the facts and suppress the truth for so long that now the truth is regarded as a lie. It is the suppressing of the truth that surround the facts that will eventually be the downfall of society. There will not be any learning from the past if the truth surrounding the facts are hidden.

Our celebrations of important milestones are reminiscent of programs on television where sometimes years, months, days or hours of filming is done and then the process of editing takes place to present a one or two hour program. In this again the truth behind the facts is not disclosed so a glamorized version of facts is presented.

We live in a world that embrace the concept that a dirty win is better than a gracious loss. Our world highlights winners and it is through winning that one becomes independent. The weak has a dependency syndrome while the independent desire to make it on his own.  

Changes

I recently came across a quote g does  nothing happens suddenly and even the sun when it is rising does so slowly. There are those persons who will also note that when thing happens suddenly, it quite often result in destruction. The whole idea however is that the natural order and sequence is for things to happen over a process of time and also that adequate preparation be made to deal with results.

There are reasons why the young are groomed to take their place in the world and society. In the animal kingdom there are some species that the mother teach the young to hunt because the survival of the young will depend on their ability to hunt when on their own. In a similar way some mothers among the birds teach the fledglings to fly. It is obvious that not all skills comes naturally or as a result of observing but some skills must be taught by the experienced to the novices.

Parents are presently under so much pressure to survive economically that there is not enough time to devote to the emotional and spiritual well being of their children. This has brought about too many children who are being deprived of  childhood. As early as the laws of the land permits, there are many children who are forced to work for their economic survival by their parents. As far as parenting goes those children are told they are unwelcome guest in the house by their parents and that it will be a happy day when they leave. This has resulted in the early disconnect by parents and children where neither care about the other.

The great things about this is the early sense of independence fostered by these children and the making of important decisions without the input or consultation of the parents.

One of the more interesting things in life is the knowledge that children are extensions of their parents. There are some things that children would have learned from their parents before they became conscious of the fact. There are also too many children that never learned coping skills from their parents. one of the result of this is that there are too many persons with tremendous potential and ability who are not exerting enough effort to bring about change in their lives.

Our world have always been populated by those who are told that they are better than others and those who have been assigned lower stations in life. Violence is used to enforce the notion that no attempt should be made to rise higher that their assigned status.

While it may be true that nothing in life happens suddenly it is never to late to begin to make something begin to happen. We live in a world of endless possibilities and each man has the experiences that he gained in the past at his disposal. It has always been believed that time must be in your favor to get things done. The young have time to learn and to prepare for the day when they must take their place as the old. The old have had a lifetime of experience and life have been preparing the old for the present. It is not being bothered about something happening suddenly but making use of all the time that life has granted up to the present.

Next week we enter the second half of 2016 and now will be a good time to audit the first half of the year. At the same time it is useless to worry over what had not been done but now is a good time to begin or continue working with the expectation of bringing about changes.

It's your life, live it

It is absolutely fantastic to pursue one's dream and calling in life. Unfortunately for some people discovering one's calling is so elusive and sometimes is never realized. Pursuing a dream is more realistic and many persons  pursue their dreams without any consideration as to whether it is a calling or not.

There is a big draw back in life however and it is the fear of trying and also being overly concerned about what other people think. We are programmed to be please people. This goes far beyond maintain the acceptable standards of behavior common to the community. We have been programmed to seek acceptance and have others think highly of us.

It is true that none of us want to be the subject of ridicule by others but our efforts if they hold prospects of progress is often the subject of criticism. We are not programmed to want to see others surpass our achievements. It is interesting that every time a new products comes about that will give an established product some competition the new product is bough out by a big corporation. If there is insistence on providing service through the product then it is squeezed and stifled to death.

It is time to realize and acknowledge that others are looking on with the intention to exploit us. It is very few persons that truly desire seeing us benefit from our God given ability and the things that through inspiration we create. We live in a world that focuses on money and for every dollar we are given the one giving the dollar has already worked out how he will make at least seven dollar in return.

This in no way eliminate the necessity to keep striving and being creative because in each of us lies untapped ability and potential that is beyond imagination. The tree that is loaded with fruit is far removed from the seed that was first planted in the ground. It took a process of time for the seed to become a tree bearing fruit and in each fruit are seed within which are the potential to become trees. A seed if given the right conditions to continue multiplying would eventually lead to infinity.

There has been no new seed invented since time began. New crops came about through others that previously existed. Our dreams are seed that have the same potential as a seed that is planted in the ground.

In the pursuit of our dreams we shall be subjected to change because it is only as we face and overcome the challenges associated with pursuing our dreams that we grow. Life's cycle demands that we grow but we can either determine our growth cycle, let others determine our growth cycle or stagnate and be like dwarfs. As previously said the tree load with fruit is a far cry from the seed from which the fruit tree came. In a similar way we shall in the end be ever so far from where we began but we have to be planted and endure the process of growth before we reproduce. This is why it is a joy and pleasure to pursue dreams and ideas because one day these will not only bear fruit but produce other dreams and ideas.

It is a waste of time to live life trying to please people because no man has yet been able to please everyone.

Those persons who spend their time observing and finding fault with others eventually discover that in their pursuit of seeing what is wrong with others they neglect their own business.

You and I will be blessed with approximately 30,000 days on this earth and one of the great things that we can do is try bring into reality the things imagined in our fantasy.

Man made vs the naural

My wish as always is that you will have a happy Monday

Recently I had the opportunity to spend time in a leading furniture store showroom. On display were the best that was on offer in the surrounding areas which so happened to comprise several cities. The furniture on offer catered to  from the modest in taste to those who could afford luxury.

I personally have no appreciation for what was deemed the finer qualities in furniture and that is why in my mind I thought the whole collection was hideous. I did not express my true thoughts but rather as was expected commented on the beauty and the promises of hedonism that the furniture on display offered.

The reality is that the furniture in the showrooms were for the most part made from man made material and there will not come the day when any piece of furniture in the showroom will weather the years and be regarded by third and fourth generation of children as antique. Rather the furniture were designed to come apart during transportation (the manufacturers already know there will be much bruising and bumping during the process of house changing). Also the furniture are designed and manufactured to ensure that the manufacturer and the furniture store never run out of business.

I so happen to have spent time in the forests and experienced first hand the woodcutters felling trees then cutting the trunk into board. I have spent time with skilled artisan as the rough board is turned on lathe, cut, turned, sawed, sanded etc. and out of these boards produce quality and exquisite furniture. One of the great things is just having the privilege of watching a skilled carver delicately and gently carve exquisite patterns on these furniture and to have the knowledge that these furniture are made from solid wood and will outlast many generations.

The interesting thing is this, that we have been exposed to man made material for so long and have been exposed only to furniture made from man made material that we are subtly lured into believing that there are no other option or alternatives. Oh, yes we have man made wood and man made metal. We are forced to go this way because we are not given options.

Some how we are being lured into not aspiring for the things that are excellent and are lasting. Through the use of mass media we are led to believe what those who stand to gain the most tell us. These persons know very well that if the truth is suppressed and the lie propagated, in time they will switch places.  In a similar way we are being told that historical fact are not true and we should now accept the present rationale.

I am at a disadvantage because I have not yet been exposed to the process by which man made material are manufactured. There are machines that are used in the process. There is one thing that I do know and it is that man made materials cannot withstand the pressure that what is grown and matured naturally can.

It is awe inspiring to  look at a piece of exquisite and beautifully carved furniture and  it is sometimes hard to adjust the mind to the fact that it began as a tree out in the woods. The skills of the craftsmen, artisan and carvers bring out what could otherwise remain just a tree in the woods.

Sometimes we forget that there is great possibilities in our lives but just like how the tree out in the forest cannot make itself into exquisite furniture no more can we by our selves bring out the true potential in our own lives and being. The thing is, however, there are so many persons with potential but they are averse to going through the required process to bring out the best in them and they refuse to acknowledge that they need outside help in achieving their maximum potential.

In the mean time I continue to admire those persons who embrace religion and are discovering the secret to tapping into the higher powers.

Life is worth living

It is absolutely great to be able to look at the future and know that I have found something that should keep me busy and engaged for the rest of my life. I make reference my love for writing and the possibility to explore the many branches that are associated with writing. There remain the possibility that I may earn very little from what I write but the greater thing is the grand opportunity to free my mind and enter new world and spheres when I sit around a computer keyboard. (The good old day of pen, pencil and notebooks are past.)

This for me is absolutely fascinating because I recall the times of hopelessness and despair of the past. Those times of despair, hopelessness and frustration which were absolutely dark and life made no sense to continue living. Suicide was not an option for me so the thought even when it occurred was not entertained. As I write I try to recall  some of those situations that seemed insurmountable. Surprise, surprise, I now look back and I am thankful for some those situations. There are other situations that I cannot recall. Problems and troubles have a way to resolve themselves.

I now look back and recognize that a part of the whole thing was trying to fix situations over which I had no control. There were also a lot of trying to be people pleasing and living up to the expectations and standards of others. Probably the biggest joke just now is realizing that the ones who spoke about the standards the most were the ones that had the bigger problems maintaining the standards. Even now I am sad when I think of how many of these  persons world came crumbling down and they exchanged places with those they abused. I endured shame and ridicule because I was not allowed to develop into who I am but was being coerced into being who others thought I should be.

The tough times of the past I believe were equipping me for the present. I never believed that I could hit rock bottom so many times but hitting rock bottom has been absolutely productive for me and brought out qualities that would probably remain latent in me. This has also caused me to from time to time to audit my life to determine for myself if my life serves a purpose. There are two ways to look at my life, I can either have my own view of where my life should go or I can accede to what others think my life should be.

This past week I had reason to reflect on the fact that we all want money and jobs. There is excitement in us when called for a job interview. The interviewer tells the great benefits and advantages of working for the company but the interviewer will not say how the interviewee will one day get his job or become his boss. In life it is very rare that we encounter someone that accepts that we are the better man and if doors of opportunity are opened then there is also something that is expected in return.

We all are fascinating and unique individuals and our make up is beyond comprehension. This is demonstrated by the fact that identical twins and triplets are not truly identical and although many children are born to the same parents but no two are exactly the same. Children learn from parents and there are things that children learn before being conscious of being taught.

One thing that may be lacking in the teaching process is passing on why we are here and the purpose for life. I am sad when I read of the number of persons in my home country that have chosen to opt out of life by way of suicide. There is an even worse practice where persons because they have access to a cell phone and the internet are ever so quick to post videos and photos on social media. (These persons are also quick to post criminal acts and some of the persons posting to social media commit crimes unknowingly and unintentionally).

The loss of hope is a terrible thing, so also is not recognizing a purpose for ones life. The crazy thing is some of the persons deliberately self destruct to spite friends and relatives. Then, again even in self destructing they were being selfish and not thinking about others.

Life is beautiful and the greatest thing that can happen to a person is to discover a purpose for living and finding pleasure in that pursuit.