What Does It Matter If Someone Doesn't Support Your Issue

Hello People!

How the heck are you doing? I hope this post finds you well and hopefully this post will cause you to pause and think for a minute. Or maybe just piss you off either way if it sparks an emotion then my job is done.

I was looking at a posting on the ever popular 'social network' Facebook and it read "Chick-Fil-A's Anti Gay stance Costs Chain Business in Boston."  I thought well that is interesting because a company chooses to stand by its convictions it is now being penalized for having it's own opinion. WOW! How American?!

The story stated that the Mayor of Boston 'Vows to Block Chick Fil-A From Opening Restaurant After Anti Gay Remarks'. It went on to say that the Mayor of Boston was vowing to block Chick-Fil-A from opening a restaurant in the city after the company's president spoke out publicly against gay marriage.  Well HOW DARE THEY! Who said that Chick-Fil-A could have an opinion opposite of what is popular 'right now' and stand up for its Christian beliefs...HOW DARE THEY! I think everybody and their grandma knows that Chick-Fil-A was founded as a Christian based company who closed their stores on Sunday so that their employees could go to wherever they chose to worship.  I am sure everybody knows that.  So if the President of the company chooses to speak out on gay marriage does it really shock you what his position is, really? To act surprised regarding him being against Gay marriage, would be like being surprised that transvestites like wigs and high heels. There really should be no surprise there, what would be surprising would be if he was go against his Bible beliefs and say he is for Gay marriage, now that would be news worthy.  And had Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fil-A went against his religious beliefs and came out for Gay marriage I am sure that would have been front page as well calling him a hypocrite.

Most Christians I think believe they are 'damned if they do and damned if they don't' in most all situations because if they try to support their friends or family in their issues and those issues are contrary to the Bible then they're hypocrites.  BUT if they speak out against their family and friends regarding their issues then their Christianity is in question, because as people are so quick to point out I don't think a 'God of love' would do what you are doing.  But what people fail to realize is that true Christians cannot talk out of both sides of their mouth, double talk is bitter to the palate. My question is why does everybody have to support your issue? Why does everybody have to be for 'Gay'? Gay rights, Gay marriage, Gay pride, Gay this, Gay that, why does everybody have to be for Gay everything or be turned against or mocked?  Seriously, is it necessary that everybody be in support of every Gay issue there is or be banished from the Earth.  Is it really that serious?

My understanding is, is that Gay people want to be treated like everybody else be able to do things that other people do, that is what I understand to be their biggest complaint.  Well here is my biggest complaint about Gay people.  Unless you tell someone you are Gay, how do they know?  You don't have to wonder when you see an African American/Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc., if they are African American/Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc., you know on SIGHT of them what they are.  BUT unless you tell me you are gay, how would I know? AND most importantly why would I care?  If you want to be treated like everybody else and want to be able to just be yourself, then why are you trying so hard to be as obnoxious/flamboyant as possible and to shove who you are down everybody's throat? When is Heterosexual Pride day? When do heterosexuals get to demand the right to add their lovers, you know the person they are sleeping with that is not their wife or husband, onto their insurances and claim them as dependents? I am sure my examples seem asinine to you, but to me, you trying to make a big deal about a Christian based company not supporting Gay marriage is asinine.

What does it matter if someone doesn't support your issue, do they have to?  If you are convinced that what you are fighting for is right then by all-means you have the right to defend it. BUT just because someone else has an opposite opinion regarding your issue does not make them wrong, it makes them human just like you. If Dan Cathy President of Chick-Fil-A, chooses to exercise his right to have his own opinion about an issue, AND his opinion happens to coincide with his beliefs, who are you to penalize him for that? Is this America the land of the FREE? Or is this America home of the Gays and if you are not one or support their issues, then we don't want you here? I thought this was America, land of the FREE home of the BRAVE, and since we are FREE we should be BRAVE in that freedom to stand up for what we believe and not be penalized for doing so.

For the record, my nephew is Gay and I have/had friends that are Gay. I personally don't have a heaven or a hell to put anyone in so it is not for me to judge. I love my nephew and my friends just the same, BUT if me believing what the Bible says on this issue is a problem for them, then let me tell you like this.  I believe what the Bible says all day everyday, I am not going to judge you or try to make you believe what I believe. AND just as I am willing to give you that respect I should get the same respect in return. If you want people to accept you for who you are then you should be willing to do the same.


 See ya when I see ya!

Peace! Mattie

Idea for my book...what do you think?!

Leona is sitting on the porch watching nothing at all really, it’s just a lazy summer day and no one is out and about yet.  Suddenly she reaches up and slaps herself in a misguided effort to swat the mosquito that landed on her cheek.  Laughing out loud in case anyone saw her do that, she makes sure no one sees the pain in her eyes.  Lynne, Leona’s baby sister, comes outside and says let’s play hopscotch, since nobody else is up yet.  Okay, Leona says, you can make the squares while I find my marker.  Lynne draws the numbers in the squares, they wet one side of a rock and then they flip it to see who will go first. Lynne wins the flip and sticks her tongue out to gloat her victory.  “You won the flip” Leona says, not the game.  Just go!  As the game goes on the noise in the neighborhood starts to pick up as the rest of the kids start coming outside.  Gretchen comes down to play and wants to join the game. Instantly Gretchen and Lynne start picking at Leona.  “Look at Leona’s hair; it sure is nappy around the back, looks like rats had been sucking on it.”  Lynne and Gretchen both bend over in laughter. Leona laughs to pretend that it doesn’t bother her, but turns her head so they can’t see her eyes.  Eventually Leona picks up her marker and goes inside to her room that she shares with Lynne and Lynette, Lynne’s twin.  Sitting on the bed, Leona pretends that she is someplace else where she has lots of friends and, instead of them laughing at her, they are all laughing together. 

            “I hate summer” Leona thinks to herself.  In school there are lots of kids to play with.   Some of them make fun of her, but at least she has some friends to play with who don’t. There is one neighbor, Tessa, who doesn’t make fun of Leona, but she is annoying.  Tessa comes outside and runs over to Leona’s house as usual, standing at the screen door peeking in, “Can Leona come out to play!” she yells through the door.  Leona hears her voice and groans to herself, “oh great she is up and over here…again”.  Leona slowly walks through the living room and pokes her finger in the area where Tessa is still peeking through the door.  “What do you want Tessa”, Leona asks.  “Can you come outside and play?  We can go to the playground!”  Leona goes outside and right off the bat Tessa punches Leona in the arm and takes off running!  “I HATE HER” Leona mumbles under her breath; “she always hits me and runs, knowing she can outrun me.”  Tessa was one of the fastest runners Leona knew.  She hardly ever walked anywhere, she probably ran in her sleep for all Leona knew.  Leona walks on to the playground with Tessa ahead of her taunting her saying in an almost lyrical tone, “You can’t catch me! You can’t catch me!”  ‘This is going to be a LONG summer’ Leona thought. At the playground Leona gets into a swing and starts slowly swinging back and forth dragging her feet and looking up at the sky.  “I wonder what it would be like to fly”, she thought. “I bet it would be cool to be so high looking down on everything.  AND birds can fly faster than Tessa can run, so I could swoop down and peck her really hard and fly away!”  After a few hours of swinging, riding the merry-go-round, and climbing up and down the slide, Leona and Tessa head for home, and as usual Tessa punches Leona in the arm and takes off running again. 

            Leona walks into the house and her mom immediately starts yelling, “I have been calling for you to get these clothes hung out on the line before the rain starts for over an hour!”  Leona looks at the pile of clothes sitting in the basket takes a deep breath picks them up and heads to the clothesline.  While Leona is hanging out the clothes, she can’t help but think of her sisters and brothers who are in the house watching television while she works.  They have been home all this time so “why couldn’t one of them hang the clothes on the line”.  But before she could finish the thought, Tessa is back outside taunting her again, “Why do you have to hang out the clothes all the time, can’t anybody else do it or is it YOUR job?”  “Job”, Leona thought…”more like punishment” but Leona couldn’t remember doing anything that required punishment.  When the clothes were all hung up, there were other chores to be done, Saturday was cleaning day at Leona’s house and everyone had something to do.  Leona and Lynne had to clean their room, the living room, and the bathroom.  Joyce’s, Leona’s oldest sister, chore was to clean her room and do the washing.  Darnell and Oscar had to clean their room and take care of the yard, which included mowing the lawn and raking up the cut grass.  Lynette had suffered brain damage when she was eighteen months old and was handicapped, so she did not have to do any of the chores around the house, and actually couldn’t do any even if she wanted to.  A lot of the neighborhood kids made fun of Lynette and pretended they were afraid of her.  This embarrassed Leona at first but more than that it made her sad.  ‘Why do people have to be so mean making fun of someone who can’t help them self, and why are people so stupid to think it’s funny when they do?’

This is just an idea I have been working on for my the book I am writing....what do you think about it, good? Not so good? Indifferent...what????

 See ya when I see ya!

Peace! Mattie

It's All About Perspective

 Hello People!

How the heck are you doing? It has been a while since I have been on here but I am going to change that...Yeah I know I have said that before BUT watch and see.

SO what have you all been up to since the last time I was on here?! I hope life has been treating you well.

Let me tell you what I have found in my journeys.  Everything is all about perspective, it is all in the way you look at things.

My sister is mentally handicapped she is not severely handicapped but she does need help, when you think about we are all handicapped in some way BUT I already wrote about that.  ANYWAY, my sister lives with me and I take care of her as best as I can but I am always second guessing myself when it comes to her.  Her Doctor thinks I am crazy cause if I just THINK she is sick or something I take her in and tell him LOOK AT HER!!! He just shakes his head and says okay, there is nothing wrong with her she looks a hell of a lot better than some people that I have seen come in here...BUT if you want to her to have a x-ray, CT Scan...whatever I will write the request.  I am thankful that I have found a Doctor, Dentist, Gastroenterologist, etc. who are willing to care for my sister AND put up with me cause my pleases and thank yous are not always said.

Earlier this week we were driving into the 'big city' so that I could go to work and she could attend the day program that she goes to for Handicapped individuals.  By the way KUDOS to those people who work with the Handicapped, I know I take care of my sister but I am not sure I could do for others what I do for my sister. AND that's the TRUTH...TRUTH! But I digress.  We were driving in and since gas prices have been out of sight I have started carpooling.  Me and the lady I carpool with are chit chatting and my sister burst out laughing! I look around to see what she could be laughing at and I see nothing. So me and Vera go back to talking, and my sister starts hysterically laughing again.  I look around and I ask her 'what are you laughing at...' I know she is not going to answer but I ask the question just the same.  She finally stops laughing and Vera and I start talking again and then LAUGHTER just engulfs the car she won't stop laughing.  I said it again..'WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT!!!!' She just shakes her head and smiles...I wonder sometimes what is going on in her mind.  Vera and I were bitching about work, the price of propane, gas, the need for a new car, blah blah blah...who knows which tangent we were on that morning, BUT to my sister it was the best morning ever!!!! Her eyes were sparkling, her smile was as bright as the sun that was trying to shine that day and NOTHING was wrong in her world.

I guess it is all in the way you look at things....she is incapable of doing some of the most basic things for herself, like dressing herself, picking out her clothes...making her own food, etc. BUT for her, not just that day but everyday is a GREAT DAY and laughter is just one of the ways she shows it.

Check your perspective and make sure you have a HAPPY one!!!

See ya when I see ya!
Peace! Mattie

How are you doing....

SO...Hello People!

How the heck are you doing?  I hope this blog finds you well.  I have said time and time again that I am going to start blogging more, but then I never do. So this is my attempt to try to keep myself from being a liar.  I had an urge to blog a few weeks ago, when Whitney Houston passed away.  There were so many things being said about her, the situation no matter how you look it is just sad.  BUT now hopefully she is at peace and the rest of us need to keep it moving.

Nothing has really got me fired up lately to the point where I feel the need to write about it, writing to me is a feeling along with having something to say. When you have something to say and you NEED to say it that is when your writing is the best. 

I am sure I will be fired up about something soon and then I will be off and writing.  Until then I just stopped by to say you are AWESOME.  If nobody is telling you that then you are not hanging around the right people.




See ya when I see ya!

Peace! Mattie

Crab Mentatlity...Don't let it pinch you!

Hello People! 

How the heck are you doing? I hope this writing finds you well!

It's been a while since I have been on here and a lot has happened since I was on here since I last talked about Scott's passing.  Still sad that he is gone but I know that he is a better place with no pain.  BUT since his passing another friend died, and  the one time I turn on the news the first thing I hear is 'The Voice' took her last breath too.  The Voice being Whitney Houston and everybody and their grandma seems to have something to say about her death. Not that I am a follower but I do have something to say about her passing.  I think it's an absolute tragedy that she is gone and left so abruptly.  But we all know that she had many 'demons' she was fighting and not to say that the demons won, only to say that God wanted her to be at rest so He called her to come home.  I have heard many people since her passing trying to pay tribute to her by singing her songs, but no one can sing them like she did, especially when she sang I LOVE THE LORD! Yolanda Adams sang it for her at the NAACP Awards...I like Yolanda Adams, she has a gifted voice but she didn't even come close.

I have read some of the old articles and stories that were brought back up after Ms. Houston died and the one that struck me as truly sad was the one with excerpts from an interview she did with Katie Couric:, " Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989. “Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/11/whitney-houston-superstar-of-records-films-dies-at-48/#ixzz1nQe9RUAI

That is sad all the way around.  Speaking as a person of 'Color' it amazes me how often that comment is made, by other people of Color regarding someone who is doing well for themselves or who chooses to use proper grammar and 'good' English. Instead of being applauded for their achievements they are talked about and ridiculed as 'trying to be white'. Instead of being held up as someone to aspire to be like, they are instead looked down at as someone who is trying to be something they are not. I've been told it's called the 'crab mentality'. How apropos. I am sure it is found in every race but I can only speak about mine.  In light of Ms. Houston's passing one would hope that this race would get a clue and figure out that this mentality is something we don't need.  I could go on and on with the Black/White difference and make comments about racism in America, but that is another blog and another story.  Ms. Houston lived a tormented life of sorts, now there is talk of her being a lesbian and that because she was not able to love freely her one true love it hastened her death.  'Because she couldn't be with her soul mate, her one true love, she indulged in narcotics to dull the pain'.  Whatever the reason...whatever the cause of her death....in my opinion she left way too soon BUT she will never be forgotten.  RIP Whitney Houston.

 

*** The term “crab mentality” is used to describe a kind of selfish, short-sighted thinking which runs along the lines of “if I can't have it, neither can you.” This term is especially widely used among Filipinos, who use it specifically to refer to people who pull other people down, denigrating them rather than letting them get ahead or pursue their dreams. As a general rule, an accusation of having a crab mentality is a poor reflection on someone's personality.***

See ya when I see ya! 

Peace! Mattie