Tone deafness? Please Understand Me and Stand the test of time.

Ironic. It only takes a spark to get a fire going.

And soon all those around will warm up in its glowing. Except when there are too many cooks in the kitchen the house may burn down.

Real Estate 101? Maybe.

To get a “piece” of the action? A piece of the “pie”? A piece of “you”. A piece of “them”.

Gives new meaning to playing your heart out. Playing your heart out at the least implies you have the desire, the ability, and the raw talent to prove it. Wouldn’t you agree? Opportunity knocked. And you answered. Except when there is a lot of other “stuff” going on and either you did not pick up on it, were too tired, figured you could not, or want to fight “that way” or just didn’t care— Well it all takes on a life of its own. Further, you can probably guess the outcome.And. it ain’t pretty. Not that you cared.

Right? Whether it was “pretty” “pretty good” or “pretty bad” or not.

Therein lies the real question of:

” My God, how did we get here?”

Taking into consideration both the good and the bad. Not many of us wanna do THAT. So we play it to the “hilt”. Work it, working it so as to not come across as having not

“Cared in the first place”. But deep down do we really mean— Please Understand Me.

Tackling it, hitting it, bouncing it, serving it, kicking it, bobbing and weaving it in the water, skipping it, stoning it. All matters. So it behooves us all to know what we are doing in relationship to another human being and especially knowing what to do in order to make our own life “comfortable.”

This shift will take on a life of its own and you had better be ready to fight, because times are and can be and are precarious.

Assertiveness training 101? Not necessarily so, because no one person lives a life without confrontation, consternation or confirmation. Skirting or hedging an issue to the extent of saying or fibbing that,

I did not mean to do this. Or intend to do that. Heck. Really sayin’ Just tryin’ to survive? But looking around you may come at a cost. Emotionally. Figuratively. Factually. Sadness overcomes you. Am I really seeing it differently? Memories come and memories go. However. Truth remains the constant.

Let’s seize the moment and get real for a change.

Except the fact or the truth as we look into our mirror, is really can we stand what is staring back at us? Don’t mean to get all “Michael Jacksoney” on you here, but it does beg the question of:

Do you feel comfortable with the “being”, the thing, the face staring back at you when you look in the mirror? Is it straightforward to you? Disconcerting to you? Good looking to you? Ugly to you?

Do you ignore it, what you see, because it “rings a bell” of uncomfortable feelings. Perhaps you are fine, life is comfortable. All ok. Move along.

Do you consider your perceptions a “flaw”. To be projected onto another?What you see when you look at yourself. I am guessing we all probably look at ourselves in a mirror quite a few times in a day. My question, or challenge to you is:

Standing the test of time means not accepting indifference. Not labelling indifference. Certainly not coding a person into a particular life. Accounting 101. Or Accounting Principles 101?

I will take the Principles class. I have a lot to learn. And I think we all do.

My hope is either it is one or the other-Good or Bad. To be a principled person.

But definitely, not indifferent. Because indifference means mostly that you do not care. And I am willing to guess, that you do care, but are simply unsure as to how to go about caring.

Give you the benefit of the doubt.

Because doubt is a powerful “thing”. Renders many of us frozen and incapable of making a decision in a heart beat, but always there to “keep you in line” without thinking you have an or any options. What is wrong with this picture?

Your picture?

A beautiful picture, a beautiful memory comes into my mind. I picture a good memory of a young, small child with a giant backpack on his back bounding up the stairs of a ginormous school bus and I marvel at the child’s innocence. And thankfully pray for the God given opportunity for the child to go to school and learn reading, righting, rithmatic . Not Woke Primciples 101.

What harm will this cause, the higher ups ask? The Curriculumers: Woke Curriculum 101? A lot. Those school house lessons will be destined to exploit an indifference, a label, a hierarchy. This sets the child up for a lifetime of unfairness. Teaching unfairness to our fellow man is not peace.

It is war. It is waging and staging a war inside of a child. Too soon. Too quick. Too much. There is power in standing the test of time. Even if alone. There is a powerful message in that one child bounding up the school bus. Let us not ruin it for him.

There is power in the Power of One.

One love.

One life.

One need

In the night

One love.

One blood

Leaves you if you do not care for it. Really care for it.

Please understand me is a concept none of use dare to take ownership of because it can be downright scarey. But the first step to admitting there is a problem is admitting there is a problem. Take steps to correct it and move forward.

If life were only that simple. I will let you know ASAP. Because the way of the world is kinda dicey right now. Carrot dicey. And when there are too many cooks in the kitchen the soup becomes diluted and not one person wants to admit it—too much of a liability and we may find ourselves tripping and spilling over ourself and one another in the interest of

”Togetherness” “Sitting at the same table”.

Hardly. Hardly. Heartedly. Get real.

Does not sound fun to me. A rational thinker may deduce. Perhaps see the situation and assess it differently. However, the problem rears its head in the secretive family unit requiring the stronger head of the household to step in and create order and sense.

Which can happen provided another appointment, stay at home person, had a, knew the gist of what was goin’ on. Otherwise, precious time is lost and the project is dead upon arrival, dead in the trash can—Whatever.

To, live with or without takes on a whole new meaning of strumming guitars, dotting the “i” s and crossing the “t” s, walking a new path, but should not mean, exploiting the understanding. The misunderstanding.

Consumption of a something with zero, nada, no intent of paying back in the area in which it came. Law 101? As in theft? There is no love language because there is no lover of language.

Yes, sure there is an old proverb, an hold saying that states, that to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But when there are too many cooks stirring the pot of potion broth, it is anyone’s guess what the outcome will be.

Most likely will leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. High probably. Togetherness is only togetherness if adults are working with one another. Not against one another. There are personal agendas mixed in that broth. We can all admit it. Admit what we intend to add, may be too “spicey”, dicey or pricey.

Think about the many, many meanings of that concept. A man is constantly hungry, sometimes unable to voice that he is hungry. And most importantly wanting the question answered.

The question really is one of great vulnerability, but societally we have missed the mark, missed the point, worst of all missed the meaning of what a man may be asking.

Can you, will you take care of me as YOU promised you would in the beginning? The answer lies in that it may not always be filet mignonette, or fancy, or even look tasty. But it will depends on how it is delivered—with love or resentment that will make the most difference as it is. It is not really up to any one else to decide what you are hungry for or what you deserved, caned, boxed, or bagged.

You must ask. For help. For help in figuring it out. Not just take.

Hangry is as hungry does. It is best to understand the difference and the differences. And remember that we live in a country that takes this very seriously—both good and bad—both salted and peppered. But most importantly remember. That in order to survive, it is imperative to stand the test of time. Not spoil. Not mold. Smell the rotted mess when it presents itself. Attempt a viable solution.

All our lives depend on getting the recipe right. And the one or ones willing to stand the test of time, stand up to Father Time and say, “I got this.” To stand up to the hardest times and say, I hear you, even when I do not feel like hearing you. Done and lived without true authenticity-of knowing the hangry feeling- the deep down hole becomes filled with small potatoes.

Small fry, Broken chips. Vichyssoise soup. Only pieces of the strife with no meaty or meaningful solutions. Selling one’s soul for that which is simpler will perhaps get you the soup, it may not get you to the heart of the matter.

Tone deaf you are? Tone deaf you remain. I hope not. The children’s stomachs are growling. We do not have all the time in the world at our disposal. Pieces and all. We owe the children a future where they are not saddled with our collective pasts. because right now there are few, if any, adults, real adults willing to stand up and say,

No!! Stop!!