Flip The Script

"How is it that you can disrespect a man’s ethnicity when you know we have influenced nearly every facet of white America? From our music, our style of dress, to the basic imitation of our sense of cool. The way we walk, talk, dress, our mannerisms. We enrich your very existence, all the while contributing to the gross national product through our achievements in corporate America. It is these conceits that comfort me when I’m faced with the ignorant, cowardly, bitter, and bigoted who have no talent, no guts…people like you who desecrate things they don’t understand when the truth is, you should say, “Thank you, man” and go on about your way.
Racial epithets…why does it always come down to that?"
-Cedric the Entertainer, “Be Cool”

A person very dear to me suggested that I publish a more recent photo, lest some get the idea that the afro picture is current, and thereby conclude that I am strange. So I had to find a recent picture (taken within the last week) to send the message, "I am not strange." This one should certainly do the trick.

Failure

"Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up again."
-Batman Begins

Have you ever had those times when you feel like the thing you are doing best is doing your worst? Do you ever feel like no matter what you try, all you can successfully do is fail?

I am not in a particularly depressed state as I write this. In fact, I only write in order to add a new post to my blog. I sat thinking, "What do I write?" and the response was, "Man, you suck at writing in this thing. You've only got like 3 posts!" So the thought struck me that I feel like I am doing poorly in so many areas.

Even as I type this, each time I want to write "thing" I somehow type an "s" on the end to make it "things."

I try to wake up early. I feel tired all day.
I try to work out. Well...not really. Once in 4 months is not really trying.
I try to raise my sons to the best of my ability. I end up yelling a lot.
I try to housebreak my dogs. They pee on the carpet.
I try to love my wife. I'm busy with homework.
I try to do homework. I type in my blog.

And this is what I'm learning (and what I'm teaching a group of high schoolers this Sunday): sometimes you have to stop trying. I can't stop raising my sons. I can't stop loving my wife. I can't simply abandon my life. But I can stop trying to be Atlas, holding my entire world aloft on my shoulders, and thinking I have the strength to do it on my own. Sometimes you just need a Hercules to give you a break. Sometimes you just need to shrug.

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The tasks will be there tomorrow. The sense of failure may persit, but it motivates me to pick myself up and try again.

"The weight of the world in a burden,
but it's my cross to bear,
I stumble under the weight,
and know you're Simon standing there."