Events from Thursday and a Conversation late Thursday Night gave me the writing bug.
DISCLAIMER: These are just my views and opinions. Whether you agree or disagree is your right, and I will Respect how you feel. More Importantly, I will Admire your Views and Opinions on this Subject.
Just as the title states, you already know I got the gears turning in my head. I am going to attempt to approach this topic in a Philosophical Manner.
On December 18 of 2009, the Home Going of our old classmate and friend Damon Baylor had me thinking when a young lady took the Microphone during the Remarks Segment and said something that got the gears going in my head:
“Damon didn’t Lose his Battle with his illness. He Won the War, and his reward is no more suffering and no more pain.”
LATER that night, I talked to my Close and Dear Friend, and she talked to me about a Trial a friend of hers was going through (She’s in my Prayers). And I talked to her about the Funeral and that quote being spoken, and it inspired the Titular Question (*WINKING @ Bennett; INSIDER!!).
Now, I broke it down by 2 “Warring” Groups: The Healthy and The Sick.
Let’s examine the Healthy for a quick minute.
From my view (and my views OFTEN tend to catch Major Heat), the Healthy are the Physically Stronger of the two. They can run faster, pick up heavier things, and do way more than their sicker counterparts. They are “The Superiors” of the Human Species. These are the ones we Long and Desire to be.
We will return to this angle, when we compare them with the next item we are examining: The Sick.
Once again from my view, The Sick are considered “The Inferiors” of the Human Species by many. We, (Myself Included) are Physically weaker. We cannot run as fast (IF, we Can run), pick up heavier things (If, we can pick up things in general At All), and we tend to do less because of Limitations. This is the Situation we all try to avoid at all costs.
I can also apply this thinking to “Transformers.” Autobots fight for and protect the Weak. The Decepticons are more for “Survival of the Fittest: Only the Strong Survive.”
Now, let’s get to the Good Part.
Which Group deserves to Live the Longest? By Comparison, The Healthy (By a Supposed Popular Vote) deserves to live the longest. No Flaws, no Illness, no Disease. Why should the Sick live? They are the ones with Disease, Illness and Physical Discrepancies!!
I’ll tell you why, and it will be Marred with Controversy, and I can even Argue that they are the most deserving to Live the Longest.
By My Logic (And Remember, it is BY MY LOGIC), The Sick have MORE to live for. We have a reason to Fight and to be part of the Healthy Group, albeit that we may or may not be accepted by them as a whole (Dependent on the Individual). The Sick have something that the Healthy people can or cannot begin to Understand. The Sick have an unknown and often unseen Inner Strength that the Healthy can or cannot begin to fathom or understand unless they are Sick themselves!
Perfect example and I will throw myself under the bus first.
Before I turned 8-years-old, I was a “Healthy and Normal” child. When I turned 8 and discovered the road in which I was going down Medically, I became a “Sick” child. I was still trying to understand what was going on, but I knew when I turned 15, I was undergoing Dialysis, I realized then what my Inner Strength was. I discovered my Drive, My Reason for Living. By this Personal Discovery, it made me start fighting. It gave me an Untapped Energy and Potential to attempt the Almost Impossible: To return to being part of The Healthy Group. I longed to become once again “Superior.” But I am very much aware that I MAY NOT get back to the way I used to be, and I Accepted this Fact. But the key element here is that the Fight, My Inner Strength, has not wavered and has not died within me. It is still there and will become and evolve into My Legacy, never leaving or dissipating. My Legacy will ultimately become a part of those with whom I came into contact with over the years during my Tenure on the Planet.
My Best Friend’s dad was Healthy at a time, for a long time. Then his dad had Heart Bypass Surgery. Now, his dad fights hard to Live for not only himself, but for his family and friends as well as those he touched during his time here. I am happy to say that he is doing Incredibly Well!
Our old friend that was put to rest had a War going on inside of his body. He fought for the same reasons I did as well as many other Sick People (I can HONESTLY Say our reasons Are the same). His Inner Strength and Fight did not waver, or die with him, because it resides in his Legacy: His Family, His Friends, and every Single Life he touched during his 32-year tenure here on the Planet. He fought, and fought DAMN HARD. His Spirit did not slow down, or quit while he Warred with his illness. In my eyes, he like many other Sick People (along with myself), was and is in fact stronger because he fought for what he believed in and fought for what he felt was right for him and his Life. When I heard the words spoken in the Quotes at the beginning of this blog, this is what got me thinking as to who deserves to Survive and live the longest.
In this particular argument, The Sick Deserves to live the longest, because we as Sick People have a little bit more “OOMPH!” to punch the clock and work hard (Even put in Overtime) to be there for those we have affected during our time here, and we work even harder to make Absolutely Certain that we leave a Permanent Impression within those we touched throughout the years.
What about the Healthy People? Well, a good number of them have a Reason to Live, not to discredit or discount that fact, but there are also a good number of them that are just living, in their words, “With No Purpose.” We all have a purpose and a reason to Live, some are more aware than others. As far as the Healthy, they do have the Drive to Live for a Reason. Yet the Sick fight a little more (or a whole lot) harder to prove themselves to be as strong as the Healthy. The Healthy just need to do a little something called “Self Realization of Their Purpose on the Planet.”
But when we all think about it, everyone is fit to Survive; From the Healthy to the Sick. We are all entitled to live our Lives to the Fullest. That is our Grand Design. I am not saying this is “The Meaning of Life,” but it could be an amazing start to the Enlightenment in that which we are seeking in understanding what is going on with us all.
While cruising Facebook the morning of July 25, 2011, My Brother from another Mother Ricarto Brazela posed this question on his page:
"Examples R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill... Does the way they live their lives outside of the recording booth/stage impact if/how you view their music? What if their lifestyles contradict the music they put out? Should that matter?"
*Putting on the Pondering Face...*
Looking at the list of Artists that Ric laid out, two of these kids did similar wrong things. And one of these kids did a whole different level of wrong. Let's examine, Shall we?
Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, and R. Kelly are MAGNIFICENT Artists, and I am confident that no person will dispute that fact. 20 Grammys between the three of them, and many other awards as well. Their music has touched many people and received a lot of airtime, and download props. Here are three great examples of their Skill:
Add on Alicia Keys being a Philanthropist, Lauryn Hill being a Huge Influence to many Artists, and R. Kelly working with Many Artists and helping them Sky Rocket up the Popularity Food Chain, it is EXTREMELY HARD to Not Love their Musical Contributions (I may not have their CDs, Vinyls, or Download their Music, yet I do listen to what they do and Smile with a steady Head Nod).
Although their styles are different, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill both have done something that is so commonplace in this Era that I'm not even the least bit surprised:
I'm going to start by saying a quote that My Dad has been saying for Years, and is SO VERY Appropiate in this write:
"In this Day and Age, Women Believe that A Piece of Man is Better than No Man."
Let me start with Lauryn Hill...
For those that did not know, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean dated through the majority of The Fugees early tenure, a relationship that friends have called "complicated". Then in 1996, she met Rohan Marley, a son of the Late and Great Bob Marley, who himself was already married. Even though he was married, they started a family; 3 Boys and 2 Girls (BEAUTIFUL Children!! Baby number six, a Boy, has been reported today that he is Not Rohan's Son). I'm sure once Rohan's Wife NOW Ex-Wife caught wind of the Extra-marital Affair (whether by his words or Lauryn's), she was not Farting Rainbows and Shitting Sunshine. And we have received confirmation that Rohan left Lauryn for 28-year-old Brazilian Model Isabeli Fontana. Here are a few pics of her:
She's Very Attractive, as is Lauryn. It seems apparent that Lauryn's indiscretions have come back to haunt her and Isabeli is merely stealing a page out of Lauryn's Play Book.
Or is that REALLY the case...?
When you think about it, I can honestly place blame on Rohan as equally as I would Lauryn, for the simple fact that he is A WEAK MAN (Damn Right I said it, and you can Quote Me on it, too!!). He allowed TWO Women to interfere in his Life the way that they did. A REAL Man, is a One Woman Man; Remember, Rohan was Married when he met Lauryn, and Rohan was in a Relationship with Lauryn when he met Isabeli.
Doesn't say much for Anyone's character here, does it?
Let's examine Alicia Keys...
To Summarize what is going on here:
Alicia Keys was friends with Swizz's Wife. She was Humping the Man like a Horny Dog all the while smiling in her "Girlfriend's" (Swizz's Wife) face (ALLEGEDLY). Swizz and Wife get a divorce. Swizz and Alicia date, Alicia got preggers, get engage, and are married with an ADORABLE Little Blessing named Egypt (REMINDER: Egypt didn't walk up to his parents and Ask to be Conceived or Born; EVERYONE walking this Earth didn't ask for that. So therefore, Egypt, as are we, ARE A BLESSING). Here's a pic of the Little Marvel:
Now, we have to see who Swizzy left so he could be with Ms. Keys...
Swizz's Ex-Wife is Very Attractive, just like Alicia. And she has a Brand New Little one, like Alicia.
Once again, is this a case of a Woman going after someone that was once unobtainable by being Deceitful, Dishonest, and all around Disgustingly Dirty in her Trickery and Methods, or another Weak Man failing to Prioritize in the Realm of the Heart?
To be Very Honest, we don't know what the EXACT Circumstances were when it came to these two situations and more than likely we NEVER WILL. Just know that What is Done in the Dark WILL Come to Light. There may be a day where the Truth will come out, but do not hold your Breath.
Looking at these two situations, they remind me of the "Family Guy" Episode "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire," Where Cleveland Brown's Wife Loretta had an Affair with Cleveland's Best Friend, Glen Quagmire. The End Result is Loretta and Cleveland Divorcing after Loretta left him, and he and Quagmire closed the show reminiscent to "Rocky III".
Only difference, Boys and Girls? No Children are in the Mix and this is a Cartoon. Actual Lives as well as Families are Fucked Up and Destroyed because of Selfishness ALL ACROSS THE BOARD. There is no way that ANYONE can Justify this Madness between those two. If anyone can, it'll lead me to believe that You Yourself are a Man-Jacker or a Woman-Jacker (NOT Judging; I am ASSESSING. Please don't confuse the Two).
Bottom Line: The True Victims are the Children Involved in this Bullshit, and I pray for their Young and "As Innocent as Possible" Souls.
Robert Kelly AKA R. Kelly AKA "The Pied Piper of R&B" :
Riddle Me This, Mr. Kelly:
With all that you have accomplished in the World of Music, as well as garnering the Love and Admiration of So Many People (Myself Included), WHY OH WHY did you pee on that Girl AND Video Tape it?
"R. Kelly is mad at me! That ain't a Joke; That Nigg@'s MAD! He came up to me asking, 'How are you going to do a Video about me peeing on somebody?!' Nigg@, how are YOU going to make a video about peeing on Somebody?!" -Dave Chappelle
February of 2002, R. Kelly was accused of making a video, allegedly showing him engaging in sex with an underage girl. It was released by an unknown source, and was sent to the Chicago Sun-Times; the newspaper that broke the story. Now, from what was rumored, he was looking DEAD INTO the camera and proceeded to turn an underage girl into a urinal. And who better to do that to than Sparkle's Niece? Sparkle: YOUR PROTEGE!!!
Let me get this Right: Sparkle's Niece, YOUR Protege's Niece, is peed on by You AND You Video Taped the whole thing? And to top it all off, it was either someone you screwed over in the past and kept around you, or a Jilted Ex (Let's clump them together and say "Someone with A NASTY Grudge against You") that took That Tape to the Press, and you got your Tardy Ass Arrested.
To be BRUTALLY HONEST, Robert Kelly IS a Pedophile. Look at his Track Record:
-1994: Kelly meets his future wife Andrea Lee when she auditions to be a dancer for the 12 Play tour (she was 20 at the time). However, he first marries 15-year-old Aaliyah (using a falsified marriage certificate that lists her age as 18) in August.
-Dec., 1996: Suit Filed Against Kelly; Tiffany Hawkins, 20, files suit against Kelly, saying he picked her up at his old high school in 1991, had sex with her when she was only 15. Then in Jan. of 1998, R. Kelly pays Hawkins $250,000 to drop her lawsuit (I'm not Legal Savvy, BUT I do Believe that Payoff is an Admission of Guilt).
-April of 2000: R. Kelly begins a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old record-label intern named Tracy Sampson, according to her 2001 lawsuit. In December, the Chicago Sun-Times publishes an article about the investigation and Kelly's "pattern of pursuing underage girls for sex." The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services launches a probe.
-January 2003: R. Kelly is arrested on 16 additional charges of child pornography in Miami when authorities say they found photos of a nude underage girl while searching his residence during the previous arrest. The Florida charges are later dismissed due to an anomaly in the search warrant. Despite Kelly's failure to phone his probation officer while shooting a video in January in Florida, Judge Vincent Gaughan overlooks protests from prosecutors and grants the singer permission to leave the state for two brief tours, one in August and one in October.
-January 2008: Ne-Yo sues for breach of contract for being fired from the Double Up tour, while the judge orders Kelly to cancel a show so as not to miss a court appearance the following day. In February, Regina and George Daniels clarify that Kelly had a sexual relationship with their college-age daughter, whom the singer has known since she was 7 (College-Age could mean either 17 or 18; dependent on Age of Consent in the State at the time, R. Kelly COULD have been in the Clear).
You are NEVER an Official Celebrity until you have a Mugshot! *Rolling Eyes*
I don't care how Hard you defend this dude, fact of the matter is Robert Kelly has a LAUNDRY LIST of Pedophilic tendencies. I'm on my knees BEGGING for someone to Justify Mr. Kelly's Heat Seeker being set to "Teenage Girls". What, R. Kelly: Is it the fact that Women your age are a Challenge and you are Fucking Lazy, or is it the Fact that you have a Sick, Warped, and Twisted way of Manipulating Young and Naive Minors for your own Sexual Satisfaction and Gratification? TELL US, SIR!!
Maybe I answered my own question, I don't know....
To be Fair and Objectionable in this debate, those Little Girls could have looked at R. Kelly and said "No!" Instead of doing that, those "Little Women" chose to be "Grown Up" in their actions, they got what they paid for (LITERALLY); A Media Circus and Labeled as Victims (Other Words come to Mind, but that would be Low, even for Me). And to add onto it, I'm throwing in a "Boondocks" Reference:
Riley is DEAD ON; the girl could have Simply MOVED OUT OF THE WAY!!!
The One Thing that we MUST Keep in Mind is that there are two sets of individuals:
There is Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, and R. Kelly: THE ARTIST, THE PERFORMER, AND THE POSITIVE ROLE MODEL TO THE COUNTRY, IF NOT THE WORLD.
And there is Alicia Keys (Alicia Augello Cook, born January 25, 1981), Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Noelle Hill, born May 26, 1975), and R. Kelly (Robert Sylvester Kelly, born January 8, 1967): THE PERSON BEHIND THE MUSIC.
Ladies and Gentlemen, PLEASE Learn to Separate the Two Individuals; the Performer and the Person. That is Common Logic 101, and Common Sense 101.
Bottom Line: No Matter Who You Are and What Your Status is in Life, you are a HUMAN BEING First! And from my Point of View, from what I have Observed from Afar, as well as What was Presented to the Public via our Great Media Coverage *Rolling Eyes AGAIN*, They are No Different and No Better than Anyone Else that pulls the EXACT SAME SHIT! They have Pull, so the Rules DO NOT Apply.
*Sarcastic Applause* Just Fucking Awesome.
Let it be one of us Common Folk, with NO PULL at all; we would be Labeled AND Condemned for what we have done in regards to what they did. No Ifs, Ands, Or Buts About It.
My Question for You, Those that lump ANY one of them as The Performer, Artist, AND Person: If you are such a Huge Supporter of their Music, does that Mean You Condone what they have done outside of the Studio and Off of the Stage as well?
Anyone that knows me EXTREMELY Well knows that I cannot wait to have little ones of my own. Yes, you heard right: I have NO Kids, esp. seeing how rare that is in this Day and Age; Single Black Man, No Kids. Those 5 words are Even More RARE to Speak, let alone fathom.
But I Digress; there is a Bigger Topic with which I wish to Speak On.
The few pictures that I have selected for this Blog are Perfect Prime Examples of what I am thinking about; The Uncut, Uncensored, Innocent Honesty that only a Child could present in a Beautiful Package with a Big Pretty Bow. The kind of Honesty that'll put a Stutter in your Speech and Step. The kind of Honesty that would create Awkward Uneasiness and a Special Type of Uncomfortable Atmosphere that a Family Friend would be compelled to grab their coat and rush out of the door of your Home.
I remember one time, I asked my Dad something he may have done around my age at the time, and he never gave me a Clear Answer. I Guess he did it...
As we have gotten older, I wonder how many of us have kept that up or did we Conform to Society, where things are on a "Need to Know and Stepping on Eggshells" Basis?
*Looking up a this picture of Jeffy Speaking to Mommy*
I NEVER said anything like that to My Parents!!
But that is the thing! There are kids that'll ask, "Daddy, why was Mommy saying 'Oh God!' last night? Was she praying?" Typical Answer: "Yes. She was Praying." Child's Response to the Answer: "Can I Pray with Mommy before I go to Sleep? The Same Praying that she did last night?"
Tell me: What would your Response be then? Are you going to Have "The Talk," or Lie to your Kid to "Protect Them"? I'll throw in an Age for added effect: 6-years-old. Maybe because I am not a parent just yet, I'm saying as I write this that I WILL be Honest with my Child(ren) and tell them what is REALLY going on: "When Mommy and Daddy are feeling a lot of Love for each other, we express that Love in a Very Beautiful Way by having something called Sex." And from there, I'll answer whatever questions they have. It Is NOT That Damn Hard!
Now for my Adults (Parents or Not): Who has Lost Their Way in the Realm of Honesty? Meaning, did you gain a Soft Touch as you have gotten older, as your Tongue lost its Sting, or did you keep it and transition it into your Current Life Situations? If you did, I Applaud You; Standing Ovation Even! "Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say." Congratulations: You stayed True to your Non-conformed Self, and are most likely a Rebel that has been called an Asshole Several Times in your Life and was looked at even Worse because you REFUSE to Sugar Coat Bullshit Donuts.
All I'm saying is: I Can, Shall AND Will Respect You 10,000 Times More if you are Honest with Me and those that are in your Life. Personally, Hurt My Feelings; I rather you be Brutally Honest and hurt my feelings, as opposed to Sugar Coating Bullshit Donuts and hurting me down the line because you did that. At this Age of my Life, I cannot Bullshit People and I Will Not Bullshit People. I Admire and Respect People like My Dad, Ricarto, Caprice, Joy, Kali, Angie and Nickole: They are Gangsta with their Honesty. Yet at the same time, they do it Tastefully and with Class.
But if they need to Slit a Throat and watch the blood flow beautifully as the person is clutching the area as they gasp for their last precious breaths, I would grab some popcorn and enjoy the Show.
Just Making that Known, and Being Very Honest.
*Looking at this Picture...*
Now THAT Is Honest!!
*Bullshit Donuts is under My Copyright; I want $20 each and every time someone says it! LMMFAO!!!*
Just Say It; Spit It Out.
Do you need a hand to the back of your brain,
To get a head start on what is on your mind?
You know Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an Issue with people that do not know how to speak what is REALLY on their Mind. As I have gotten older, I learned to "Say what I Mean, and Mean what I Say"; Get out frustrations, thoughts, dislikes and likes. Most of the time, they are at someone's expense (And I DO Address them Directly; I LOVE doing that!), and I am at a point in my Life where I REALLY don't give a Flying Fuck about that person's feelings; I can sleep Very Well at Night after getting what I need off of my chest. I EXPECT the Same Courtesy (And I REALLY Mean That Shit! I'll Respect you THAT MUCH MORE if you can Call Me on my Shit, and Confront Me on Subjects, Topics, and Issues).
This blog comes in where I have had a Great Conversation with a Great Friend of mine this past weekend about how a certain person was calling me while I was out of town. My thing is, WHY is the person in question calling me for things that they can do them self? Speaking with my friend, she stated that the person in question Likes Me in THAT Way, and suggested that I should call her on it (Trust AND Believe, by the time this is posted, I WILL have my Answers to a Line of Progressive Questioning: Dependent on the Answer to a question, the line of questioning continues until an understanding has been met by both parties).
I JUST DON'T GET IT, and more than likely, I NEVER Will. If someone wants me to make a move, fine. Thing is, if I am Feeling someone like that, I'll MAKE That Move. Otherwise, I'll treat that person like anyone else: Keep them at Arm's Length.
My Apologies, I misspoke; I Get It:
I'm suppose to be Mind Reader, because that is what WE Men Are! Here's a Brain Teaser for those that Believe that we are Mind Readers:
If we are to be Mind Readers, can you do us Men a Favor and Fly WITHOUT A Jet Pack, A Hydro Propelled Jet Pack, an Airplane, A Glider, or ANY Flying Apparatus of ANY Kind?
You cannot do that? Awwwww, That's Too Bad.
You see, I don't Expect you to Fly, just like you should Expect me NOT to Read your Mind. I don't do that unless I lock onto your eyes for a Good 10-15 Seconds, then I ASSESS, Not Judge. Not everyone is Keen, Astute, or possess the Mental Acumen to differentiate between the two. That's another Blog for Another Day (I Wonder how many of those I have to do...).
Bottom Line, and Fact of the Matter, there is a Controversial Sentence that I will Speak that is of Ignorance for the Narrow Minded, yet it is a Sentence of Truth for those that know me EXTREMELY Well:
Open Your Fucking Mouth, and TELL ME What the Fuck is Floating in Your Head If AND When I ask You, "How do you Feel About Me?"
I'm sure that there are many people reading this now that are not feeling what I had to say. For those people, I Thank You. This Level of Adversity is Revealing to Me your True Character.
On this Topic, Issue, Situation, etc., I already know My True Character. :-)
