BlackMan Time

Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

So, I asked the question: can a woman’s tender (love and) care cease towards the (innocently hurtful) child she bear?

The answers came back thick and fast ranging from no; this is impossible to yes, sometimes a child will say really hurtful things but they don’t really mean it.

In the stages of growing from child to adult there comes a point when everything seems to make sense. And then there’s a time when nothing makes sense. During the time nothing makes sense we can be our own worse enemy.

During the sensible time we realise what’s important in life and what clearly isn’t. Saying and/or doing hurtful thing to one’s mother is something that destroys one’s soul slowly from the inside.

So, at some point the child, even if s/he’s grown taller than a tree, will come back to her/his senses and the mother needs to be there ready to accept her/him on their return.

Love is exactly like that.

You only learn when things go wrong, not when they go right. When they go right you almost take it for granted because it is a confirmation that the systems you put in place are working well.

When they go wrong the opposite is true and you now have to re-evaluate those same systems that you put in place since something went awry along the way.

I do enjoy learning new things but I do not enjoy it when things go wrong; on the contrary. I just do not like to make a habit of doing things where they go wrong. But, I have to admit I have been blessed with many more seasons of things going right than wrong!

When things do go very badly wrong you get to see who is really behind you in these times of crisis. Those who hate you will secretly be laughing inside but they don’t realise their time will most probably soon come.

I tend to do my crying on the inside even while planning how I’m going to improve on my original failed plan. Either way I try and learn from the situation with a resolve to ensure things don’t go wrong again.

I guess the upside is that I have learnt from the situation. But some situations can be a very steep, if not frustrating, learning curve.

Yesterday I had one of my Bob Marley High Power Days! It basically consisted of me playing a number of Marley tracks usually selected as if I’m operating a sound system and playing to an international audience.

Oh, and the volume has to be way up high because you get the best effect from certain tracks when your speakers are literally dancing across the room to the rhythgm of the bassline!

My neighbours generally don’t mind because I’m usually quite considerate, except on Marley HP Days! Occasionally they even come round and request certain songs or even ask me to burn off a CD for them. I can’t tell you how great that is.

This is a far cry from the days when I had to sneak play Marley for fear of upsetting busy-body, complain neighbours who didn’t like my “reggie music!” It is quite a revolutionary act to play your music so loud even the computer monitor wants to join the speakers dancing across the room!

To hear the sounds on headphones where only you alone can enjoy it is one thing. But to have “Forever Loving Jah” coming at you through nearly 500 watts of sound with a killer bassline threatening to rearrange the muscles in your chest, is quite another.

Uplifting music, especially that of Marley and other artists, are meant to be enjoyed like this. Even better if is shared with your neighbours, regardless how much they complain.

Don’t you agree?

NOTES:-

If you’re a Marley music lover please join the Facebook join the Bob Marley Hero cause.

Why I like London because I can be anonymous there! When I moved from a small country town this was an advantage as it gave me chance to get to know the place singly before having to complicate things with friends and/or family, none of which I had in London.

London represented a step towards progress: it was big city, bright lights and its legendary dog eat dog infamy was a challenge I had to pit my wits against. I felt I could survive anywhere and if London was a hostile place, or certainly not as friendly as a rural town, then it was a good testing ground.

Clearly I have prospered! But it has taken a while.

Landmark

London is an international landmark for business, tourism, economy, politics and culture. Many celebrities live just round the corner from where I live and my current skyline view of the city from the vantage point of a high-rise tower block is breathtaking.

It’s a truly multi-cultural place and it’s not unusual to meet people from at least 10 different nationalties in the course of a day.

But, my view of London has changed over the years. I have now come to hate the noise and pollution and long to live in a quieter, cleaner space with good commute distance to London.

Overall, though, London makes you feel part of a community, where you can share the spirit and fun of being able to call yourself “a Londoner”, if you so choose…

Why do you like (or dislike) where you live?

I’m always wary of anyone who agitates then when someone reacts to their agitation they turn round and say something like: “oh, you’re so sensitive. I was only joking!”

That’s a bit like carefully laying the dynamite, taking care to ensure that the wires are neatly tucked out of sight, connecting up the wires to the detonator then calmly pushing the button, watching the building blow up then walking smartly away asking: “Oh dear, how did that happen?”

There is no gain or virtue in remaining silent when your voice should be heard. Conversely, it is unwise to broadcast your thoughts when you really do not have anything to say.

So to allow agitators to remain a vexation to our soul is, similarly, not a wise move. But engagine them in any kind of discussion similarly requires a smart strategy, if only not to legitimise their puerile muck-raking.

The last thing you want to do is make an idiot look more intelligent than they really are or come across like an idiot yourself!

A religious worker dropped a pamphlet through my letterbox last Sunday. “Jesus is the answer” the headline said. I looked at and without skipping a beat my mind responded: “But, what was the question?” I thought…

You can substitute the word “Jesus” with the name of your particular spiritual or lifestyle guide. However, from where I am sitting it seems that some people are so concerned for your soul that they will willingly volunteer their time to go out and educate you about it. All for free! Why would they want to do this, even on a Sunday, a supposed day of rest?

Obviously those who are religious or have a personal connection with God will already know the importance of the welfare of their soul, but what about the unconverted? Are they doomed?

Do we need to worry about our souls? Does it actually exist and why is it important in our lives?

I’d be curious to know what you think…

Recent events have prompted me to look at this question from various angles. It is one many people encounter at some point in their lives. It seems the goals they would like to achieve are often wrapped up in making some kind of sacrifice.

“Selling out” is an offensive phrase but one often levelled at those prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Selling your soul to the Devil is usually seen as the ultimate sacrifice. In reality, however, there is no such thing as literally selling your soul to the Devil.

Since sin was introduced to the world by a human eating forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the only way Satan (or at least evil) can come to you is by invitation. This is the first grade Adam and Even story, right?

Satan Vs God

Those who worship this entity called Satan do so because they are strongly opposed to the existence of God. They seek to defeat God through science, theology and dabbling with occult practices or simply stressing there’s no physical proof of God’s existence.

Be that as it may, but isn’t it fascinating how you only need to add an “o” to God to make “good” and a “d” to evil to spell “Devil”. Maybe this is some kind of sign!

In my conclusion, if you want to stay clear of evil don’t add the thought of entertaining it in your life. For you only really sell your soul to the Devil when you do or think evil, (otherwise known as un-Godly or un-goodly), things!

Selah.

I hate the idea of being a slave. The thought of being controlled, powerless, whipped and manipulated somehow stirs up a negative passion in me!

In fact I would be one of those rebellious slaves who would’ve questioned everything, agitate and lead revolution.

Most likely, I’d be prepared to die for my cause under the reasoning that “I’d rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave,” to quote Jimmy Cliff in “The Harder They Come”.

The way how things are structured today with the rewards from work being the main means of being able to support yourself, we are to some extent enslaved.

The major difference between doing a Nine to Five and being an actual indentured slave, is that you at least get paid and your movement is not as tightly controlled.

Or maybe that is the illusion…

And then there is the mind, body and spirit (or soul). This dynamic trio work to control our words, thoughts and actions. Essentially if the body is weak, the mind and spirit suffer. If the spirit is low, the body and mind suffer.

When the mind is not focused, the body and spirit are in turmoil. The ideal is to strike a balance. This improves and maintain health and enhance life! And my life triumvirate (or Holy T’ree as I sometimes call them!) plot and chart my emotions and decisions whether personal, business or spiritual.

So many people neglect this area of their livity. But if my Holy T’ree are working in counterbalance to each other then I know I am not well. Let me give you a typical example of how they work.

My mind (brain) could have an idea that I should visit the gym so it checks with the body. The body might say: “Yep, we could do with a little bit of that! Bring it on! And a sauna! Oh, and make sure you pick up a bottle of Evian water!”

Feel Good!

The soul says “We would love that too! All that adrenalin rushing into your bloodstream and the feel good factor sure does help me bring out and circulate the James B(rown) positivity throughout your system!”

If any of those turn around and say: “Yo, brethren, don’t think you should do that today, star! Can’t say mi never did warn you!” I’d have to reconsider my decision.

Ultimately the external part of me has the final say. I can always overrule any decision my Holy T’ree conjure up but I do so at my own peril.

Over the years I’ve learnt it’s better to work in harmony with my Holy T’ree than to chop them down with my small axe!

I have lost count the number of times I’ve been asked this question. It happened again just yesterday.

I was out having drinks with a friend, then suddenly out of the blue she turned and asked: “BlackMan, how comes you haven’t found someone to marry yet?”

Usually, when a woman asks me that question I’m quick to quip something like: “Why, are you proposing?” This time, however, I bypassed by that answer.

Instead I thought about it and usually I’d have the regular answers like: “I haven’t found anyone suitable to marry yet…”, “I’m not ready” or even “No one will have me!”

But, there I was thinking and having a Matrix Reloaded moment where time froze and panned around me still as I sipped from my bottle of Duvel being pressed for an answer. I couldn’t really find one! More to the point I didn’t even offer any reason to counter the question.

I wonder if this means anything…