Monday Musings...
Weather-wise, we (in the Midwest) are beginning THIS week pretty much where we left off LAST week, namely COLD...cold...and yeah, some more COLD.
And what better way to while away those hours INDOORS, than by using the time to listen to some music, catch up on your reading, or even taking a little time to reflect on things.
I've been doing most ALL of those, but I have to say that the "reflection" gig has me particularly intrigued.
I'm a people watcher. Always have been, always will be.
You see, to ME, only by watching OTHERS can we better get a grasp on how WE should act, as human beings.
One of the best ways to LEARN...is to WATCH.
I've always been one of those people that, if you show me something once, I get the hang of it...a "quick study" is what we used to call it. It comes in handy whenever you find yourself "thinking on the fly" in whatever situation you find yourself.
We watch others that we may become BETTER.
We glean good aspects of people and adapt them to fit ourselves, be they family members, friends, mentors, or just plain people that we either admire or respect.
We also learn to AVOID behaviors from those we watch who have no concept of what it means to be a part of "the bigger picture", aka the human race.
I mean, who really wants to follow in the steps of criminals, or tyrants, or any who would seek to subjugate humanity in any fashion, hmm? Certainly not a normal person.
We tend to gravitate to those who have achieved a degree of success on some level, and attempt to emulate them. We look to our heroes in life, or perhaps those who have had some profoundly positive effect on the way we view life.
So being watchful of other people should be something that comes second-nature to us all.
And it was with this thought in mind that I viewed our latest "additions" to the neighborhood....another set of RENTERS.
Well, it didn't take long for me to be proven RIGHT AGAIN in my assessment of them (it never gets old).
Within ONE WEEK, they had an "all-nighter" party that started around 9PM, and went on until 6AM the following morning (when the revellers began leaving for whatever other rental crib they inhabit).
Now, forget the fact that they had cars playing loud music...and forget the fact that ONE person decided to park perpendicularly on the (vacant) property ACROSS THE STREET...(he backed up onto the lawn) it was the incessant bass thumping emanating from the house that was the most annoying.
I went to sleep (such as it was going to be) with the radio on (classical music) and the furnace on, naturally.
Answering nature's call around 3AM found the same crap going on at the house. At around 4AM , I decided to call this the hell in. I mean there ARE other people besides us that live in the area, some with small children, and by God, if they're NOT going to call these loud-asses out, I WILL...and DID.
Took the police less than 10 minutes (not much going on in our part of town, even at 4AM when we have more people out and about than is normal), and after a brief "discussion", the officer left, and no further "music" was heard (thankfully).
So much for my "Sleepus Interruptus" for the weekend.
The house DID have ANOTHER "party" the following night, but broke up around 1AM. It will be interesting to see HOW LONG this lasts, as people like this tend to have severe problems when it comes to short-term memory and retention.
And that brings me to an article in Sunday's paper by none other than Rev. Al Sharpton.
Now, I've always felt that both he and Rev. Jesse Jackson are the TWO leading causes of a lack of progress in the black communities across this nation, but Rev. Al and I are in AGREEMENT...for ONCE.
(uh, oh...hope that doesn't mean the end of the damn world...LOL)
Here's the link to the editorial he wrote:
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100110/EDIT05/301109943
Now, while the article is primarily focused on the "bad behavior" of (black) sports figures, if you read further into the editorial, you'll find that Sharpton expresses "...a keen sense of guilt for not having raised our voices more dramatically" (when it comes to youth violence and "reckless behavior").
You SHOULD feel guilty...it was YOUR people and YOUR community that has NOT spoken up and done something about the problems being faced by YOUR youth.
I say about damn time someone took responsibility for "dropping the ball", as it were.
Behavior such as an ignorant demeanor, or a disrespectful regard for ANYONE ELSE, except for the immediate "circle of homeys" is something the black community really does NEED to address...and feel guilty for, as they have not done a damn thing to change the situation for the better...in DECADES.
Been too busy "stroking the old ego" to affect a turn FROM such behavior. Never held anyone accountable for their actions, and that especially means the young black men who make babies and then leave the crib for greener pastures and a lot less responsibility.
Rev. Sharpton's on the right track for once...let's hope the train makes it to the station...and in one piece.
As for "my" particular situation?
Well, FWPD has been advised of this house as being (at least for now) a party house, but I will be looking for signs of drug use or dealing...make no mistake about that. And I will be taking pictures of people and vehicles when deemed necessary to corroborate the facts I manage to cull along the way.
And if the only change I can affect at that house is to chase these morons away and make it vacant again...well, I take my victories wherever I can get 'em these days. I'd rather be the ONLY occupied house on the street, than to be surrounded by lazy-ass idiots with no sense of worth, no future, and whose only ambition is to get that next high...or screw another woman.
We're a lot more complex creatures, and should not debase ourselves in pursuing things instinctual to the lower forms of the animal world. We should hold ourselves in a lot higher esteem...and hold ourselves responsible for our own actions along the way.
And people such as the ones recently moved into that house need not be dwelling in any area where decent people live and work.
What they NEED to do is get with the program, learn to respect THEMSELVES and treat one another with a modicum of dignity FIRST...and maybe then, they can be reintroduced into the mainstream populace, but not before.
If all this appears to be a bit severe...tough sh*t.
Sometimes, you need a "strong hand" to get a message across....that's how people LEARN.
You can't give people everything, and then expect them to act exactly like those people who have worked and earned their own place in life. That dog just ain't gonna hunt for 'ya.
You have to get the "uninitiated" to THINK for themselves...DO for themselves...ACHIEVE for themselves, and then you've got something to build upon when it comes to normal, decent citizens.
Anything else falls short of that goal.
And when it comes to life, we should all have goals...and be willing to strive to make them happen. The "thrill of the hunt" is a large part of our journey here, and being able to work and earn our place in life becomes it's own reward later on down the road.
It's definitely something to think upon.
Keep warm, do well, and...
Stay safe out there, America
2 comments:
thank you very much. i would rather stay in my mostly white area and not have parties in an apartment complex. lol what an oxy moran is this. live in a house and get terrorized. live in an apartment to peaceful behavior. whatever. had the same problem in a house too. rather have a cross burining in my front yard then loud parties, and robberies.
yes, they were all plural on purpose.
ICY:
It's never about so much WHERE you live, but rather WHO lives around you...
When you have people with good values and principles(of ANY ethnicity, nationality or creed), there's rarely a problem.
BUT, when you have TRASH people, driven totally by self and a sense of entitlements with little if ANY concern about ANYONE ELSE, it's a problem.
Had the similar issue in Columbus, OH, when our complex went to Section 8 over one weekend.
Such people should spend time in a place where they can be TAUGHT how to behave, and what it means to BE respected when YOU RESPECT OTHERS.
Too easy a solution, really...and way too cost-effective.
Thanks for stopping by.
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