Laughing Last

I can say this year has been one hell of a ride. One of the most climatically weird, aggressive, and life-altering years I've had since 2003. Today's date marks a full year I've been free from religion (Christianity). I can finally say I'm done with it and have no regrets about the decision I've made. As one wise man recently told me, "you've got to do what's best for you." You're damn right. With leaving behind religion for good, I'm no longer bound by its precepts:

-serving a "man/woman of God"

-"faithfully" going to a assembly to "worship" God in a building every week

-paying my way to heaven through tithes and offerings making leaders of an organization but never given to the poor and needy

-thinking one religion is better than another (when they're all the same just using different names/titles to things)

-saying "I love God" not out of genuine love but a fear of "going to hell"

I can go on but you get the picture. Just a year ago, a pimp preacher (The whole truth series explains it more) told me I'll be back. Back to graveling "at the horns the altar" of "church" looking for the mercy of God for turning on the will of "His prophets."

You know that's bs, right? They said that me and my gorgeous wife would be cursed; becoming "scourges of the earth." Hell, they even tried to dirty our name and history to keep their fledging church together. Well, after a year later, The Overtons, who are still healing from separating from religiosity and cultism are better, wiser, and stronger than ever. Meaning, we don't take nobody's ----. Word on the street is, she's facing some troubles of her own at a "educational facility" she's running. Her marriage is a farce and the word is out about her "psychopath" ways. Now, I'm not saying all this in from a bitter or angry place. I'm saying all this because the tables are turning. Many preachers in the Central Texas area live by Psalms 105:15, for people not to touch God's anointed (can't even correct them when they're doing wrong). Looks like I'm a growing number of "vagabonds" living their dreams and lives once held captive by religion. Now these "monsters" are facing and experiencing "a falling away"

because people are ready to live and make their mark in this life. The tithes and offerings are getting less and less. People find other means to maintain their spiritual enlightenment. And thank God people are using the Internet to understand the true nature of religion, to divide the peoples from each other and to control the mind. More and more people who've been screwed by this system called Babylon (including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc) are coming out. The powers that be say we're nothing and won't survive. They laughed first but we the people will laugh last. For every woman abused by their spouse and told they are nothing, don't worry. The time will come when you will be laughing last. For every employee who's been fired for not conforming to a wrong system, don't worry. You'll be laughing last. Life is funny and filled with karma. The same people you see on top will be on bottom and will be asking you for mercy. I've learned  that God loves avenging innocent and in due time, the wrongful parties will face the rain. 

To all those who said and thought I was going to die without you, I'm still here. You couldn't destroy me yet you tried. You still flap you gums about me to keep loved ones away from me. You have parties celebrating my sufferings and demise. But know this, he who laughs first will not laugh last. 

Bet on that jack.....

Til next time......

Handling Conflicts Pt. 1

I can't say anything about any other culture or race, but I do believe in American culture, especially in the Bible belt states of the US, some people don't know how to handle conflicts. What is conflict? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Conflict- a struggle for power, property, etc.

: strong disagreement between people, groups, etc., that results in often angry argument

: a difference that prevents agreement : disagreement between ideas, feelings, etc.

For some of us who are still leaving in a fantasy world, closed off "from the world" like hermits, monks, nuns, and the FLDS, conflicts are inevitable in life. We can't run away from them. We can't avoid them. As the late great rapper Guru (RIP) of Gangster said in the classic "Moment Of Truth" 1998 LP, we must "...meet life head on, no holds barred..." Well said my friend. I can honestly say I've gone through this my whole, just like anyone else in the world. I've been the legitimate cause of problems in relationships, workplaces, etc. and been the party wronged by others. What I learned from the old school who I used to shoot ball with back in the days is that you have to handle conflicts.  Some methods of handling conflicts or even handling conflicts all together won't be well received by those who are around you. Some will say, let it go, pray about it, walk away, blah, blah, blah. But it's a tried and true method from science, to history, to english, to communications, sociology, psychology, and in various religions that you must handle conflicts. You must meet it head on, bringing yourself and the other party or parties to the table and hash these conflicts out. Handling conflicts, for some of us, are just terrible in handling conflicts. People get defensive real quick when they've been outed with information from the other party that's been hurt by them. People start to lose their cool when they can't get their point across. Some people in our society end the conflict with a bullet or some other sadistic way to shut the other party up. But I've learned that avoiding conflict and thinking you just have to let it go and pray about things, just doesn't work. It goes against the very order of how God wants us to handle conflict. In the Bible, it details a teaching from Christ about how he says if we have an issue with another person, put down whatever you're doing, and take the time out to go to them. Tell them about this issue that's killing you inside instead of talking to others about the situation (gossip only makes things worse and spread "venom" in the others' lives). In other words, confront them, tell them the issue, and whatever outcome, you've given yourself freedom from the pain, hurt, anger, and confusion you experienced. I recently had to do this. I was dealing with some really tough emotions (if you haven't read my past blogs, you should, and trust, I was doing some whistleblowing-hello somebody). I kind of heard some bad advice and "teachings" that taught me to pray about things, let it go, this that and the third. But that's wrong. Even rape victims, families of murder victims, and characters from the House of Cards had to address some issues (it's on Netflix, riveting). These different types of people didn't handle conflicts to set the other party straight (but at times can be the reason) but to free themselves from the thoughts they have from others. 9 times out of 10, the other party isn't going to receive the information with a receptive heart. They'll denied it to the tee (unless it deals with numbers aka money- "show me the receipts"-Whitney Houston LOL). They'll even say certain comments to get you riled up to discredit the intent of your conversation. But never ever let conflict fester because you will be the one who can't sleep at night or have peace in your heart. To be honest, after handling some conflicts, I feel a lot better, a whole lot better and was able to share with you all that you must handle conflicts. Never avoid them. Handling conflicts allows the truth to prevail even if we or the other parties won't admit to it. My next blog will discuss more on this issue.

Til next time, dgwo AKA Happy Man.....

Diallo Reloaded

Over 15 years ago (February 4, 1999) in Bronx, NY, an unarmed African man named Amadou Diallo was shot 19 times by four NY policemen from a clear case of racial profiling. Unlike the police officers related to the Michael Brown and Eric Garner (two of many police brutality incidents occurring in a racially charged year of 2014-so far), these officers went to trial. However, these NY police officers have something in common with the two noted "cases", all of them have gotten off. Whether they sleep at night for all that's happened and knowing the actions they performed expired the lives of these men, is something only themselves know for sure. I can say for sure that the United States of America hasn't learned anything from the senseless "murder" of Amadou Diallo. For the most part, some of us don't know about the stories of the post Civil War until the turn of the new millennium from Emmet Till (other young boys have been "executed" without a court judgement) to Rodney King (some guys have had batons inserted where the sun doesn't shine). Well, as I've said before from the topics of religion (which is doing none of us any damn good whether we realize it or not) to racism, "history repeats itself." And I'd like to add something to that effect in the words of my old 9th grade history, Mr. Eddie King, "If you don't know your history, you're bound to repeat." This goes from a local level to a national level. I mentioned in a post or two previously that marches, prayer summits, and rioting won't change anything. One thing I remember from Mr. King's "mild" tangents is in order for change to occur, we must meet with the powers that be to change things. It's great now we have YouTube and press conferences (if we didn't need it now, we surely need Piers Morgan to give his two cents on this matter...); it's awesome of all that technology has given us. However, it's time we take these comments, thoughts, and experiences to Capitol Hill (with the exception Rep. Peter King-who agree with Eric Garner's slaying, Congress and the White House have either side stepped or been silent about this whole matter) and the Justice Department (which is utterly f---ed up). Now the latter part of my previous sentence makes a lot of sense to me now from what I learned from Mr. King, we're taking this fight in the wrong places. Yes, we're speaking out and showing support to show our distrust of the system, but now it's time to go head to head and toe to toe with the people running the system. Since Diallo's fatal shooting (before the turn of the new millennium), there have been no changes in the law to protect us, black, white, red, blue, and yellow. I was reading something about 4 days ago, an innocent white woman was killed by police and those dudes didn't get indicted. Yes, a black woman in Cali was beaten to a pulp by police, was awarded a nice settlement, and those cops are getting handled by LAPD; but nation wide, police brutality is getting out of hand. Just last weekend, I saw a Harker Heights PD an armored humvee (a military vehicle) driving right outside Barnes and Noble. I know what it was. Although it's been said police aren't turning into "military minded" tactics to "protect and serve", I'm seeing something "conspiracy theorists" are saying is a step into "martial law" (Google it). Will this end? Will police brutality continue? Yes. Will the laws change to penalize those who willful treat their fellow Americans wrongfully? No. Not until we get a group of people well versed in the law, another group of people with strong knowledge in history, and another group of people who've been victims or the family members of victims to get in the Supreme Court's face. Easier said than done, right? But "nothing's impossible to anyone who believes." Clearly, I'm frustrated with this whole thing. As a young 33 year old Black dude living in Bible Belt society that keeps secrets, looks the other way, says nothing, and a playground for racism/prejudice to parade in the minds of people in powerful place, both eyes and ears are open. I hope to never go through what these other men and women experienced, some losing their lives or livelihood. But if it does, don't riot. Don't pray. Don't march. Find a way to go to the heart and mind of this nation and effect change through using your mind, opening your mouth, and writing the solutions down. Hopefully, these words will reach somebody who feels where I'm coming from. It's time we stop allowing "the system of things" reload Diallo. It's time for some damn changes. As the Preamble says, "We The People." We have the power and it's time to remind the powers that be what time it is.

Til next time, my friends.......