I'm Free At Last

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ~Debt, grinding debt, whom iron face the widow, the orphan, and the sons of genius fear and hate, which consumes so much time, which so cripples and disheartens a great spirit with cares that see no base, is a preceptor whose lessons cannot be forgone and is needed most by those who suffer from it most.~ Essentially, each one of us have debts to pay that we knowingly put ourselves in to where it may take days, weeks, months, years, or even decades to get out of it. Hey, its part of being a responsible adult and oftentimes a reality check is needed to wake a person up. Let me ask you this question, when it comes to owing money, how minor or major are you in debt?

We've all borrowed money from people or vice versa and depending on the amount of money borrowed you primarily want it to be paid back. Thinking about it, you truly know who your friends are when one finds himself or herself in financial difficulty, but because of our pride you refuse to accept the help. It's those particular people in your life that you thank God for love, support, friendship, and act of selflessness towards not only you but your family as well. It can truly be a sad, but sometimes comical situation when one owes or is owed money that a person will either make excuses or try to avoid him or her at all costs, which can test the limits of one's patience.

Without a doubt, being a college student you can inevitably rack up some major debt as the cost of living in one's particular college of choice can bite you in the butt. Paying for you classes, food expenses, phone bills, etc can all add up to where it all seems hopeless that it may or may not get paid. Whether or not you yourself are paying for it by working or having your own parents for it, the education you received will be well worth it as you are handed your diploma. For the question can be asked of you, have you paid off any past college debts or are you still paying them? Personally speaking, I'm about a couple weeks shy of paying off a college debt that has lasted seven years, and I'm going to be when I make that last payment.

If you think about it, there are some debts that we all as human beings can never pay back because we continually owe this person our lives. For this debt we owe is a debt of gratitude to God Almighty for sending his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us and pay for our sins even though we did not deserve it. As we continue to give thanks in prayers for his self-sacrifice, we owe it to Him to spread his message and save others that are lost in sin. We are all sinners in the eyes of God and if you have not accepted Jesus as your personal savior now is the chance to get on your knees, pray to God, and accept him in your heart. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

In retrospect, in this day and age people easily get themselves deep into financial debt due to enticing offers and too good to be true deals. Whether it's spending too much with one's credit card or gambling to the point that you lose not only yourself but also your family and friends there will come a point that you will hit rock bottom. What it comes down to is managing your money wisely and for those who have experience on one's side they learned it the hard way to where the knowledge is passed to those that need to hear it. In the end, it's when you finally come to the point where you do get out of the red, so to speak, you can say yourself or out loud I'm free at last.

The Real Thing

Will Smith's character Hitch said, ~Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away.~ If you think about it, throughout life there are moments where we hold our breath with anticipation when it concerns a certain special someone who you either have met already or haven't met yet. In a metaphorical sense, since the time of our birth each of us has been holding our breath waiting for the right guy or girl to walk into our lives and finally tell us to breathe. For it's in that moment of exhaling you breathe out times of frustration, heartache, anger, confusion, and/or disappointment, which has been building up and its been a weight on not only your heart but also on your soul as well.

Let me ask you this question, have you truly met someone who honestly and genuinely takes your breath away and with good reason. Essentially, you've waited all your life for a person who makes you smile from ear to ear no matter how your day was, bad or good. A person who makes you laugh at the things one says or points out that seem insignificant, which shows he or she has a sense of humor that is never failing. In other words, one who can turn a negative into a positive. For this person is considered a blessing from God and yet at times you feel like you aren't deserving of him or her to where you think that person should be with someone else, but that particular thought is quickly squashed.

Without a doubt, when you finally do meet that person who leaves you breathless, he or she seemingly makes breathing easier for you. Of course, there have been those in the past who you thought would absolutely keep you breathing in and out sighs of fulfilling relief, but was it considered premature sighs of relief that caused you to hyperventilate? What do I mean? To simply put, sometimes you can get so excited in a relationship that you choose to overlook certain things he or she does. Unfortunately, its those particular things, whatever they may be, that will turn initial excitement into heartache to where you breathe into a paper bag due to the number of emotions that will overwhelm you, which we've gone through at some point in our lives.

Oftentimes, there comes a point where you will ask yourself questions when it concerns that special someone. Such questions are: Does this person bring out the best in me to where he or she challenges me to reach my greatest potential? Does this person have that north star quality to point and guide my way back to where I got lost in my journey of life? Does this person have a hero/storybook quality and that even though I may have stopped believing in Superman, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Knights in shining armor, etc. it's nice to know that someone is looking out for me. Finally, does this person have the qualities to be my best friend for life who knows me inside and out that he or she is not afraid of who I am, which can be scary.

Someone once said, ~Falling in love with someone is, in essence, not a conscious thing. You can wake up one morning, madly in love with someone, without any inkling how, when, or where your heart decided to beat in his direction. Falling in love is like breathing. You don't plan to do it, but something in your anatomy dictates that you should. That, plus the fact that consciously trying not to will only make you choke and turn blue. But it doesn't mean you won't continue doing it anyway...~ In retrospect, the love you find with that one person will bring/already has brought to your heart true happiness that when you savor each breath when you're around him or her you absolutely know you have the real thing.

Broken

Albert Einstein once said, ~ The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depends on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to our loves.~ In the whole scheme of things, life is about having an equal balance of highs and lows and yet at times it seems as if the lows outweigh the highs. If you think about it, we all go through the same lows even though the situation may be different for each of us. Situations such as people talking behind your back, starting rumors, and/or being accused of something you didn't do stem from a lack of maturity in which some, most, or all people haven't grown out of. Do you agree or disagree?

Essentially, that lack of maturity is oftentimes aimed in your direction because quite frankly people have nothing better to do with their own lives but to see others suffering, which is amusing to them. The mistake would be responding back because it only fuels the fire and the more drama, as well as, anger you put on the fire the flames are going to get higher to the point where it's out of control. It's just a matter of knowing the truth of the particular situation or people or persons involved which is considered the water that puts out the fire that can totally burn not only you but those around you that care about you. Though it may not be in an instant, it will gradually die down once the truth is revealed.

Without a doubt, we all want to see the good in people and yet they can have two sides to them. In other words, a proverbial Dr. Jekkly and Mr. Hyde persona and it's this persona that will have you inevitably re-evaluate friendships and probably adopt a new attitude because of it. We all must draw the line at some point in when it concerns the people in our lives and say enough is enough that it affects your outer balance, as well as, the inner balance to where its been pushed way beyond its breaking point. Its at that point you either start cleaning out your closet, so to speak, of one's inner circle or adopt a new attitude that initially will cause you to be either labeled the "B" word or an a**hole, but that's the price you have to pay.

There comes a point where we begin to ask ourselves questions concerning the balance of life not only outwardly but also inwardly too. Questions that concern life to where you ask the following: How do you keep going when people around let you down? How do you deal with being hurt emotionally within your heart and yet still keep going on? How do you know whether or not to stick with certain friends or give up on them completely? Who do you go to when the friends you turn to aren't there for you? It's these particular questions and many others you may have that ultimately have one answer which will always come up time and time again....God.

Someone once said, ~It's easy to get discouraged when things go bad. But we shouldn't lose heart because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, the next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.~ In retrospect, the life each of us lives is not an easy one but we continue to wake up and thank God we have one even though it may stink at times. In the end, it's when you feel like you've been broken both inside and outside, it's God who has the power to heal, as well as, bring back balance to your life. A song that somewhat reflects this thought is Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee.

Nevermind

Mark Twain once said, ~Never do tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.~ Let's be honest with ourselves people, we all are at times a bunch of lazy, procrastinating people. We can't help it because it's part of our nature and it's how God made us to have faults that we inevitably need to work on. In our hectic daily lives we put certain things or people on hild for the simple reason of either not having time, not wanting to deal with the drama, or starting and/or finishing a certain task that needs to be dealt with/accomplished. Let me ask you this question to each and every one of you. Is there something, whether it concerns a relationship or something else, that needs to be taken care of that you have been putting off?

Without a doubt, when it comes to school work kids, as well as adults will put it off either until tomorrow or until the last minute to finish something fairly or majorly important. Working with school age kids for the past 9 years, you witness kids starting or finishing homework that he or she should have done the night before or over the weekend. It's not just kids that fall victim to this, college students will pull all-nighters to start or finish a research that was given weeks/months in advance, but it wasn't until the night before it was due that one will risk losing sleep to finish it. We've all done it and it is me or does your printer seemingly not work when something important such as a research paper needs to be printed out?

When it comes to fighting, there comes a point where a person just becomes lazy about it and realizes that it's just not only a waste of time, it's also just plain stupid especially if it's amongst brothers. Speaking from experience, physically fighting with your own brother can be considered one of the most exhausting experiences mainly because when you're young you want to know who's the man, in a manner of speaking. However, when you get older the physical aspect of it all is replaced by talking smack to each other, which is by far a much more immature way of settling things. Hey, it's a guy thing and it saves trips to the hospital because bones don't heal like they used to when you're younger.

Oftentimes, in a significant relationship such as in a marriage there are certain things that a man, more so than a woman, can become lazy about due to the number of years they both have spent together. One such thing that a husband can do for his wife is to show how truly lucky he is to have her as his wife is taking her out on a date. Whether it's a simple moonlit stroll on the beach at night, a movie she would like to see, or going shopping with her which all men dislike doing but they'll have to bite the bullet. Essentially, it shows that a husband still got what it takes to romance the woman he loves after many years of marriage. For the question can be asked to married women, when was the last time your husband took you out on a date?

In retrospect, well all will have our own spurts of laziness from time to time which can either work for us or against us. For some, most, or all people they thrive on the pressure of doing things last minute because, in a sense, to that person it's considered another challenge that life has placed in front of him or her. Yes, others can be a quality which can really hurt a person even when it pertains to a dating or marriage relationship. Ultimately, the responsibility falls squarely on our shoulders to get off our butts and take care what's needed to be done like starting a research paper that I have been putting off so.....eehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....nevermind....I'll do it tomorrow.

You Da Man

Someone once said, ~Depending on the imagination of the man proposing, a marriage proposal can be the most romantic even in a woman's life. Its the time to express profound love and a commitment to mutual deviation.~ Did you know that is 85% of women have been "disappointed" in the way they were proposed to which shows that many guys don't take the time to plan out the proposal or if it was planned out it fell apart before, during, and/or after the special event. Without a doubt, being proposed to for a woman is considered one of the greatest events she will ever be involved in, as well as, remember for all time. Let me ask you this question to the ladies who are engaged or married, how did your man propose to you?

Essentially, what makes a proposal such a momentous occasion for any woman is the particular place that she is being proposed at, which may or may not have any importance to. One such place that is oftentimes used as a romantic backdrop for a proposal of marriage is at the beach either at sunrise where everything is peaceful or at sunset when the stars are about to shine in the sky. For the most part, sunset rather than sunrise is because the sound of the ocean combined with the moon reflecting off the water, as well as, shining brightly above gives it sort of a spotlight feel for a guy. In some aspect, the beach is the stage and once that spotlight hits its showtime folks for a future to possibly begin together.

When it comes to special occasions such as Valentine's Day the setting is right for getting on bended knee because you can sense it in the atmosphere and smell love in the air. In a poll conducted by Diamond Information Center, 10% of the reported 2.3 million couples who get engaged do it on Valentine's Day. Any woman can truly appreciate the time, effort, and planning of something so simple as a proposal because it shows how much a guy is willing to give from within his heart and soul. Whether it's elaborate or simple, as long as a guy finds the words to her how much he loves and means to her by asking for her hand in marriage then it's forever a special memory.

Countless stories can be told of romantic engagements in places such as on The Eiffel Tower, but how about in a cemetery? Well, it's a true story and involves a couple who have been dating for several years and the woman's father passes away who she is very close to. One day, he plans a visit to where her father is buried and when they arrive he tells her to wait. He walks over, kneels down on one knee, and prays in front of her father's tombstone. Afterwards, he(still kneeling) motions for her to come over and when she does she asks what he was doing he said, 'I was praying to your father for your hand in marriage.' Touched by his answer, she asks what he says? His response, 'Take care of my daughter' and he proposes to her right there.

Jean Diruni said, ~The greatest risk with proposing to someone is that they might say yes.~ Why? In the back of every guy's mind there is that small seed of doubt to where she says no, which one readily prepares for. But when the answer is yes, all the pressure leading up to that moment is a heart attack waiting to happen as a simple answer seemingly takes forever. Whether it's on the beach, on Valentine's Day, or in a cemetery, asking a woman for her hand in marriage is the most nerve racking moment any guy will go or has gone through. Ultimately, it's when you hear romantic stories of how a particular guy proposed to his future wife you just have to stand up, give him props, and in the end say to him you da man!

My Valentine

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said, ~Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves.~ Powerful, mysterious, giving, selfless, understanding, painful, patient, are just some of the verbal descriptions of what love can bring/give to two people who are truly in love with each other. Yet, it's the happiness you find within love that you can never really describe it with words to someone who either has never been in love or doesn't know the true meaning of what love is. Let me ask you this question, have you found that indescribable love that completes you in so many ways?

Without a doubt, there are three absolutes you know about in life and they are you're born, you pay taxes, and then you die. It's a given and yet there is one thing that you will never be able to know about which is who are you going to fall in love with? It's the unpredictability of love that matches two people together who may be of a different race, color, creed, size, shape, opinions, political stance, whatever the case may be that when you see both of them together you say to yourself or to others they absolutely fit together. Though some may not see it from a visual standpoint, its what a person "sees'' within the heart of those two people that can truly open his or her eyes.

If you think about it, love is synonymous with patience because it takes a lot of patience to continually be in love with someone who can also get on your nerves. Essentially, its not until you're completely comfortable with each other enough that one's habits will start to present themselves. Every couple has at least one or two things that annoy each other such as cracking knuckles, cutting one's toenails and leaving them where they are, saying a certain word/phrase over and over again, etc. Despite those annoying little quarks, which can drive you crazy, you still love him or her and learn to look past it because that is what love is as you accept that person for who he or she is, faults and all.

In a sense, the love that two people share has a universal language all its own that flows deep within each other's heart to where only you and that particular person can understand it. Though the way the message being sent is different for some, most, or all couples the message itself is the same true and true. For its that oftentimes unspoken language that can give a woman, more so than a guy, a sense of peace within her heart and soul that she is actually being heard without ever speaking verbally to the man she loves. For the question can be asked to you ladies, does the man in your life hear you loud and clear when you are sending him unspoken messages?

In retrospect, knowing the love you have deep within your heart is not considered a burden to carry around but rather a gift to share with that one person who sees how big of heart you truly have. It's when that person takes some of the load of your heart and places it in his or hers that you finally see the face of unselfish love. For that person is your best friend for all time who shares with you tears of joy and sadness, which is something special to behold. In the end, for those who are single, you will someday meet or have already met that special someone who you've dreamed a lifetime for and as you give your heart to him or her you will say to that person you are, as well as, forever will be my valentine, which is a song my Martina McBride.

Walk The Line

John Myers once said, ~What makes a man a Man? A friend of mine once wondered. It is his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't think so. It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.~ As a guy, one's manhood can be called into question when it pertains to certain areas of life such as relationships, love, marriage, etc. Without a doubt, every guy has been told to be a man when something or someone affects us that it totally changes the fabric of our being either for better or worse. For its how a man deals with the particular situations placed in front of him that essentially defines not only his character but also his heart as well.

Every man starts out with the adolescent innocence of a small boy and for the most part some, most, or all grow up and become the man he was born to be. For its through proper training and guidance from one's parent(s) who instill in him criterias in life to either follow or not follow, which in turn gives a woman insight into how he was raised and the values he holds close. The combination of a nurturing, caring, loving mother mixed with a no-nonsense, stern, sometimes stubborn father gives a woman the man that stands before her. Yet, results can vary depending on the man's family situation growing up and the atmosphere surrounding his upbringing.

Without a doubt, all men have an ego to where if that ego is bruised, foolish pride sets in and every guy, whether he wants to admit or not, has made a fool of himself when it came to following his heart. A man's ego and his heart, two things that continually clash as it begins and ends with a woman, who may or may not be "the one" that not only makes him crazy for a lifetime but also truly brings him to life. For some, most, or all men, its the choice to swallow his pride/apologize for things right or wrong that may end up embarrassing her and ultimately severing a plutonic/potential/significant relationship, which is truly becoming of man.

Let me ask you this question ladies, when it comes to encountering conflicts with the man in your life, does he leave things unfinished to where resentment is felt or does he stay by your side and talks things through until the situation is resolved? That is the determining factor in any relationship for any woman to find a guy who will not run away or avoid the conflicts that fester over time and if not dealt with they'll explode to where there will be no survivors left standing. Every woman has been in this type of situation and there is still a bit of resentment towards a particular guy who not only did you wrong, but left things unfinished which left you scar that hasn't healed within your heart.

Personally speaking, I have to ask this question: what makes me a man? Is it how my mom taught me to always say yes sir, no sir, yes ma'am, no ma'am, plus please and thank you. Is it how my dad, who was an officer in the Navy, taught me to respect women and never lay a hand on them. Or is it how both my parents taught me to always be a true gentleman, which is seriously lacking in the guy department. What it comes down to are the choices made in the beginning and seeing them all the way through. In the end, I continue to walk the line my parents set me on and even though I've made mistakes with the choices I've made, they will always be proud of me as the man I am now and also the man I will become in future.

Heaven On Earth

Neil Gaman once said, ~Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something one day like kiss you or smile at you and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you...It hurts not just in the imagination, not just in the mind. Its a soul hurt, a real-gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart-pain.~

You have to admit, it would truly be a wonderful world if you didn't have to go through the pain and suffering that comes with love such as rejection. Every person, whether one wants to admit it or not, has been rejected by someone who he or she was initially interested in/in love with or vice versa. Depending on the type of rejection and the number of times, it can affect a person to where one can have his or her heart turn on and off like a proverbial light switch, which sounds cold, but you have to look at it from their perspective. For it would be so much simpler if the things that complicated love like rejection would be taken out of the equation, but one can only dream of that every happening.

When it comes to love, we all metaphorically wear a suit of armor to protect ourselves from seriously getting hurt especially from within our heart. Yet, no matter how thick one's armor is or how well protected you are, somehow someone who you didn't intend to fall for, pierces through our armor and into our heart. We've all been in or are going through that particular situation to where you completely let down all your defenses, which leaves you totally vulnerable not only in your heart but your soul as well. Essentially, you consequently open yourself up to him or her but unfortunately that someone of interest may not, which leaves you without a parachute to safely float to the ground, in a manner of speaking, as you take that leap of faith.

As it was said before by Nel Gaman, all it can take is either a kiss, smile, or something to wake your heart up. It's that so-called wake up call that gets inside your head to where you want to know more about that person not in a stalking, creepy sort of way; but rather in a genuine fondness way. As a guy, you want to know what her favorite flower, color, smell is and not only that you want to genuinely get to know her by finding out her hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, as well as, plans for the future. I know for all women, it's a rarity these days to meet a guy who takes the time to get to know you inside as well as out and for a woman, that guy is considered a dream come true.

In retrospect, a person can spend a lifetime waiting for love that can make you happy and yet miserable at the same time, but in a good way. It's the happiness deep down in your soul, the happy misery that you've always wanted and yet it's not fixable when things don't work out as you expected. Yet despite the pain, suffering, and rejection you, as well as, your heart kept getting back up after being knocked down. Ultimately every person has made this statement: ~When I fall in love I want it to last forever.~ In the end, it will or has come true for you to where it always feels like heaven on earth and a song that reflects this thought comes from the movie Sleepless in Seattle entitled When I Fall In Love by Celine Dion & Clive Griffen.

Unbreakable

Lois Wyse once said, ~A good friend is a connection to life-a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.~ If you think about it, the connection each of us have with one's friends oftentimes can't be described with just mere words. Essentially, there is an unseen bond in which you clique with someone that a friendship is formed either in an instant or gradually. It's these same friends who keep life interesting, exciting, and laughable to where its never dull being around him, her, or them. Without a doubt, each one of us have great memories shared with certain friends and it's the connection with a particular moment in time with him, her, or them that will always be considered special.

When it comes to our friends, past or present, something will inevitably connect him, her, or them to you. Though the connection may be different with each person individually you still keep that balance of friendship level as can be so as to not disturb the harmonious flow that's been established in one's inner circle. Yet, you can't help but hang out more with a particular number of one's inner circle, which doesn't necessarily mean you don't enjoy their company. Its due in part to the length of time one has known the person or persons, as well as, interests that may be shared with you. Let me ask you this question, who in your inner circle have you known the longest and how well does he, she, or they know you?

Essentially, there are moments in one's past with a particular friend or friends that either a secret or promise is shared. In other words, a pact that is made between friends to where a certain situation is kept under wraps that only some, most, or all know and whether or not that particular secret will be tight lipped depends on how strong the friendship is. OR its a pact where friends, who may have gone their separate ways, come together to fulfill a promise that was made in the past. For it’s a pact in which an agreement sealed it tight such as a pinky swear, spit handshake, a speech, or whatever the case may be for you and your inner circle past or present.

In any case, there comes a point where a friendship that was long forgotten in the past surprisingly steps back into the present. What do I mean? With this being an age of an updated and ever growing technological age we can find/stumble on friends that one grew out of touch with back in the day. With such websites as Myspace, Friendster, and classmates.com, a person can find old friends if he, she, or they are on there. Personally speaking, I've kept in contact with a few of my friends who I went to school with overseas. For they were and still are family being that it was a military base and the funny thing is that you will meet them again to where you unknowingly find yourself working with that person or persons.

In retrospect, the faces may change but the spirit of friendship is never lost as we all connect with people on a semi-daily basis. Whether it's in person or online in websites such as Myspace and Friendster, you form an initial bond even though you may not know him, her, or them personally. In this totally insane world, the connection we have with our totally insane friends who, in some aspect, keep us sane shows that no matter what comes between a friendship that breaks it apart something happens to bring it back together. In the end, the road of life will always connect us to friends in the past and present to where they will someday meet in the future because in the end, that unseen bond friends share with each other is truly unbreakable.

Say It With A Smile

Lydia M. Child once said, ~Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all me for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning.~ You have to admit, one of the gifts that a woman most likes to receive, other than jewelry, are flowers. With Valentine's Day being just around the corner there will most definitely be a rise in sales of flowers, particularly roses. Valentine's Day is a chance for people, mainly guys, to show our romantic/softer side with a particular female or group of females and what better way to show appreciation than to personally give or have flowers delivered to show her or them we care.

Without a doubt, when guys like myself have no idea what to say we let flowers do all the talking. Flowers can express a plethora of emotions that can convey passion, respect, congratulations, friendship, appreciation, and regret when someone wants to apologize for something one might have said or did to get the proverbial cold shoulder. Thinking about it, flowers are considered the perfect gift for a special someone or potential special someone in one's life as it can not only brighten her day, but also put a smile on her face to where it makes her feel special. Let me ask you this question ladies, when was the last time you received flowers and who was the guy that sent them?

For some, most, or all guys the standard flowers to give women are red roses and yet they can sometimes grow seemingly tired of receiving the same thing to where a guy can be considered predictable in the flower department. For the most part, its just a matter of changing it up not only with the colors but also the type of flowers to give, which shows women that guys are actually taking their time to think what flowers to get and not just picking the first cheesiest flower he sees. It's a mistake that guys tend to make and in a sense, for a woman, the right flower can either break a guy; but if he takes the time to find out what her favorite flower is then he might have a chance and there is a big emphasis on the word MIGHT.

For those particular people who may not have a Valentine this year or previous years, giving flowers or Valentine related gifts are something to be avoided. However, you can still give without having any kind of personal attachments. Personally speaking, I don't have a Valentine but that doesn't stop me, as well as, my best friend from giving flowers as gifts to our female co-workers of the insane asylum/Youth Center. For the past several years, we've been doing it because we wanted to and it inevitably has now become a tradition every year to buy them and give them personally to each lady depending how many ladies we both buy them for. By now, they're expecting us to deliver and let me tell you something we both don't want to disappoint them.

Someone once said, ~To see a flower of beauty is such a special thing...The petals wrapping around the stem, it can make you want to sing...Fragrant smells of roses, carnations and the such...You want to reach out to the petals, with just a small soft, touch...The colors of the rainbow, so bright and vibrant are they...We take for granted the flowers, each and every single day...So stop and smell the roses, carnations and the such...Revel in the beauty and make that small, soft touch...Remember that the flowers are a treat, they surely are a treasure...Remember this whenever, the flowers bring you pleasure.~ In the end, every guy will give a someone special or a close friend flowers and as its personally handed to that certain someone Happy Valentine's Day will be said and they will most definitely say it with a smile.

Show Me The Money

Donald Trump said, ~Money was never a big motivation for me except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.~ Without a doubt, money is considered a big incentive when it comes to being an athlete, actor/actress, and most certainly a musician. When it pertains to musicians, particularly those in the area of rap/hip hop, money is the name of the game to where one can make a name for himself or herself depending on the sales of their records. It can truly be staggering how much these "artists" make as we all read, see, or her them buy lavish material possessions such as houses, cars, clothes, and most definitely

Let me ask you this question, have you ever thought to yourself when you're looking at a certain rap artist that they're really overdoing it with all the bling? In a sense, they can literally be on the cusp of being the next Mr. T in the making, which is a description not meant to be considered flattering. Yet, it's not so much the quantity of bling but the or ice, as it is otherwise known, it's the size of bling one wears that amazes you that person is actually standing upright due to sheer mass and weight of it. It's no wonder they need bodyguards not just because of their fame but rather the millions of dollars they're displaying and oftentimes flaunting around their neck, wrists, fingers, on their ears, and even on their teeth.

You truly know when someone has too much money when they start putting diamonds, gold, and/or platinum coverings for their teeth or otherwise known in the urban lingo grillz. For the most part, it's been done in the past before rap/hip hop exploded into the mainstream, but it was more toned down back then. Now, you have rappers with diamond/gold/platinum encrusted braces or teeth guards which have become popular with "artists" such as Paul Wall who sported them on Nelly's recent music Video Grillz. In my honest opinion, they're nice for show but they'll end up cutting the inside of your mouth and talking is a total impossibility.

Essentially, when it comes to the bling you know there are people out there who are bold enough to try to jack their jewelry. It's a given because the price tag of a particular rapper's bling they wear can reach millions, which in all intents and purposes can pay for not just my house but my friend's houses especially the bling in their mouths as well. Undoubtedly, potential robbers may not be just going after the usual things such as wallet, the earrings, necklace, rings, but also taking what's in their teeth, which makes it funny to think about as a rapper is trying to describe what one's teeth looks like to the police, but I digress.

In retrospect, money can be considered a double-edged sword to where it's considered survival of the fittest. When money plays a part in the music industry, it can either make or break you in album sales. It helped rapper 50 Cent's and it probably helped sales when people heard he was shot 9 times and lived to tell about it. You have to admit though we as a society thrive on building people up to where they make it big and jump off the proverbial bandwagon once that person falls i.e. M.C. Hammer. In the end, when potential rappers think they've got what it takes, get signed to a label, and start buying things such as jewelry, just know it all began with a single thought that became a driving force which was...show me the money.