Pre-Made Families

I can't be the only one noticing that pre-made families are becoming the norm. Many people you have romantic interest for are bringing kids from previous relationship into the mix. Makes me blessed NOT to have had children by the wrong woman. If you can't see yourself with someone long-term, you shouldn't lay down and have children with them. This is for those who don't care who they lay down with; they just want some of that good good. It seems like childless men & women are becoming extinct; you are hard pressed to find someone who doesn't have children. I'm not against having kids but if you're going to lay down with someone, make sure it's with someone you see yourself with long term. Too many children are being born out of wedlock. There was a time where couples WAITED until they got married and had good jobs before deciding to bring children in the mix, but now it's like find out if you're sexually compatible with a person before marriage. So you have to lay down with someone before you figure out whether you're compatible with them or not? That's backwards logic if I've ever heard some. A child comes into the world and boom, you two decide you aren't compatible and the child is left to suffer for the parents' stupidity. I approach relationships from an old-school stance: Get to know someone first before laying down with them in a marriage context. Besides, sexual activity between a married couple is more meaningful because the couple shares a part of themselves with the one they love; the person who takes good care of their heart and has the utmost respect for them. If a couple gets together with the best intentions and they decide to have children but the relationship still goes sour, then I can overlook that. Many times, you do see yourself with a person long term but one or both people mess it up somehow. You gotta do what's best for your child(ren) and if it means leaving that sorry man, so be it. This is for those who don't care who they lay down with, that's the nonsense I was referring to. Just creating babies en masse.

Reverse Psychology

Sometimes, it amazes me how relationships work. Two people show interest in each other and depending on the personalities, they may/may not be upfront. You could have one person that acts like they're not interested in which case, the woman has to step her game up to get him to notice her. The entire time she's thinking "What's wrong with me to where he's not interested? I need to throw myself at him a little more" Now this may or may not work, it depends on the person. To me, that's playing games because if you have to fake interest in order to get someone to notice you, you don't belong with anyone. Learn how to be real with your feelings and come again. If I'm checking for a woman, I'm going to be real about my desire for her. I'm going the extra mile to get and keep her because that's what a MAN does. A man will only chase a worthwhile woman, if a man's not interested in a certain woman he won't bother pursuing her because in his mind, she's not worth the chase. The same can be said for a woman interested in a man. I won't lie that reverse psychology does work because it keeps both on their toes, both parties are waiting on the other's next move. What some men and women fail to realize is that although there may be similarities, each person is unique and sometimes it's easier to "pick" up someone, but keeping them long-term is the real skill. Going further, it's easy to find a man/woman, hard to keep them because I've heard it said that what you did to get someone, you have to do to keep them. Personally, I would think she's a clown if she acted like she wasn't interested in me when she really was; the whole time I'm thinking "Miss, if you're interested in me, just say so." Nobody has time for games. Some people will keep it moving if you act like you aren't interested in them and rightfully so. Who wants to play games with someone when there's plenty fish in the sea?

Keeping It Real vs. Being Rude

Everybody keeps it real or so they say. There is NO gray area between being honest and flat out being rude. Keeping it real is when you don't compromise your core beliefs; you can speak the truth but do it in love. You don't have to tell someone about themselves in order to get your point across because you can check them in such a manner that they realize their own shortcomings and make the necessary adjustment(s). Being rude is having no regards for others feelings as you "tell it like it is". A lot of people who pride themselves on being frank are using honesty as an excuse to be jerks. They feel that telling it like it is involves hurting someone's feelings when that reflects poorly on THEM instead of the other person. Whenever I hear someone who says they keep it real, red flags go up because if you keep it real like you say, you don't have to broadcast your realness. People know you keep it real by the way you conduct yourself. Nothing worse than to proclaim realness and act contrary. People like this have the nerve to get upset when others call them out on their behavior then wanna say "You can't handle a strong personality". Last time I checked, having a strong personality does mean not letting people run over you but at the same time having respect for another's feelings. Some of the strongest people don't broadcast keeping it real, they let their actions speak for them. I respect people who really keep it real and don't use that as a front for being obnoxious. Rude people can exit stage left. It's one thing to keep it real, but it's another to make no apologies for your difficult personality. It's as if one is proud of using the "keeping it real" mantra as a front for being rude. I don't allow toxic people anywhere near me. For me, being real is more about action than words.

Thugging

I DO NOT embrace the thug life because of the dangers associated with it but I have to say this: These dudes talk about being goons/gangsters and having done this, that and the third but when the law is hot on them, they start singing like a song. So you can be out there with your boys robbing and killing and as soon as the police cut you a deal, you start telling this, that and the third. You get off and your boys are locked up for life all because you were too chicken to do that time like a man. Even the Mafia and other organized crime groups frowned upon ratting because if you got caught, YOU did your time. Yes, your friends would try to bail you out but if that didn't work, you stayed until your sentence was up. The Streets Are Watching and when you violate street law, your own neighborhood doesn't respect you. You may have to move out of your neighborhood because your life could be in danger. You have some cats that will shoot at their enemies and then call the police at the same time, what kind of mess is that? These fools kill me with how hard they claim to be but when the law put that pressure on them, they crack like an egg. Don't embrace the thug life if you can't deal with the dangers. Many times, you can't leave the streets alone because your enemies won't allow you to. If they don't get you, they go after your loved ones. Drug Dealers, Gangsters, Dope Boys, etc. are the first to tell you they will never work with the police but the cops know what's up, all they have to do is cut them a deal and the singing begins. These guys also try to lay low when street wars become too dangerous. 

The Cowardly Man

As a man, you're supposed to embrace man principles, just like women are supposed to embrace womanhood. The worst kind of man is one who co-signs women to gain their favor. These men agree with everything a woman says even if she's dead wrong. True, we're entitled to our views but some things you need to take a stand on. There are men who talk a big game around their boys but when an attractive woman comes around, they change their stance. I call these men cowards because they lack spine. It takes a real man to stand firm in his beliefs under intense opposition. Through it all, he never waivers. He garners the respect of all (even oppressors) because he stood up for what he believed in. It's easy to have a belief during the good times but your beliefs are tested in rough waters. Are you going to waiver or stand firm? Honestly, I  can't stand men who brown nose; where is his manhood? I understand that all men share the same gender but in terms of personality, many of them differ. You have men who embrace manhood and those who embrace woman ideologies. I'm a man through & through so I will always stand up for manhood. I'm not afraid of being labeled as chauvinistic because I adhere to traditional standards of manhood (man being provider, head of the house, etc). Going further than that, I'm strong enough to tell a woman she's dead wrong (and I expect the same from her). I see so much brown-nosing from men on Facebook; men co-signing women on any & everything and the minute he has an opposing view, she says he hates women, controlling, chauvinistic, etc. The SAME man changes his POV and he's back in her good graces. I want no part of these cowardly men because to me, they're women trapped in a man's body. For real. This is why fathers are critical in a boy's life because a woman CANNOT impart manhood into a boy because she's not a man. Boys raised around women are more likely to become effeminate because that's all they knew was women growing up. You have some young men who break that cycle and realize they need strong male figures in their life to impart manly wisdom. Effeminate men are not respected in today's society because most people view them as weak.

Once, Twice, Three Time's A Charm

Why cheat? If you're not happy, LEAVE. Cheating is a waste of your time and your partner's. In the end, cheating's not worth it because the time spent sneaking around with another person could be better spent finding someone more compatible. What sounds so simple, people make so complicated. Ok, so someone cheats on their spouse, the other person finds out and gets upset (rightfully so). All kinds of emotions are running through their head: upset/angry, hurt, sad, etc. Remembering the good times they shared, the offended decides to give the other person a 2nd chance. I'm all for 2nd chances but honestly, some people abuse them. When you give someone another shot, you are trusting them not to foul up again because the next time, it's over for good. Reading the above pic, the offender has to feel genuine remorse for their transgression or otherwise, continuing to take someone back after they cheat is giving them a green light. You can't keep giving someone passes when you know they're going to abuse them. Honestly, it's tough deciding to give someone another chance because you don't know if they're for real or trying to jerk your chain. I have zero tolerance for cheating because if I'm giving my woman 1000 reasons to smile, all she needs is one reason to creep and when she does, I'm gone. No second chances. I will forgive her but I can't give her another shot because she'll have a green light to keep cheating knowing I'll take her back. As long as you lay down the law early on in the relationship, there should be no problems. People that continually take someone back after they've cheated are setting themselves up for bitterness because of allowing someone to continually hurt them. Newsflash: If someone cheats on you, they didn't love you because if they did, they would not have crept. Save the "you're never there, you're always working, etc." excuses. In the same manner, if you continually take a cheater back, you have no right to get upset because YOU allow them to hurt you.

When In Doubt, Duck Out

You know marriage is under attack when the legal industry advertises in this manner. Life's Short, Get A Divorce. With divorce being big business, I can see why law firms would try to profit off divorce. Couples that aren't compatible shouldn't have gotten married to begin with because they've wasted each other's time. Whatever happened to approaching relationships the OLD-SCHOOL way? Get to know a person before you decide to marry them, this way when you marry them, you know you made the right decision having done your due diligence. I cannot in good conscience support financial gain from a painful experience. I personally hate divorce because of the pain it inflicts on the parties involved: The couple getting divorced and the children (if any are in the picture). I also realize that divorce is a last resort after one has tried everything to make the relationship work and there's nothing left to be done. When you've done all you can and there's nothing left, take your loss and move on. I'm 50-50 on marriage, part of me would enjoy being married to the right woman and the other half doesn't want to deal with the ups & downs of relationships. It's going to take a special woman to make marriage worthwhile for me. Many men are reluctant to marry because of child support laws and alimony which are set up to favor women; many women feeling they are entitled to this, that and the third when they aren't bringing nothing to the table. Shacking has become the new marriage: Live together without formal commitment. At least when a couple shacks, they aren't bound by legal/financial and moral obligations to make the relationship work. The option to bounce is always available. At this rate, marriage may become extinct since many people are less likely to tie the knot. Honestly, marriage used to be about love and companionship but now it's delved into a business arrangement: What you can do for me instead of what we can bring into each other's lives.