The Waiting Room...

There's a little somebody out there somewhere, no bigger than a twinkle in my eye. He looks like me, and somebody else too. He's my own flesh and blood; a new story inherited. I can't wait.

No, nobody out there has my baby pending, lol. But I was just thinking today, what will I pass to my son when he comes? It was such a thought, I had to write something. Just to have something to look forward to, ya know?

So, here are the things I plan to teach to my son when he finds his way here. Some of it may be redundant because, what can I say, the Bible is still right. But some is my personal perspective on things. And this post actually may never end cuz I'll probably think of something new from day to day. Anyway:

1. Son, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It may sound cliche, but it's true. It's like one of those 3-D puzzles; you hafta look at it the right way for things to become clear for you. And knowing Jesus gives you the "right way" to make life comes into clarity.

2. Son, you hafta ask God to show you who you are. There may come times in your life when I try to make you into something you're not, like putting wings on a car, ya know? It's no longer a car, but a plane. You hafta ask God to tell you who and what you are, and then you become that to the best of your ability. And if I ever interfere with you becoming that, just let me know (politely), and I'll listen. Because I'm here to help you grow in stature, not to change who you are.

3. Son, girls are gonna change your life one day. Always be nice to them. You hafta be careful how you treat them because God made them different from you in many ways. Always be respectful to them, and don't let anybody be disrespectful to them around you.

4. An upright man is a man who follows and emulates Christ; the measure of a man is his ability to sacrifice. And that sacrifice comes out of a man's love. You'll know love when you're willing to sacrifice. Christ set the example.

5. Don't work to get rich, Son. Money is important, but money shouldn't be your motivator. That's why we tithe; to remember that our relationship with God is first over any of our possessions.

6. Love is when you prefer someone over yourself. The best way to live is to be more concerned about those around you than yourself, and God will look after you in return.

7. School is only a small part of learning, Son. Everything you see has something to teach you if you pay attention. A smart man will always be a student and learn as much as he can. It'll keep your mind sharp.

8. Be confident, Son; not confident in what you can do, but confident in what you know God can do through you.

9. You know, I believe God made us the way we are for a reason. Your pop's face is hairy right? But if you look closely, I have blemished skin beneath it. My hair gives me an even skin tone. God's pretty smart, isn't He? When you get to be a teen, you'll probably want to change a lot of things about yourself; but learn to appreciate what God made you first.

10. Don't feed the animals, Son; when people act like animals, don't react to them, because it will only give them something to work with. But when you can ignore what they do and love them anyway, you'll shame them.

11. You won't believe me for a long long time Son, cuz you're young; but beauty is overrated. One day, you'll realize that having a good girl is better than having a pretty girl. But it just might turn out you'll find one who's both, lol.

12. Nice guys don't finish last, Son; nice guys finish. "The race is not given to the swift or the strong, but to he that endureth to the end." Those other guys will spend the rest of their lives unsatisfied, going from woman to woman. But you'll find a good woman, and have the rest of your life to share with her. Don't you see your mother in there?...

13. I'm gonna give you a tip that's gonna save you some stress; don't talk about something if you can't do anything about it.

14. No matter if a person is richer or poorer than you, they are your equal. Never feel inferior to or look down on anyone.

15. Your second cousin Donnie told me something years ago: "if you're gonna pray, don't worry; if you're gonna worry, don't pray." That's some good advice. So pray and pray often, and don't worry.

16. Racism is something you're gonna face in your life if you live here. But don't let it engulf you, Son. Some people will hate you, but the few don't represent the whole. Continue to love all and pray for those that hate.

17. Make friends, Son. Good friends are some of the most precious things you can have in this life. I've had friends that have been with me for decades now, and it just blows my mind to know we've been together this long. It's a true blessing.

18. lol, Try this, Son... Don't worry about dating girls. If you like a girl, get to know her; talk, laugh, joke, listen, LISTEN, and just be with her, like you would a friend. What you'll find is opportunities will present themselves. One minute you're talking, the next you get hungry. So you ask her, "I got the munchies; you hungry too?" Boom, you're off to get something to eat. Or maybe you see she's struggling in a class and you can help her. "Think you'll be ready for this test? If not, I can help." Boom, you're off to help her study. Date-dates are overrated... fun, but overrated, lol.

19. People tend to pass responsibility, Son. I mean, like if you see trash on the street, most people say to themselves, "somebody else'll get it" or "I didn't put it there, it's not my problem". That's why things never change, Son. Anytime you can do something to make things better, do it.

20. Question everything, Son. Many of the things people take for granted should be questioned. And regardless of what answer you find, when you question, you learn.

21. Cousin Donnie used to beat me to death in fighting games. But I kept coming back and coming back and practicing and practicing. And now he won't even fight me, lol... SO PICK THAT CONTROLLER BACK UP... I need some competition...

22. Who you are behind closed doors is the real you.

23. Treat your body right man; you'll appreciate it now and somebody else will later, trust me...

24. The way you feel starts to show in your appearance, so work on your "feel good".

25. You can learn to do anything if you try it, Man. People say I'm talented, but I just concentrate, take my time, and try real hard. And when you do that enough, anything becomes second nature. The most import thing is that initial effort, and then the patience. Don't compare your learning curve to anyone elses; learn at your own pace, and eventually it will come to you.

26. Ya gotta have empathy, Man. You can't judge a person by his/her actions because there was always something in the background that brought them to the point of deciding to do what they did; and if they claim it was nothing, they're usually lying.

27. Yes, ya pops still watches cartoons; the real shows are fake too so what's the point, lol...

28. Never trust people to do what they say they're gonna do, lol. I'm not saying everybody is untrustworthy, but never be in a position where you're totally dependent on someone else. Always have a backup, or be ready to take an extra burden yourself if necessary.

29. Ginger beer is the greatest drink on Earth son. It may burn at first, but you'll get used to it, lol.

30. If you have a dream, something you wanna try, anything, let me know and I'll do my best to support you, Son.

31. Walk with your head up and your eyes forward, Son.

32. As long as you do your best, you never have anything to be ashamed of.

33. Strive for perfection and you'll always have something to look forward to.


...But what if it's a girl?! More to come...