We get UPSET! I mean Outraged to the point of VIOLENCE, if someone were to call us "out" of our name.
We've become OBSESSED with the notion,OTHER PEOPLE should think well of us, RESPECT US and that all we have in the way of honor to define our life, is OUR GOOD NAME, and WE MUST defend it....even if that means death!
The word RESPECT has taken on a WHOLE NEW MEANING! I've even heard individuals go so far as to say they DEMAND RESPECT...from OTHER PEOPLE....that THEY don't know, and WHO don't know them!
Say it a few times...out loud,"I DEMAND RESPECT from people who don't know me" and see how silly it sounds.
When Aretha sings about R-E-S-P-E-C-T, I know what she's talking about. But TODAY, I'm not even sure how RESPECT is measured, or exactly WHO'S level of RESPECT trumps WHO'S? Are there such things as RESPECT RANKS? SMH!
The SLIGHTEST GLANCE the "wrong" way, could be deemed DISRESPECTFUL, and give cause to call an EMT or worse.
I witnessed a VERY BLOODY battle on the streets of Flint, Michigan over this little word R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
Yea long years ago, I too would have a problem if someone called me a "B" or the "N" word! But WAIT A MINUTE.... I had to stop and THINK... I've referred to MYSELF and my friends, at the time in those terms. Then as in some cases now, it was viewed as a term of "endearment" among peers. so what should I have done? Punch my own self OUT???
Our THINKING MECHANISMS must be ELEVATED. We're WAY to sensitive and touchy...but about the wrong things. It is our consciousness of SELF that should be so keen that it matters NOT what whether someone we know, and ESPECIALLY someone we don't know SAYS TO or ABOUT us!
We now like to say Words have power. What ever happened to "Sticks and Stones...?"
In my opinion, Words are ONLY as powerful as the fuel we put behind them.... If you call me a Plane...will I FLY? If I say the word Death... will I DIE?
I've adapted the philosophy that I need YOUR RESPECT... When I have my OWN.... for MYSELF! It's appropriately called SELF-RESPECT! Maybe that's the problem...
So many of us don't know WHO WE ARE and we continuously ALLOW OTHER people to label, define and IDENTIFY US.
WHY on earth would I give another individual that much power over ME, for them to decide MY WORTH, and hang my "reputation" on WHAT their Thoughts and Opinions are of me? Just because we may not AGREE or have different views on a particular topic or discussion DOES NOT equate to DISRESPECT! How BACKWARDS IS THAT?
Should someone have the inability to not RECOGNIZE who I am, by my Thoughts, my Actions and my Deeds, that's their PROBLEM not mine. They've done NOTHING to QUALIFY themselves in having a say so as to my character, integrity, nor WHO I AM!
IF we have a Relationship with Christ, THAT in itself SHOULD be cause to put this foolishness aside.
If each of us could ever get to the place where we're SECURE in the KNOWLEDGE of WHO we ARE, and WHOSE we ARE, Nothing ELSE and what NOBODY ELSE SAYS OR THINKS MATTERS ...AT ALL, and we'd have one less battle to fight
But we've got a LONG WAY TO GO before we get there........
Thanks for reading,
Respectfully
praiZe
