The Art of Giving Shit - Page One

••• today's entry continues here below •••

He says a tentative, "Yeah." But he can already tell that I have him at a disadvantage .. because the Dog's memory is not as good as mine. (Even though he is no dummy.)

Then I said, "Do you remember where we went after the Lollipop?" (You cannot possibly imagine how much fun this was for me.)

The Dog feels around a little, trying to get his bearings, and he says somewhat confidently, "We went to the Sugar Mill."

"That's right," I said, very calmly, so as not to let him know where I am going with this thing. "Do you remember what happened when we got there?"

Now I really have him. He starts laughing again. Nervous laughter .. because he knows his ass is mine.

He starts somewhat unsure of himself, "Yeah .. we ordered.."

And I jumped in and said, "We? No, dog .. not we. You. You ordered."

It was so much fun working him like that. I was working his ass mercilessly. He totally deserved it.

» The Backstory of Wrongly-Placed Blame

[ In order to make sense of this thing .. I need to tell you some stories ..

.. particularly the one about the time when we went to Captain's Mast ..

.. where the Cap'n becomes like a judge .. standing behind a podium and doling out punishments as he sees fit.

Keeling-hauling and whatnot. The lore of seafaring punishments as forms of corporal discipline .. has a long-n-colorful history, you know.

We were on off-crew there in Hawaii at the time .. not at sea. This was when the Blue Crew had the boat, and we were fucking off for a few months in downtown Waikiki after we returned from tour, from a number of months at sea.

The Dog and I went to Captain's Mast for the same charge, for the same offense .. for this naughty thing we did together as partners-in-crime .. at the same time. (It is not at all difficult to get in trouble while hanging out with the Dog.)

Even though we both went for the same reason, we were sent to separate masts. They held two separate Captain's Masts for us, instead of one.

I think I went first, but not positive. Probably because it doesnt really matter.

Anyway, the Dog told me later that our Division officer told the Captain that he felt like I was a "bad influence" on the Dog.

But see, this thing was actually the Dog's idea. It was harmless, but we still got in trouble for it.

So, one of the things that the Dog works me on .. is this idea that he is really the angel of us two, and I am "the Bad Dog,"

and he is "the Good Dog." He know it irritates me .. that they blame me for things that were really his idea.

But it is all in good fun. [ There is also an infamous photo floating about .. that the Dog uses to make his case that he is really the Good Dog, and it is true what the Navy said about me.

What is it about me that makes some people want to punish me for things that were not my fault?

The Dog just looks so innocent. I once asked this gay dude I knew .. what is was about the Dog, why people can see no wrong in him .. no matter what he does.

"It's those puppy-dog eyes." he said .. without the least bit of hesitation.

When we went clubbing together downtown Waikiki .. where "everyday is a holiday and every night a Saturday nite" ..

.. the girls never paid much attention to me. They were usually enchanted by the Dog.

And the Dog would really just be himself with these girls. He had no schtik, no angle, no lines.

I found it refreshing and relaxing .. when girls would focus on the Dog. I found that I could more easily lower my defenses and just be myself.

This also allowed me to observe, closely observe, these social interactions between members of the sexes.

The Dog has such beautiful social skills .. with both males and females .. that it was a beautiful to watch him interact. (He grew up with an older sister.)

He just knows how to make people feel good, and make them feel good about themselves.

One of the things that makes the Dog the Dog .. is that it is clear he has no insecurity issues. He is obviously confident in who he is and what he thinks .. and why he thinks what he thinks.

But he at the same time disarming with the sense of honesty and vulnerability that he can bring to a conversation.

He makes you feel safe. You neednt bother about which type of defensive posture to adopt with the Dog .. so you can just be yourself.

This section here is growing much larger than I had originally planned. I should off-load this section to its own page.

But whatever title would I give to such a subject? (I should use the opportunity to get in a dig with the Dog .. and explain how I am really the good dog .. contrary to military documents on file somewhere with the DOD.

This actually plays into the thing that the Dog said to me at the strip club, at the Lollipop .. where the stripper seemed to be stripping for the Dog .. maintaining eye-contact with him while she danced for him ever so provocatively.

Hopefully now you can better understand the gist of my working the Dog .. and how I seem to get blamed for his ideas.

There are a number of examples I could cite, but it would take too long.

To this day, the Dog will sign his emails with things like "The Good Dog" and "as documented in US Naval military proceeding for Captain's Mast."

Even though he is far more skilled at getting into trouble than I could ever be. It is one of life's more curious oddities.

The Dog is not the only person whose ideas I seem to be blamed for. But he is one of the more prominent examples.

Some people just dont like me. I s seem to rub wrong some people.

(I do indeed have issues when it comes to authority figures who demonstrate incompetence. If I do not respect someone, professionally speaking, then it is very difficult for me to hide this professional disdain.)

Finished with blame backstory. ]

Notice how people try to blame me for shit that is not my fault. Sometimes I think there must be a sign hanging on my back, saying, "Blame me."

I love the Dog.

He has gotten me way more times than I've gotten him. So it felt extra special good to get him like this.

» When Giving Shit Means I Love You

The Dog is so good at fucking with you and giving you shit that it actually makes you feel good when he does it. He makes you feel like he loves you.

[ It should be obvious, but worth noting nonetheless .. that there is a huge difference between 'giving shit' and 'giving a shit.' ]

And he always brings a valid point that he works from. Or, at least, a pseudo-valid point.

[ Whereas I grew up with one brother and no sisters .. the Dog grew up with one sister, and no brothers. ]

This is how guys have fun with each other .. giving each other shit when they deserve it.

Girly, both you and the Dog make me feel less alone in the world. There are very few people who make me feel that way.

That's a good trick. You'll have to show me how you do that sometime. I like learning cool, new tricks from super-hotties such as yourself.

I was giving my son dog-style shit when I took this photo of him. I forget what I was giving him shit about .. but he did not seem too terribly bothered by it.

He loved it when I gave him shit. (He has given me way more shit than I've given him.)

Here is an image from MGK's Bad Things » behind the scenes .. where he is giving this kid shit about rapping naughty lyrics.

I learned how to do that from the Dog. This is another reason why I love the Dog.

» Kids Always Want to Do Exactly What You Tell Them They Shouldnt

Here is a photo of my son at 2 years old, after his evening bath, climbing out of the crib.

I would say, "You better not climb out of that crib, Buck-o .. or you'll be in big trouble. Big, big trouble. Dont even think about it."

Whatever I told him that he better not do .. that is always exactly what he wanted to do. "Look at my leg, dad. Look what I'm doing."

I bet that Michael Bisping knows exactly what I am talking about.

Is that not the cutest thing you have ever seen? "Lucas, I'm fighting for the world championship tonight .. who's gonna win? What do you mean he's going to knock me out?"

Notice how they play the sound (at t=1:20) of a vinyl record scratching. A perfect place to play that sound.

He is from Manchester. God bless Manchester. That is a great video. Did you see those guys at the end, laughing their asses off? They couldnt help themselves.

I want to tell Michael Bisping about the time when I was living in Lancaster (Pennsylvania) and dating a girl from York. It was one of my best relationships ever. She was my first college graduate. My mom went nuts over her.

[ This photo here is close to the age that he was when that girl said, "I want one just like that." Can you blame her? He is the reason why people tell me that I make good babies.

As you can see, I put a lot of effort into him. Effort and love. From day 1. I'm sure you can see it. It's right there in his eye. You can't miss it. Super-human.

» Not as Easy as I Make it Look

It's not easy to be a good dad when people are calling the police and Child Protective Services every other day for years on end .. to tell them that you are a horrible dad.

In their opinion, of course.

That shit takes a toll on you after a while. And the courts seem only too eager to oblige. You try to not let that toll affect your kids .. but I can assure you that it's not as easy as I make it look. ]

For this shot I held the camera at my chest (for a more natural shot) and was saying to him, "Do not dare try to climb out of that crib, mister .. or you will be very sorry."

Does he look very sorry to you? When a child looks at you with eyes like this .. this is indescribably delicious. (Or when he touches your face like this.)

I submitted some of these photos with my responses to the court. "Does he look like he's being abused?" I asked.

Notice how, in the other photos of him posted here, he seems to be hamming it up for the camera .. which I am pointing at him. He is being cute and he knows it. (He knows how to work me.) Mr. "Guapo," as the old Mexican lady called him.

But this one here is just us having fun. "Look at my leg, dad. Look what I'm doing."

» Exquisite Mind-Fucking

There was a period there, for quite a stretch .. when I wasnt sure if I'd be seeing him the next week.

You cannot imagine how that fucks with your head. That is some kind of exquisite mind-fucking right there. And I won't even get into all the restraining orders.

This is why I always wanted the current week to be as cool as possible .. filling him with as much love and affection and attention as I possibly could.

» The Prophet Who Turns the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children

And dont think that Cormac McCarthy doesnt have a little something to do with the sparkle in that boy's eye.

This is why Cormac reminds me of Elijah the prophet. He turns the hearts of the fathers to the children.

I wonder what it is about the hearts of the fathers being turned away from the children .. that causes God to want to come and "strike the land with total destruction."

Whatever it might be, I am sure that Alice Miller knows.

Cormac has a young son himself, by the way. His name is John.

Cormac McCarthy is the real deal. And he knows it. (Just like Jessie.)

» The Real Deal

Speaking of real deals .. girly, I know that you know this Jessie J girl pictured here. You sang that song with her and Nicki. That is a kick-ass song that you girls sang.

» Bang Bang All Over You

You know the song that I'm talking about. Dont pretend like you dont know what I'm talking about.

Girly, that song has nearly a billion views. Holy smokes. You cannot possibly know how big of a number that is.

That song has some eyebrow-raising lyrics. (Oh, I see .. that is actually a Jessie J song .. which features you and Nicki.)

"Bang-bang, all over you. (I'll let you have it.)" Oh, girly .. these are very naughty lyrics that you girls are singing here.

» Maybe the Best Fit Ever

[ I have a 'bang-bang-all-over-you' story myself. It was a beautiful thing. Let me tell you. She let me have it. Many times she let me have it. But who's counting?

I dont recall whether I actually said it, but I was definitely thinking, "This girl is amazing."

She holds a certain record in my life that happens to make her special. And she is way out in front of everybody else.

In this particular category .. no one else is even close. This is why she was amazing, and represents part of why I feel a sense of regret. (There are other reasons.)

She was a good fit for me. Very good.

Maybe the best .. with all things considered. Definitely on the short-list for all-time greatest.

I thought of her when I saw this leggy Russian pole dancer. Similar proportions .. tall and willowy.

The bedrooms were upstairs at her place. She had a nice place.

It was actually her mom's place. A rental unit. A nice, two-story townhouse .. professionally decorated.

Note that this section on perhaps the best-fit-ever .. has been lifted and moved to its own page » The Stab-of-Regret Visits the Capricorn on the Solstice (21 Dec 2019). ]

» Recipe for Trouble

Girly .. you and Nicki and Jessie .. all together .. that is a recipe for trouble if ever I saw one. There's a lot girl-thing going on there. Strong, confident girl-thing. (I am feeling something here.)

I remember when I first saw that video. I remember thinking that you girls were pushing the envelope. Pushing boundaries. Leaning hard on them. The lyrics, the beat, the visuals, the energy, the subtext .. everything was pushing the envelope.

"Good for them," I thought.

Jessie J .. she brings serious vocal talent to the table. She is a real no-shit singer. I have seen her listed on various Best Singers lists. She has a strong voice.

I was struck here by how happy she looks .. how genuinely happy. Good for her. I mean, if I were doing this music video .. driving that cool, old car down to the beach .. I would be feeling pretty happy myself, I'm sure.

Interesting lyrics, no? I certainly think so.

» The Real Deal Welcomes Opportunities to Prove Their Realness

The concept of the real deal .. this is an interesting conversation. What does it mean to be the real deal? What is it that makes somebody the real deal?

Nobody is born a real deal. J Cole knows what I am talking about.

The real deal must prove their realness. Everyday the real deal must be prepared to prove his realness.

This is why real deals do not shy away from challenges .. but rather, they welcome them. Heartily welcome. 

They themselves are curious about how far their realness can take them. You know what I am talking about.

Why do I feel like I should include an image of Bruno Mars here?

Girly, say hi to your friend Jessie for me .. the next time you see her.

You have the coolest friends.

I remember that one performance where you girls did that song at an awards show .. and Jessie came in from the back .. down the aisles. That was very fucking cool .. the way she did that. Very ballsy.

Now with Jessie here, I have images of all three of you girls on the same page .. like a reunion of sorts.

I must really have a thing for singers.

» I Dont Know If You Girls Could Handle It

I have gone back and inserted this section here on Jessie J where I mention how Cormac McCarthy is the real deal. I only do things like this with girls that I really like. Because they have to make it worth your while.

Being paired with Cormac McCarthy .. especially in an artistic sense .. this is a very cool thing .. existentially speaking. It says things to me. "What kinds of things?" you ask?

I dont know if you girls could handle it. (Harold Bloom certainly couldnt handle it.)

This page here, where I write about my son and the Dog .. this is obviously a special page for me. Where I write about how the things that I learned from watching the dog .. have made me a better parent.

» Modeling Good Parenting Techniques (Not Bad Parenting)

I should probably note here that I learned more about how to be a good parent from the Film school girl .. than from anyone else. She was dedicated and devoted to her kids more than anyone I had ever met.

She told me many times how she felt that her own mother was not there for her and her brothers .. while they were growing up across the street from Disneyland (.. and sneaking under the fence after school).

And she was determined not to repeat those same mistakes with her own kids.

I very much admired and respected her for this. She would drive all the way back from USC (in LA) to Laguna Beach in order to make it to one of her daughter's high school plays. She even went when she was feeling sick as shit.

She never missed .. not even one play. (Ever.) If you have ever tried to be that kind of parent, then you know how difficult it is.

» Spending the Summer Camping and Hiking the Sierra Nevadas

She would take both kids to Yosemite for most of the summer. And each one gets to bring along a friend. The girl brought her boyfriend .. an Eagle scout.

They had to show me how to poop in the woods. It can be tricky. Amandla knows what I am talking about.

More than once the thought passed through my mind » "Why couldnt I have parents like this?"

» Parenting from a Sense of Guilt

Now you might argue here that she performed these superhuman feats of parenting because, at least partly, of the guilt she felt .. over cheating on her unpassionate jeweler-husband .. with a young latin guitar player not much older than her kids.

( You could never make up shit like this, folks .. so why even try? )

Which is the thing that led to the break-up. Which is the thing that led to the divorce. Which is the thing that traumatized the kids at such a tender, young age .. a vulnerable age while they are still developing and forming their personalities.

Here I would have to admit that you were indeed making a valid point.

[ I have had a number of parents, who were more experienced than myself, tell me,

"If you're going to break up, then it's best to do it while they're still young .. because, this way, the kids won't feel like it's their fault."

My son was not yet six months old when his mother and I separated. And no, he doesnt feel like it was his fault. ]

When the parents came to tell the boy that they would be separating, he stuck his fingers in his ears and refused to listen. "I can't hear you. I can't hear you."

The divorce seemed to be harder on the boy than the girl. The boy is naturally going to identify with his father. And his mother is rejecting his father .. because she feels that he doesnt have the emotional range that she needs in her marriage.

He was always very chill. I liked him. I dont see how anybody wouldnt like him.

» Living the Artist's Lifestyle in Laguna

And he played a mean game of beach volleyball .. there in the powdery sand at Main Beach in Laguna. Justin knows the place I'm talking about.

He was there every morning. Beach volleyball two-by-two is physically demanding. You have to be in outstanding shape in order to play beach volleyball every morning .. for an hour or two.

If you think about it, this is a very cool lifestyle that he was living.

He was a real, no-shit artist. The kids got their artistic sensibilities from him. They both had legit artistic skills. (The boy could draw with pencil and won awards for his photography. His black-n-white photos were remarkable. He developed them himself.)

Notice how the beginning of this Big Think video talks about the 'large genetic component' for talent in artistic creative skills.

I have already described the mom as being » beyond mere tenacity.

I heard all the stories about the devolving of the relationship and the dissolving of the marriage.. which all happened before I ever came along.

(It's a very interesting story .. for a number of reasons.)

The heart wants what it wants. The heart needs what it needs. Selena knows what I am talking about.

The heart needs to live and breathe. You can't stop it from trying.

» Not Able to Make it Work

I am familiar with this sense of guilt that comes to the parent. I never cheated on my son's mom .. (I can barely handle one girl at a time) .. but I felt bad that I was not able to make it work with her.

Especially because I am well-versed in relationships. I have much experience with relationships. I know what works and what doesnt work. I know what a good relationship looks like and I know what a bad relationship looks like.

I know what a healthy relationship looks like, and I know what a dysfunctional relationship looks like. I could certainly continue here, but you feel me.

(Notice here how Alan Watts talks about guilt in terms of having a job vs a vocation.)

Everybody has their own issues. Depending on the particular issue(s), and the severity of their issue(s), and whether or not they are consciously aware of their issue(s) [ know thyself ] .. they might or might not have developed a dysfunction associated with their issus(s).

Their associated dysfunction(s) could be mild or severe.

Your intimate partner will naturally want you to be understanding toward their particular dysfunction(s).

They will want you to accept them as they are, warts-n-all, so to speak, and not hold their dysfunction(s) against them.

The problem arises when your partner wants you to participate in their dysfunction .. as if their dysfunction is normal.

» Intimate Relationships are Built on Trust

[ Intimate relationships that involve children are difficult under the best of circumstances.

Once you start actually trying to hurt and to harm your intimate lover .. that relationship is done.

You are far beyond what is required to make an intimate relationship work .. because an intimate relationship requires trust.

And once you start trying to hurt and to harm your intimate partner .. I can assure you that they no longer trust you.

And really .. what kind of relationship can you have without trust?

And how can you trust someone who is trying to hurt you? Who is trying to do you harm?

Because that is what an enemy does. An enemy tries to hurt you. An enemy tries to do you harm.

I already have enough enemies .. thank you very much. More than enough, actually. I do not need another. Nor I do not want another.

I'm looking for someone to love me, not to hate me. I'm looking for somebody to be kind to me .. not nasty.

Isnt everybody?

It takes a long time to build real trust .. and it is surprisingly easy to lose.

» The #1 Best Way to Ruin an Intimate Relationship

And the best way to destroy trust in an intimate relationship is to attack your intimate partner and try to do them harm.

You want to make sure that you can feel the malice burning deep in your soul. You want to focus on that malice to the point that bad intentions naturally start to arise .. from this burning malice, which seems impossible to extinguish.

Feeling a burning sense of malice for your partner is certainly a great strategy .. but the #1 thing that you really want to focus on is .. (pause for effect) ..

.. is consciously intending to » make them suffer. You want to wrack your brains to find a way to inflict the greatest possible amount of harm .. so as to cause them the most pain and suffering.

These are the things that you want to be feeling for your intimate partner and the things that you want to be expressing to them.

This is the #1 best way to destroy an intimate relationship. (Ask me how I know.)

Go ahead and try it for yourself and you'll see exactly what I am talking about.

And I am not even going to mention the promises that have been made to the believer.

I have seen people bumping up against the provisions of these promises. My experience has been that some folks learn faster than others.

» Trust is a Key Component of Faith

From a scriptural standpoint, the ability to trust is crucial .. because trust is a key component of faith. When you have faith in someone, you trust them.

And faith is the thing that puts you in a right relationship with God. (It's not good works that does it.)

In other words .. trust is an important component of any meaningful relationship.

» I Dont Know How You Live

A girl who hated my guts once said to me (on the phone), "I dont know how you live."

I did not respond, of course, but I remember thinking, "I know you dont. This is because I live by faith. And it's not easy .. so I can certainly understand why you can't understand me."

Time and again, the Lord is quoted as saying that it was, "According to your faith..." .. as being the key thing that allow people to receive the blessings of God.

» Desperation Can be a Powerful Motivator

[ As a side-note here .. notice that this lady was desperate. Genuinely desperate.

Desperation can motivate people to do things that they ordinarily would never even think of doing .. when life is hunky dory, and the champagne is flowing freely. ]

» Your (Unseen, Spiritual) Faith is the Thing that Makes the (Unseen Spiritual) Promises-of-God Manifest Themselves in Your (Seen Physical) Existential Reality

The connection that the Lord repeatedly makes between an individual's faith and the manifestation of the Promises-of-God in their lives .. is not a coincidence.

He did it on purpose. He did it for a reason .. for an important reason.

» It Doesnt Matter How Long You Pray or How Hard You Cry

Some people think it's about how "hard" you pray or how long you pray, or how loudly you pray, or how intensely you pray, or how emotionally you pray.

Jesus never said, "Because you prayed so long and so hard .. be it done unto you .. because you obviously earned it."

Not even one time. But dont take my word for it. Go ahead and read the gospels for yourself .. and you'll see that I am speaking the truth.

Nothing happened to the two blind men who were crying out to Jesus .. until they believed. This is because crying does not move the hand of God. Faith is the thing that moves the hand of God.

This is why Paul wrote that » "Faith is what makes real the things we hope for." (You reckon he might know?)

He also wrote that » "People get what God promised by having faith," and that » "Receiving the promises of God depends entirely on faith."

This is also why James said that the person who lacks faith should not even think that he will receive anything at all from the Lord. (You reckon he might know?)

"Dont even think about it," he said.

» You Cannot Buy the Blessings of God

I know that it might seem hard to believe, but some people even think that you can buy the blessings of God ..

.. despite what Peter said about such nonsense » "May your money be destroyed with you, because you thought you could buy the [free] gift of God with money."

Notice how he calls such ideas "wickedness" and "evil thoughts."

You reckon he might know?

There is not enough money in all the world to buy the blessings of God. Not even close.

People who try to purchase the blessings of God are trying to employ the world's transactional model to buy the blessings of God.

» The Difficulty Understanding How Faith Works is Completely Understandable

It is entirely understandable why people have such trouble with the concept and workings of faith ..

.. because the world-system in which we live, and in which we were raised, is based on a transactional model .. particularly so in capitalist societies.

People involved in such transactions say, "You give me this, and I'll give you that." They say things like, "You do this for me and I'll do that for you."

I bet that President Zelensky of Ukraine knows exactly what I am talking about.

In such a transactional system, you can't get something of value without giving something of value. (I feel like I am stating the obvious here.)

This is why Jesus said, "I do not give to you as the world gives."

Well .. how does the world give? When the world gives, it is going to want something in return. It does not give simply because it loves you. No. And the more it gives, the more it will want in return. The world gives based on a transaction.

Who does not know (intimately and on a firsthand basis) the transactional model of which I speak?

» Understanding vs Agreement

Remind me to talk about the idea of » understanding vs agreement.

It is okay to not agree with your lover on everything. If you are the type of person who can only be with someone who agrees with you on everything ..

.. uh, you are going to be a lonely person. Because there is no one out there who agrees with you on everything.

I have said to certain people, "Do you want me to lie and say that I agree with you that the sky is green? I honestly dont believe that. If you feel differently .. then, this is okay with me. I dont need you to agree with me on everything. In relationships, I need trust, not agreement. And if someone agrees with me on everything, then they are probably lying. So I dont want you to agree with me on everything. I'm okay with areas of disagreement. Arent you?"

But you definitely want to understand your lover .. so you know where they are coming from.

It is a long and wild journey .. really getting to know another soul.

» Tell Me that You Get Me

I recall that, back on Page Five (now a million years ago) I wrote to Ariana, saying » I can hear a voice inside of me saying to you, "Tell me that you get me .. and we'll be in love forever."

This is because you can't really be in love with someone who doesnt get you. I know that this seems intuitively obvious, but sometimes the obvious bears mentioning.

People who dont take the time to really get to know their lover .. they tend to project their own value-structure onto others .. assuming that they are pretty-much like them.

But different people are very different .. by large orders of magnitude (.. from the satanic to the divine).

And if you dont really know your lover very well, then you might be offended by something that they say.

Whereas they meant no such thing as the way you took it .. because of the differences in experience and values.

What is important to you? Really important. And what is not important to you? And do your actions correspond to, and support your priorities? Do you have congruency between the two?

It's not easy, no. It's terribly difficult. Go ahead and give it a try and you'll see exactly what I mean. And it won't take you very long either.

» That's What I Want

My son told me straight up that he wanted his mom and dad together. "That's what I want," he said.

He didnt stutter when he said it. He didnt hesitate. Heck, he didnt even blink.

It didnt sound like an unreasonable request when he said it. I could certainly see his point.

But you cannot live with someone who cannot stop themselves from attacking you and who concocts falsehoods about you in their minds and then calls the police with these wildly fabricated stories in order to try to harm you and who wants to see you rotting in a jail cell somewhere.

The lawyers' fees alone from trying to defend yourself against such unending accusations will quickly bankrupt you. (Ask me how I know.)

I could so fall off into the mother-of-all rabbit holes here. Because I have thought a lot about these things. There is a haunting nature to them. This stuff goes very deep. In a number of ways.

» Correcting Dysfunctional Parenting or Repeating It with Your Own Kids

There is a thing, where some people, when they grow up and become parents themselves, correct in their own parenting practices the shortcomings and the dysfunctions that they suffered at the hands of their own parents.

While other parents seem to simply repeat the patterns-of-dysfunction that their own parents visited upon them. (Which they probably learned from their own parents.) Amy Adams knows what I am talking about.

[ She is an impressive actress. She has impressive skills. I dont think that it's as easy as she makes it look.

This lady pictured with her is Gillian Flynn. She is a writer. I can feel myself interested in her .. because of the things that she writes about.

I am interested in what makes her tick. I am curious about her. I saw Gone Girl with Ben Affleck. That movie fucked me up for a few days. It seemed to hit a little too close to home.

The Cool Girl dialogue .. wow. Much to unpack there. From whence cometh such words?

Here is a coffee cup that I found for her .. if she doesnt have it already.

There is definitely a psycho element to Gone Girl. I am familiar with psycho girls, unfortunately.

» A Psycho-Chick Magnet

The Dog once told me that the reason why psycho-chicks are attracted to me .. is because I am so stable.

So mentally and emotionally stable. This is why I am so skittish with girls. (I have stories.)

I did not really like hearing that from the Dog. But he obviously has insights beyond mere mortals .. so I gave it some thought.

I see from her Wikipedia page that she attended the same school of Journalism at Northwestern that Lauren did.

Journalism is under attack today .. literally. Physically. ]

» They Add Their Own Special Sauce to the Toxic Brew

And sometimes these parents become even more dysfunctional than their own parents were .. adding their own special flavor of dysfunction to what they learned from their parents.

I dont really understand how a parent can repeat the very same behaviors with their own children that they suffered at the hands of their parents while they were growing up.

I have had people tell me things like, "I dont want my mother to raise my children," and "I never leave my children alone with my mother."

I mean, I can certainly see how a child who grew up in a dysfunctional home would become familiar with dysfunctional parenting techniques.

But what are they learning? Are they learning what things not to do to their own kids? Or are they really learning how to trick-fuck their own kids?

Anybody who grew up with shitty parents and then became a good parent themself .. I very much admire that. Because I know how difficult it can be to turn around such things.

» Family Dysfunction Becomes a Part of Who You Are

It is so difficult to turn around because, when you grow up in a dysfunctional family, in a dysfunctional home .. the dysfunction itself becomes » a part of who you are.

You dont even realize it, because it is all you know. .. from the very moment you were born into this world, and probably even before. (In the womb.)

I am talking here about dysfunctional things in your life that are obvious to eveybody around you .. often painfully obvious .. but that which you yourself cannot see.

Certainly you will continue to reap the consequences of these deeply-ingrained dysfunctional patterns that have been programmed into your own life ..

.. until you are able to identify and address the source (conditioning) of the dysfunctional influences in your life.

People use the term 'triggers' here to refer to such things .. and certainly triggers are involved .. but more is involved than the trigger.

The trigger is a trigger because of what lies behind and underneath the trigger. That is really what you are dealing with, and why these things present such daunting, stubborn challenges.

It is sort of like acknowledging the presence of the elephant in your living room. You are never going to get rid of the smell of elephant shit in your life .. if you keep refusing to acknowledge the presence of the elephant living in your house.

You are thinking, "This stinky elephant .. I have tried a dozen times to get rid of him. But he is still here. I am going to have to move to a new place. Or I will never be able to get rid of the smell of shit in my life."

This was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It took me a few years. It requires tons of self-honesty.

You need good people around you. Kind, loving, compassionate, and understanding people. People who have already been through it and know how badly it sucks.

» Loving with a Genuine Love Requires a Purified Soul

It may be worth noting here how this verse of scripture seems to be talking about how (paraphrasing) » loving with a genuine love comes from a soul that has been "purified" (.. by "obeying the truth" ).

This is actually a gigantic subject .. into which I could easily get lost .. seeing that I know quite a bit about love and loving. Particularly the genuine kind that Peter is referencing.

But my point here, and the reason why I am mentioning this verse here .. is because it seems to suggest that loving with a genuine love requires "purification".

This notion resonates with my own experience. And I can tell you that this "purifying" thing is not easy.

No, sir. Not hardly. Au contraire. It feels like your soul is being ripped apart. Or like a part of you is dying. In other words, it's not much fun.

Yet it is the thing that gives you the ability to love with a genuine love. So, what's the alternative?

» Some People are Easier to Love than Others

And yes, I understand that some people are easier to love than others.

Sure, I get that.

I get that better than most people.

Much better.

I have consciously endeavored to love some people who were not very lovely ..

.. in order to explore this very topic in detail. In much detail.

I would love the unlovely with a similar mindset as the athlete in the gym lifting heavy weights .. in order to help build my love-muscles.

If you can genuinely love the unlovely .. then you can easily and more fully love the lovely. Try it for yourself and you'll see exactly what I mean.

This is why I am able to speak to such things with the confidence and authenticity that comes with an abundance of firsthand experience.

Some people make you feel so loved .. while others manage to make you feel hated. From the satanic to the divine.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of being genuinely loved by a beautiful creature. The way that they are able to make you feel .. this is the thing that inspired me in that direction. I wanted to be able to make people feel like that.

This is the end of this page. ■

This entry continues here » The Art of Giving Shit - Page Two.

Analyze this page's HTML profile » here.

Flirting with Danger - Page One.

Movable Type archives

Radified home

<ignore this intentional bottom text spacer, too>