TRUTH OR DARE (LIES)

Truth or dare is a game I was prohibited from playing while my mother was alive. She only told me it was a nasty game played by freaks and perverts. After playing the game once, my freshmen year of high school, I found out that she was right. Truth or dare is a game in which a person selects either truth or dare. If a person selects truth then he or she has to answer a question honestly or face certain consequences if it is found out that the individual is lying. If the person selects a dare then he or she usually has to perform a task that is normally embarrassing or sexual. This game is normally played by those in school ranging from elementary to college even. Some play the game to just manipulate other people into a situation they can control while others play the game to find out the truth. Unfortunately in real life the truth is often times a lot more elusive.
There are many kinds of lies in the world while there is only one truth. The truth is something that never changes while lies can range from being a small fib, to a simple white lie, to just leaving out details from the truth. The truth about lies though is that they are all the same. Most people like to fool themselves into believing that lies have a hierarchy scale and that a simple white lie is better than a fool out right big lie. Sadly this is not the case. Other people deceive themselves and like to believe that if they just leave out the unpleasant part of the truth they are more moral than someone who tells a lie, now the person is lying not only to themselves but other people too.
From a young age I have understood that lying is wrong. I have never and will never act like telling a lie is a morally right thing to do. Yet, in 2009 I understand lying completely. First, a lie is the perfect sin. Christians often fool themselves into believing a liar is more moral than a murder. While the law of man says that is the case the law of God sees both as being wrong and neither being greater or lesser than the other. Lies are not illegal for the most part, of course there are a few exceptions like being under oath in court, or on a resume or while talking to the police. For the most part though people are not arrested for lying. The biggest reason why lying is the most tempting sin is because if done right no one ever has to know that a person has lied.
While I think lying is wrong I understand them because people don’t know limits. I remember being younger and a teacher would tell a fellow student or myself instead of lying just tell someone “it’s none of their business”. While this is certainly the truth people don’t operate like that. By telling someone that whatever they are asking about is none of their business this is practically giving them permission to continue to pry only this time they pry behind your back or even worse they decide to make up their own story to soothe their minds. People lie to prevent other people from prying and making up stories. Although a lie is a lie I understand that. I know I’m guilty of that myself.
People also lie because they can’t handle the consequences of their actions. These are the worst kinds of lies simply because if a person can’t handle the fallout of their actions then those actions shouldn’t have been done in the first place. This usually ranges from people who cheat on their loves to people who lie to their professors about what really happened to their homework. While some make plans to lie in advance some lie on the spot because their actions have consequences that were much unexpected and possibly too scary to face.
Finally there are those who lie to protect others. This is something I do engage in often and feel no guilt for it. Sometimes people will come to me and ask me a question about someone else knowing I know what’s going on. Once again a simple “none of your business” doesn’t work. I would rather tell a protective and believable lie to end curiosity and protect the innocent person. After all I do believe if it’s not your secret to tell then you should not tell that secret.
Lies are told everyday by both good and bad people. Good people use lies to protect loved ones while bad people use lies to protect themselves. There is a thin line between a lie and the truth, the trouble is balancing the two. In extreme cases outside forces are even brought in to determine if a person is lying like a lie detector or someone who is great at watching body language. Yes a lie is in fact the perfect sin and no one knows this better than the person who can look another person dead in the eyes and come up with a believable lie on the spot.

LITTLE SINS OF HORROR (The Seven Deadly Sins)

Originally there were seven cardinal sins, sins that were deemed to be the most objectionable vices a person could have. This was according to the early Christian teachings used to educate and instruct the followers concerning an immoral man’s tendency to sin. These original seven deadly sins were pride, lying, murder, evil thoughts and intentions, being quick in doing wrong, lying on others, and manipulating others to do wrong to each other. The modern day list is considerably different with the exception of pride. The modern day list includes pride, wrath, avarice, gluttony, lust envy, and sloth. The modern day difference in the list is not the only difference that has come about with these sins.
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Sin
Traditional Saying
Modern Advertisement
Pride
Pride goes before a fall
You deserve it; have it your way; you are unique; we do it all for you
Anger
Don't let the sun go down on your anger
Get revenge, kick some butt
Avarice
Don't be greedy
Get rich quick; stock up now; collect them all
Gluttony
Stop eating while you are still hungry
All you can eat; indulge yourself
Lust
Chastity is a virtue
Get lucky
Envy
Envy is a green-eyed monster
You'll be the envy of your friends; don't be left out
Sloth
The early bird gets the worm
Pretend you're working
Recently I took a quiz. Unfortunately the results of the quiz did and didn’t surprise me. The quiz was on the seven deadly sins. I expected pride to be the sin that I would get, and it was; only the quiz showed where I fall with the other six sins. I expected wrath to be low and in fact it was very low, I just didn’t expect avarice to be almost as high as pride. In all full honesty I figured all my other sins would be low, but I also suffer from pride so go figure.
Wrath or rage is defined as an uncontrolled feeling of hatred and anger. These feelings can appear as denial of the truth, both to others and in the form of self-denial, impatience with the procedure of law, and the desire to seek revenge outside of the workings of the justice system, and generally wishing to do evil or harm to others. The actions that usually surface from this sin are among the most serious, including murder, assault, and even genocide. Interestingly enough, wrath is the only sin not associated with selfish desires. The way to get over wrath though is with patience. Patience to know justice will prevail, patience to know revenge isn’t the right path, and patience in the heat of the moment, being able to take a step back instead of escalating the situation. Wrath seems to be a sin that is devouring the world in present times. It truly does take more strength though to show patience than wrath, but hopefully patience will prevail.
Sloth perhaps is the most tempting of all of the deadly sins because it is so seductive. Originally it was viewed as the failure to use one’s gifts accordingly. Then slowly it transformed into indifference, and then finally what we know of it today, simple laziness. Sloth is so tempting because it grows in one’s mind slowly. A person can go from working hard to going on a vacation that slowly but surely never ends. A man may simply start jump hunting and then take time off to play video games, and slowly the video games take over his life. A woman may go from cleaning constantly to watching more and more television to help the time go by. Neither of these seems too bad, at least in moderation. No law is broken by sloth and no one is hurt or killed by sloth. It’s no wonder this sin is so seductive. Another sin I have managed to beat through sheer hard work and remaining on the go. The true way to overcome sloth though is through diligence. Diligence to continue to work, no matter how tempting it is to take time off, diligence to keep cleaning despite the television being on in the background, and diligence to want and work toward a better tomorrow.
Gluttony, defined as the over-indulgence or over consumption of food or beverage to the point of waste. This sin is viewed as the most disgusting in the American society, but only if it shows; meaning that a skinny person and an obese person at a buffet are looked at differently. The skinny person is more likely to get a look that implies they need to go back for a couple of more plates while the obese person is more likely to receive looks that imply they should go workout instead of eat; yet both individuals are engaging in the same activity. Gluttony has also long been viewed as a lack of self control. Those who suffer from a substance abuse problem would traditionally fall into this category. Gluttony is the most selfish of all sins because it was once viewed as withholding food from others who are in need of it while one person eats to the point of waste for no reason. The way to avoid gluttony is by practicing temperance. Temperance traditionally was referenced with alcoholic beverages but still holds true, temperance to know when to stop drinking or abstain from drinking altogether, temperance not to make anther plate or go back for an extra helping, and temperance in knowing how hungry you are in the first place instead of getting too much food and forcing yourself to eat it. One may say temperance and self-control go hand in hand.
Envy is the most passive of all the sins. Envy is more of an insatiable desire Avarice and envy are often confused but they differ in two main ways; greed is largely associated with material goods, whereas envy applies more generally and also those who commit the sin of envy resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, and wish the other person to be deprived of it. While this sin hurts no one but the person who holds the envy it is still a deadly sin. Envy is also viewed as the gateway deadly sin; while it initially is a passive sin it can sometimes lead to other deadly sins. The way to move past being envious is by sharing joy and kindness. By sharing in these traits the envious person is often able to become less envious and wanting in their desire for what they don’t have. Although a passive sin it still rots a person to the core. Kindness and joy promote a sharing mentality amongst people and everyone wins out in the end.
Lust is by far the sexiest of all the seven deadly sins. Lust is thought of in terms of excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature. Even though lust is passive it usually has to components, the person throwing out the temptation by wearing revealing clothes or performing sexual innuendos the other part is the one looking who lets the imagination, desires, and temptations take control of their thoughts. Lusts is said to be able to lead to so many sexually immoral things ranging from sexual addiction, fornication, adultery, the always shocking and perverted bestiality, and even something as violent as rape and sodomy. To turn away from lust a person must simply practice self control and chastity. Chastity is simply remaining a virgin until marriage, practicing celibacy, and upholding a virtuous character. Three traits that need to be practiced more but unfortunately in the world we leave in today people are encouraged to have numerous sexual partners as long as they practice safe sex, virginity is mocked and frowned upon, and character goes out the window when a good orgasm is on the line. While a person can never become a true virgin again it is never too late to become a born again virgin and wait until marriage to share that special gift that is non refundable and non returnable. Chastity is truly a part of having a virtuous character.
Avarice, the deadly sin a person can never have too much off. Very much similar to lust and gluttony avarice is the sin of excess, but in this case usually the excess of money to lead to riches, the excess of material things so a person can feel as though they are showing off wealth, and even in this case an excess of food to hoard it over others. This sin is viewed as having no limit and is dangerous because a greedy person is seen as a person who has no limit to what they will do to get more which includes lying, stealing, betrayal, and whatever else has to happen. A prime example of this would be the state of the economy in 2008 and 2009. Greed has lead people into bankruptcy and even made some people commit suicide. Although avarice is more of a blanket term for greed, greed in itself will do whatever it has to to gain more because with greed you can never have enough until you have all. To starve off greed all a person has to do is practice charity. The best charity is that which comes in the form of anonymity because the giver doesn’t benefit except for with feeling the sense of doing something moral
Now, pride, the deadliest of all the sins. Pride is said to be the unbeatable sin. Pride is said to be a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing and conduct. Pride is the sin I suffer from the most. After years of hard work and always being at the top, hearing the great things said about me, my head has grown unfortunately and now I have a lot of work to do to get it back to normal size. Pride is said to be the unbeatable sin because there is almost no real way to get rid of pride. It was rumored originally that the other six sins could be beaten with a selfless act, but to pride there is no selfless act. Anything a person does in a prideful state is done for the further glory of oneself. If a person purposely loses a game they claim they did it for a purpose while implying they could have won but chose not to for a more noble reason. Humility is the opposite of pride but unfortunately for a prideful person there is no true way to get to that point without having some kind of loss.
The seven deadly sins, said to be made and distributed by Satan himself. No one is immune from all of them, but the trick is in knowing which one is your biggest weakness and working on it day and night. While sin is tempting and hard to fight if you truly work hard then you can avoid most of the temptations in the world. For those who stumble and fall along the way there is redemption for those who so true remorse and want to be a better person in the future.

OH MY DOG. . . OF THUNDER ( Thor Houston Exum)

Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is a son of Odin, god of the Norse gods, and Jord, one of the most powerful gods. He married to Lady Sif, a fertility goddess and leader of the women warriors. His mistress was said to be the giantess Jarnsaxa, and their sons were Magni and Modi and his daughter is Thrud. Thor is helped by Hermod, his servant and the messenger of the gods. Thor was usually portrayed as a large, powerful man with eyes of lightning. He was very popular as the protector of both gods and humans against the forces of evil. He even surpassed his father Odin in popularity. The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode through the heavens on his chariot pulled by the goats. Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer Mjollnir. At the day of Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die from its poison. His sons will inherit his hammer after his death.
Thor Houston Exum is slightly different from the Norse god of thunder though. Thor was born on February 4th, 2007 to Angel and Sox, both pure bred German Miniature Schnauzers. Originally given Tony, Thor was the fourth out of five in his litter of puppies. He was born very small and quite. The first time I met the former Tony was at a meeting for work. At the time I was unsure if I could handle having a dog because I keep a very busy schedule. Once I laid my eyes on Tony I knew I had to have him. He was initially very small and timid. At that time he didn’t have a bark so that made him very cute. Thor is the rarest kind of Schnauzer because his fur coat is completely black rather than the very common salt and pepper or silver color. I ended up taking Thor home a little earlier than I thought because his mother, Angel, was weaning her puppies off her because they were growing teeth. Even though it’s not encouraged to take a pup away from his family before eight weeks I got him at seven weeks old. The night that I took him home I wasn’t sure about anything not having any supplies at the time, the one thing I did know was that I had to change his name immediately from Tony. A few names stuck out and I was torn on what his new name should be but I knew the name had to start with a T; it’s a tradition in my family for first names to begin with T. After about five minutes and numerous T names my puppy lifted his head and looked at me all three times that I said Thor. From then on Tony has been Thor. His middle and last name were much easier to decide, I as well as my father and one of my brothers has the middle name Houston. And with the surname of Exum Tony officially became Thor Houston Exum.
Initially I was worried about having to house break Thor but one of the things he learned while being with his family was waiting to go outside to relieve himself. Although it was still rough because of the small size of his bladder Thor quickly picked up the rest and had very few accidents. One thing that was rough for Thor though was being alone. Our very first week together I had to shower with the curtain open so that he could see me and wouldn’t cry, I slept on the couch, once again so he could see me and wouldn’t cry, and he followed me around my apartment night and day or else he would cry. I didn’t realize how much he cried until I would come home from work and hear him crying. The crying continued into barking which became less cute and very loud for my neighbors. Which as a pet owner I must warn people, if you don’t like animals don’t move into an area that allows animals.
I was a coworker with the woman who sold me Thor and in a way I was bamboozled. I was told that he would be the perfect puppy for me because he had such a laid back and relaxed personality, very quiet and well mannered. When I first met him at my meeting for work he was very small and quiet and that was when I knew he was right for me. I found out the truth about his personality after I fell in love with him. Perhaps it is my fault but Thor lives up to his name. He has a very commanding personality. This is a dog that is not intimidated by any dog, big or small. His bark further shows it, while he will bark at people his bark reaches a new volume if he sees a dog and cannot get to that dog. He gets very jealous whenever he sees me on my phone, once he even got between the phone and me and knocked it out of my hand. But he does live up to be a protector and watcher like the Norse god Thor. Thor will stand guard all day and night at any patio window and watch for people passing by. Once he sees them he barks until they are gone. If someone is at the door, before they can knock he barks. This is a dog who decides when he plays fetch. Sometimes I will throw his bone and he will look at me and walk off. Other times he will grab his bone, open up my hand, and drop the bone in it then look at me in anticipation of throwing the bone. His personality is far from laid back and relaxed.
While he can be a handful Thor is a delight to have. He is the perfect example of why people, especially the elderly should adapt a dog. There have been plenty of mornings and nights I have been too tired to get up for me, but knowing I have a responsibility to take him outside I summon the discipline I need to get up and get out. Thor constantly looks out for me and is very eager to see me at any time of the day. He may be a picky dog, but my life is much richer with him in it. He may not be perfect but anyone who spends five minutes with Thor understands why it’s no wonder we are a team, Theron and Thor.

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER (Being a Gentleman)

Sir Galahad, a character from Arthurian literature, was the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot and Lady Elaine of Corbenic. When he was born he was placed under the care his paternal great aunt and grew up at the nunnery. Once he became an adult, his father knighted him and took him to Camelot. At the Royal Court, Galahad sat in the “Siege Perilous”. This was a seat reserved by God for the purest of knights. King Arthur also sat in this seat many years earlier. Like King Arthur, Sir Galahad drew a sword from a stone, only Galahad’s message proclaimed him to be the “World’s Best Knight”. After setting out for and beholding the Holy Grail, Sir Galahad requested to die and his request was granted. In his death, Sir Galahad became known as the “Perfect Knight”. He was said to be perfect in courage, gentleness, courtesy, and chivalry. Sir Galahad is known the world over for his gallantry and purity.
Sir Galahad is perhaps the first and best example of what a gentleman should be. Despite the way he came into the world Sir Galahad became so much more and to so many people. Sir Galahad recognized that being a gentleman is more than a full time job; it’s a way of life. It seems that in modern day being a gentleman has fallen by the wayside. In today’s time chivalry means nothing, the good guy finishes last, and the “thug” is the in thing for a male to be. It goes deeper than that though, men aren’t taught to be gentlemen these days.
So many people do not understand that to be a gentleman means more than just being born a man. Being a gentleman is a lifestyle that for the true gentleman, never changes. At one time in history, back when the man, or the husband, or the husband and father were head of the household they taught their sons that it’s not only ok to have morals and values, but it’s expected of a man to possess and demonstrate them. Often times, morals and values come from religion. Sadly, in the world we live in today, religion is not socially acceptable to talk about, prayer has been removed from schools, and religion has turned into simply attending a building one or two days a week. If morals and values are normally derived from a person’s religion, then it’s time to get back to the basics and be proud of one’s religious heritage. Once you are proud of that then you will automatically begin to live with good morals and values.
Next, is being a leader. A gentleman cannot stand on the side lines while others dictate and just hope everything turns out alright. While a leader must be a follower first, you wouldn’t have the more qualified person following a beginner. A gentleman is supposed to be a leader in his church, community, work, and home. President Obama is currently doing a good job of demonstrate an important characteristic of being a leader, being a good role model. While it’s no secret that President Obama smoked he cut down and quit to show Americans that smoking is a bad addiction to have and that a person shouldn’t smoke. In order to be a role model you have to live a life that people admire and would want to live themselves. Most of the better leaders in life are usually role models. A man must be a good role model and leader to fit the role of gentleman.
While pop culture has elevated the status of a pimp from villain to hero, a gentleman must treat women in a better manner than being a womanizer, disrespectful, or equal. A true gentleman doesn’t date and sleep with more than one woman at a time. To take that a step further gentlemen refrain from engaging in casual sex in the first place. A gentleman treats a woman, all women, no matter the status as a lady. That means no abuse of any kind, no profanity or vulgarity of any kind in front of them, opening doors for them, going down stairs in front of them and up the stairs behind them. Treating a woman like a lady is no small task, especially if the woman is more of a harlot. By treating a woman like a lady regardless of if she is or not this shows other men that they can do it too. It also goes a step further; by treating women better they start to act better. Presently, women are treated any kind of way and because of that they act any kind of way. Treating a woman like a lady is one thing a man must also treat men like gentlemen and be polite and courteous. Men also act the way they feel they have been treated. It never hurts to say a polite “excuse me” for accidently bumping into someone rather than give the individual a dirty look and in a rude way tell one to move. Yet once again, because of the times we live in today being polite and courteous is perceived as being weak and timid. It’s a shame that a person must be rude to be taken seriously and must degrade a woman to get her attention. Yet, a true gentleman must stay on track and steadfast to being a gentleman.
Lastly, a gentleman must always watch his temper and language. Attitude is everywhere these days. People seem to think if they show a little bit of attitude that they will get their way. This is demonstrated when a customer tries to return something that is past the return deadline, when a customer’s food comes out a little late or not properly cooked, and even just in traffic and someone cuts the other driver off. A gentleman knows attitude doesn’t get him anyway. Words do a lot more but only if used properly. Even while being upset a gentleman must refrain from profanity. When I was younger I was told the only acceptable time it is ok to curse is to demonstrate extreme emotion. I have since changed my mind on that. I refrain completely from certain words because they aren’t needed in life and because they aren’t the Lord’s will. I think though, that if a word is used sparingly and for an extreme reason, and only around other men then it is tolerable. Overall though temper and language must constantly be monitored. Whatever a gentleman does someone will always see or hear and remember.
Honestly, it takes so much to be a gentleman. After all if it were easy every man would be a gentleman. What is going to happen though is both men and women are going to not only have to see a need for gentleman but they are going to have to accept them and take the “thug” off of the pedestal. A gentleman must have character, knowledge and wisdom, morals and values, emotional control, and so much more. I recognize that I can’t control or change anyone else except for myself. Although sometimes it is hard I know I will remain a gentleman in all that I do. I will do my best to show young men how to be a gentleman and why go down that path instead of an easier path. Being a gentleman is not for all, it’s not easy, but it’s a decision I will stick to and encourage others to do the same.