A Platonic view
Vietnam54 now Iran26
As a Vietnam Veteran, I’m remembering the 50s and the 60s, to showcase a three-dimensional view, a keepsake in the minds of the reader, if you will, hopefully to put an immediate memorial to this present conflict, while aiding a diminishing tone to an ever-growing decline in our democracy. The Vietnam conflict, being the example, began while I was still in elementary school and lasted until 1975.
Baltimore integrated its schools in 1954 following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Clifton Park Junior High School was my first experience sitting in a hostel environment. Although I didn’t understand it at the time, it was my mother’s tutelage in love thy neighbor as thyself, compounded by my dad’s demeanor, that kept my ship afloat..
I was in an all-boys honors class in the 9th grade. The Gym teachers took us to a baseball game at Memorial Stadium, the year I finished junior high, which was right across the highway from a prestigious high school. Baltimore City College High School, nicknamed “The Castle on the Hill.” The castle, which for me inevitably turned into a dungeon where the horror began, and I became a high school dropout.
The Vietnam conflict lasted over 20 years. Over eight million Americans served, with over 58,000 killed. People can demean and judge others, but no one can predict the duration of conflict. Cause and effect in philosophy refers to behaviors or events that lead to further causes, initiating a ripple effect that could further create a Tidal wave.
Understanding this concept is fundamental for analyzing human behavior. Being called the N word on the daily, with no repercussions was a “cause” that disabled my ability to learn. The tidal wave hit me.
What the montage now appears to do is shadowbox imagery, fear, and economic messaging into supporters’ minds, visualizing monetary gain while throwing good money after bad. A sandbox framing of a vivid picture. A sad reality for our children’s future and those yet to be born. No one can predict the outcome or time frame of a Conflict where people are dying. The four-letter word for hope is ‘wish’.
Henry L Faulkner, NCC, US Navy Ret.
Psychological Mechanisms
GQ aboard ship means General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations. It takes 5 to 10 minutes for a ship to be battle-ready through continuous training. No one cares whether the captain is a Democrat or a Republican—complete unity under an oath and the UCMJ. I took my first oath 65 years ago and three more times thereafter. Now, I am unable to physically fight, but not too old to write. In military conflict, experience is the best teacher. Military conflict is not a game of checkers or chess. Therefore, I am still honoring my oath in my way. Planting seeds of wisdom, being born during World War II.
In a divided nation, Psychological Mechanisms are at work rather than psychological reciprocity. Unless there’s a change in the rhetoric, because poop runs downhill, things are going to get worse before they get better.
The Audacity of Psychological Reciprocity
I was trained to become a Facilitator in 1973 by America’s Navy, another story in itself. To become a facilitator, part of the training involved delving into human instincts, coupled with the Principle of Psychological Reciprocity, while learning how to get people to look at themselves. In Principle, people can be trained to act as a team; sports and the military exemplify that fact. The very two entities that keep us entertained and protected. Nonetheless, the poison has thrived in infiltrating the ranks, trivializing lawful orders, and because of a knee.
At the same time, church attendance is decreasing, and as individuals, we still live in our own worlds, defaming and dividing with fear as a weapon.
The divisiveness portion of the training was introduced with a poem, “The Man in the Glass” by Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr. The poem was first published in 1934. Its significance emphasizes Self-reflection, integrity, Independence from external judgment, and timeless inspiration. A message that could resonate across generations.
It all comes down to the instincts we develop from the environment we are raised in. Under the caption of instincts, which are categorized under Survival, Reproductive Drive, Social Bonding, Aggression /Defense Posture, Exploration, and Curiosity. Then came “The Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, 1988. But no one was listening to the words.
“Where the head goes, the body will follow”
Ears are the eyes on the sides of our heads.
Atoning for what behooves us, our minds will be fed.
Our memory lives here, enclosed by apostrophe sticks.
When the heartbeat is in sync, our eardrums become fixed.
Like a musical note drumming out for fun.
Most times, forgetting our blessings be done.
But, as we walk through the halls,
Our destiny will call.
Addiction is not fiction.
It’s an acronym for ‘prediction’.
Where some are born addicted to sanity.
Others with a derelict afflicted for profanity.
As words of the Feather.
Will always flock together.
My poetic thoughts are not an-ant-ant-anti-antibiotic.
Just the distant cousin of the paralyzing narcotic.
Which doesn’t eliminate alcohol at all.
For drinking to infinity, you surely will fall.
Moderation of all things accelerates walking tall.
Communication and facilitation will benefit us all.
To some, this is a horse pill, hard to swallow.
But! “Where the head goes, the body will follow.”
Henry Lee Faulkner NCC USN Ret.
Guidance Against the Odds ©2016
Separation of Church & Hate
As a child, when I heard the phrase “Once a man twice a child,” I visualized my parents shrinking. The causation was not clear, but the fear was real, heightened by the movie “The Incredible Shrinking Man.” It was 1957. Even at 13 years old, the movie would materialize in a dream, reinforcing the fear. As adults, we can sometimes take things for granted. Observing life from an adult perspective, but a developing mind lacks the experience to decipher innuendos.
Leaving home, developmentally, I was still a child, mentality-wise, putting myself in a man’s place, blessed with two essentials—the labor habits of my father and my mother’s love of reading. Besides Sunday School, it was my library card, which gave me access to “The Æsop for Children.” Now, Library of Congress Aesop Fables https://www.read.gov/aesop/001.html Short stories and quotes with a moral for teaching the hills and valleys of life.
But when I became a man, I had to put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11: The transformation was Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.
We The People
I cannot stay quiet. It is the persistent perseverance in me. Demonstrating TENACITY is indeed a gift, as it embodies the unwavering determination to overcome challenges and achieve goals. Tenacity is crucial in various fields, such as sports, where athletes push through injuries and setbacks, and in education, where student persists despite difficulties. It is often described as a blend of determination, persistence, and resilience, which separates successful individuals from those who fail.
As a nation, cultivating TENACITY is similar to farming. It involves planning, setting clear goals, maintaining focus, and adapting strategies to the needs of the crop. In the end, the harvest of a nation will either be fruitful or futile; the fertilization is called unity in the spirit: “We the People,” The Preamble. One Nation. Under God.
Unity and Understanding: the amalgamation of a people
Character building begins in infancy and continues throughout life. Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, for they are who you are. When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Eleanor Roosevelt
To Lady Eleanor’s words, I will add, “Even a smaller mind denigrates people rather than build bridges.”
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, serving during her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, four terms as President from 1933 to 1945. Through her travels, public engagement, and advocacy, she essentially redefined the role. Widowed in 1945, she served as a United States delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952, and took a leading role in designing the text and gaining international support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1948, she received a standing ovation from the assembly upon the adoption of the declaration. President Harry S. Truman later referred to her as the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements.
I share in the quest for Unity and Understanding, the us, which is the U and the S, the United States, fact-checking what I share through my accumulated library for the love of life and the love of people.
Through The Bible
Born 81 years ago today, raised through a garden of wisdom, reproducing and instilling proclivity in me, ever-evolving and non-transformative; even on my BD, endemic, like a craving for Baltimore crabs, and a day of fishing to share my thoughts, the conceptualization of the “WHY.” “Through the Bible”
Forever, endeavoring to create a metal roadmap is like treading water for a breath of life in an ocean of sharks, constantly engaging in conversations that foster more divisiveness than love.
Our children are watching, and we are at the “Y” on an unpaved road to salvation. Joshua 24:15
The wisdom of the “WHY” from my mom and dad encouraged me to read. Years ago, I read about the decline and legacy of the Amorites. The Amorites are described as descendants of Canaan and are often associated with the land that the Israelites sought to conquer. The decline of the Amorites was due to internal strife.
There is a phrase, “When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm. ” African proverb, enunciating a cause, that wisdom should not only be proclaimed individually, but a quest of society or history will repeat itself.
.The fundamental force of attraction between objects is the natural force of gravity, but when not conceptualized, demagoguery conjures a road to nowhere. Put that in tariffs and smoke it.
Our children are watching, but not on bended knees.
Feeding The Soul
I love to write.
I love to share.
I endeavor to inspire.
Writing is like planting a garden, mixing subjects with herbs and verbs with predicates on a leaflet of life while avoiding the sowing of innuendos that hinder the germination of fruitful ideas.
It is the INTENSE fertilization of the mine through reading that enables the Heart to pump passion into other souls by cultivating the soil of our inner being.
Planting words with tears of joy, words that mimic love, coming from the sagacity of our faith, which proliferates the Mind.
Ultimately, pollinating our instincts to produce “Food for Thought,” which metabolizes into vitamins for the body.
The Mind is the control center.
The Heart, the pumping station,
and the Soul, the storage bin.
As the body was created in HIS image.
Therefore, the vitamin supports the immune system, cell and bone growth, and metabolism and synthesis.
In the proper context, your words become vitamins or debasers.
The epitome of your garden.
The embodiment of one’s pneuma.
My Faith Gives Me the Audacity
My faith gives me the Audacity to say what I say.
No bigotry with Soulness, as I always pray.
And issue a challenge on this Resurrection Day.
Seeking solace in the role thee will play.
Unfortunately, many of us can be materialistic, which can challenge our spirituality. Mother Nature and Human Nature evolve in the same cortex/environment, with human nature being the controlling body.
Seeds are planted to germinate while Spirituality mutates through the experience of Love and Grace through sharing. The true essence of Grace and Love is observable when we express them through our actions, as our actions speak louder than words, as we share from the seat of our souls.
The phrase “go forth and multiply” originates from the Bible, where God commands humanity to be fruitful and populate the earth, emphasizing the importance of procreation and stewardship over creation. It is often interpreted as a divine injunction to spread out and fill the world, reflecting the responsibilities given to humankind in the context of creation. The phrase is significant in Judaism and Christianity, symbolizing the continuation of life and the growth of communities.
Moderation with understanding is the key to overcoming a materialistic roadblock. Tares are an injunction; they germinate nothing.
The Biblical meaning of tares is found in Matthew 13:24–43. In this, tares represent the children of the evil one, symbolizing those who disrupt and hinder the growth of the true children of God (represented by wheat). The tares aim to choke the wheat and bear no valuable fruits.
Our Children, the Wheat, become glorified with Instincts of Love and Grace under the Auspice of sharing. The Audacity of living life to its fullest is not a pill in the making but reality being shaken.
What’s your share on this Resurrection Day?
The Setting of a book/conversation
Under the auspices of one man’s opinion, the alignment of souls is surmountable at the beginning of any conversation, becoming genial with having preordained respect for a fellow human being’s taste/opinion. It purposively curates an atmosphere of being a good listener, seasoned with the ingredient of respect. However, when respect is sought and not given in return, the diner becomes foul, causing the stew to be dumpy while it was cooked in the wrong temperament. Respect cannot happen when prejudgment is on the recipe, i.e., race, religion, sexual orientation, hearsay etc., etc. Thereby enunciating death ears through body language. Books have been my melting pot, history, the ingredients of many souls, past and present, including my book, “Guidance Against the Odds.” It was not written against any taste of authority but about how I evolved under the tapestry of hate and divisiveness. A catalyst for conversation and a beacon of bacon for encouragement for others. “Black Boy” by Richard Wright, “Josiah Henson’s Autobiography” by Harriet Stowe, “Destiny” by Bishop T.D. Jakes, “The Seat of the Soul” by Gary Zukav, “Instinct” by Bishop T.D. Jake, “A Knock at Midnight” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama, and “The African Americans Many Rivers to Cross” by Henry Louis Gates, JR., to name a few, enlarged my coronary. But “The Measure of a Man,” A Spiritual Autobiography by Sydney Poitier, increased my red and white blood cell counts. He was 17 years my senior, but our lives took a similar course. Maturing under depravity, we both joined the military very young, maturing on a diet of rejection.
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