SLUT WALK
What images come to mind?
A walk bringing attention to “sluts” or to the word “slut”.
What is a slut?
Slut is a pejorative term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous. ~ Wikipedia.
The movement started in Toronto late last month.
A young student at York University was sexually assaulted. A police officer told the female university students there to “avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”. A “Slut Walk” was organized at the university campus in Toronto in April to protest and fight ‘slut shaming’ – a common response to sexual assault and rape. It is based on the false conception that if a girl or young woman is considered ‘slutty’ then sexual violence against her is not taken seriously.
I understand what the police officer was trying to get across but the wording was all wrong.
Sexual assault is wrong… period.
The problem with this walk is that it isn’t addressing the real problem. Women are walking, some in provocative clothing or nude, and uniting with sex trade workers to protest rape and sexual assault. Rape and sexual assault is a cause worthy of a walk… and worthy of new laws to punish offenders.
But walking to embrace sexual freedom and inappropriate dress is going in the wrong direction.
On the internet men have access to unlimited porn where women are open to any sexual fantasy and are in control. Watch any action film and the women are portrayed as confident, sexual aggressors. They dress in skin tight clothes with boobs and butts hanging out, looking seductively at the leading men. Movies show women as sexual accessories and in abundant supply. TV shows do the same. Commercials are sold with sex and we are brainwashed into this sexal fueled lifestyle where women who dress sexy are loose and women who dress modestly are conservative.
Our kids in school act out this struggle everyday.
Mix in:
pubescent teens
sexually driven advertising and tv and movies
no dress code
little supervision and BLAM!
Kids are acting out what they see in the media. Girls think they have to dress sexy to attract a guy and the guys see it as an invitation for sex. Jump forward 5-10 years and young adults go through the same thing only with more money, less guidance and total freedom.
There is nothing wrong with a healthy sex life. There is no better way to express love with your partner than to connect sexually in a committed relationship. Not everyone agrees with the committed relationship part but you get the idea.
When women dress slutty – it sends a message to men that they are open to being sexual. There is nothing wrong with looking attractive and beautiful. To try to appear overly sexy is going too far. It sends the wrong message. The way you dress makes a statement about yourself.
Now once again there is never a justification for sexual assault. There are sexual predators out there. Women need to do their best not to attract them with their behavior and dress.
Prostitution is also a big part of the problem. Men can get sex from a woman without any strings attached. Prostitutes dress slutty to attract the men. There is no affection or passion… it’s just a fast sexual act. It makes sex an unemotional act that you can get whenever you want with whomever you choose.
Sexual predators are out there. Women have a responsibility to protect themselves. They need to surround themselves with men and women that care for them. They need to stay out of situations that leave them vulnerable. They need to value themselves as beautiful, sexual women without dressing inappropriately. They need to be cherished. They need to be loved.
Don’t be shy. Tell a female friend that you love them and let them know they are beautiful. Show them the same respect that you deserve and protect them like you would protect yourself. Build up confidence in all your friends and let them know that their true beauty is not just in their body, but much deeper inside…
I have been alive for almost 45 years (not counting in Utero) an I have experienced a lot. I was raised with little money but managed to travel half way around the world at a young age. I have had many friends and the love of family. I have been married 19 years and raised 2 children – ongoing. I have experienced tragedy and triumph, pleasure and pain, feast and famine. I have been a business owner and an employee, a musician and a songwriter, a husband and a father.
My life is half over and yet finally it is just beginning.
I have learned through experience how to better myself. Mistakes are a great teacher. While my lifestyle doesn’t fit with most… I love where I’m going both on earth and eternally. My path has been bumpy and I hope it continues to be. It’s an adventure with an uncertain outcome. As I have gotten older, I have lost the desire to keep up with the Jones. I want to pursue my dreams and goals with my wife and if there is money in it then great! If not… at least I’m doing what makes me happy.
Are you doing what you love? Maybe not for a job but how about in your spare time? Life is hard enough without mixing in some passion. I know when I was getting out of high school all I wanted was to get a job and move out on my own. I didn’t have a career goal or a passion for anything. I just wanted to make some money.
Lot’s of road yet to travel and many mistakes yet to make. I am trying to be a better person. I am trying to slow down and look around. That enjoy the journey not the destination thing.
Do what make you happy. I have talked to several old people that told me they wished they had done this and that… Why do we not get it until we are old? We only get 1 spin around the carousel of life, shouldn’t we make the most of it? Shouldn’t we try and fail and try again? Shouldn’t we be doing what brings joy into our lives?
Travel, learn the piano, restore a car, collect rare coins, eat out for dinner more…
Go do what warms your heart. I know this will get some people irked and I will get comments about how we have to work to pay the bills and there is no time or money for anything else. That’s really up to you. If you want to do what you love and desire then there are always sacrifices. Ask Michael Jordan if he sacrificed anything. I’m not saying you should go out there and play in the NBA. I’m saying if you have a desire strong enough, put it into action. It’s easy to say it can’t be done or I can’t afford it or I have no time.
Change your thinking. Make it happen, don’t give up.
If I pissed you off then sorry. Sorry that you didn’t get my point.
And my point is… Don’t take life soo seriously. Have some fun. Find something you love to do and do it… then do it again. Make it fit into your life and budget.
If you can get rich doing it then Bravo. If not then who cares?
Life is more than work!!!!
Restart your life…
Time to get controversial…
Do you go to church? Are you part of a congregation? Do you worship on Saturday? Sunday? Do you pray 5 times a day? Do you pray to an idol? Do you follow a ritual? Do you wear special clothes? Do you read from a special book?
Lots of questions.
There are many different religions out there and they all have faithful followers. Some religions have different sects within them. Christianity is the largest religion in the world followed by Islam and Hinduism. I could talk about all their teachings but this is my Blog and you come here to read my opinions.
I am a child of God. I believe in Creation because I believe there is evidence of it. I believe that God came to earth as a man, Christ, and lived among us for a time and was crucified on a cross, dying for our sins. I believe he was raised up to heaven and believing in what he did for us is a free gift of Salvation.
I don’t belong to any Christian denomination and I don’t go to church. I have never felt comfortable in church and I have been to many. I don’t like the different denominations that separate themselves from each other claiming they interpret the Bible better than another. There have been more wars and bloodshed over religion than anything else in history. Religions build their big fancy buildings with money from the members and lock up the doors for their own functions. They raise money for far off causes and travel on mission trips to help people 1000′s of miles away.
You’ve heard the saying “What Would Jesus Do?” That’s a great question. Would Jesus build huge churches with fancy stained glass, detailed wood, extravagant altars, huge stages and expensive sound systems. Would he wear fancy garments and drive in bullet proof cars. Would he be inaccessible to the public and only address people at special services.
Is that what he would do?
I think if Christ were here today he would probably be wearing jeans and a warm coat. He would go from town to town staying with friends and feeding the poor. He would be counseling the lost on the streets of the cities and preaching his message of healing and hope to all who would listen. He would be dynamic and humble, strong and gentle and would challenge the traditions of the religions around him like he did 2000 years ago.
That’s the man I would follow… that’s the man I do follow.
God isn’t in a building or on a certain day. He lives in us and he lives through us. I’m not here to try to convert you. I am here to share my beliefs with you and help God work in your life if you choose.
As for my worship… I am like John Walton. I see God in his creation. I love to be alone outside away from the noise and bustle and spend time with him. I don’t follow a specific prayer and I don’t kneel down with my hands together. I speak to him and we have a conversation. He leads me in thought and I try to listen to him and follow his will.
If that’s not the way you worship or if you don’t worship at all, that’s your choice. We all make choices as to our own beliefs. That’s what makes us so incredible. We can reason with life and decide our own path.
If I ruffled your feathers then good! Maybe it will get you thinking.
It sure gets me thinking…
Personal hygiene… do I really want to talk about it? Is it too personal? Should I not poke and prod into the personal lives of people? Is it too private?
Who cares… let’s give it a go!
Personal hygiene is everything from washing to brushing to combing to plucking to shaving to waxing to (fill in the blank). Personal hygiene is the basic concept of cleaning, grooming and caring for our bodies. Most of it is common sense but depending on your background and upbringing, people have a wide range of what is enough and what is too much.
Let’s start off with the easiest.
Washing hands. How often do you wash your hands? Before a meal? After you’ve been shopping? After the bathroom I hope. As a man I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a public bathroom and seen guys come out of the stall or from the urinal and just walk out the door. Some guys rinse their hands in water and call that clean. Others soap up… then grab onto the door handle and walk out. I’m grossed out seeing this. I’m kind of a germaphobe I guess but my ritual is after I’ve done my “business” I turn on the tap, wash with soap, grab a paper towel, dry off, use the towel to turn off the sink and open the door on the way out. Is that too extreme? How about pushing a shopping cart? I’ve seen so many people pushing a cart then grabbing food samples and eating them with those filthy hands… GROSS!
Brushing teeth. I brush in the morning 1st thing and at night before bed. That’s probably the norm. I know there are people out there that brush after every meal but I think that’s a bit extreme. Unless there is some food in my teeth.
Grooming hair. I shave my head for 2 reasons… 1 ~ I’m going bald so nothing looks cool for a balding guy with hair. It just looks like your trying to cover the balding. 2 ~ I’m lazy. I don’t want to have to worry about hair. I do think that when people go out they should make their hair presentable. Some people spend hours at it and that’s fine if you want to.
Shaving. I don’t work in an office. Never have. I hate shaving. I shave once or twice a week. I time it so if I need to dress up or go somewhere special I will be clean shaven but otherwise… no. Some people have a routine of shaving every morning, women included. Go crazy!
Finger nails, toe nails… they should be kept up. Nothing grosser than seeing someone with long, unkept nails. Nails bitten down to the nub are gross too.
Showering. I shower once a day. Some people like to shower 1st thing in the morning and before bed. That’s OK too. I know someone who showers after #2 no matter if he showered in the morning. I hate baths! Your just lying in your own filth. All the bum crumbs are floating around… not for me!
Deodorant. Gotta wear that guys and gals. Don’t want to stink! There are lots of deodorants that are bad for you but you can find natural ones that don’t clog your pours and have aluminum etc. in them. Personally I make my own… half baking soda, half corn or potato starch and ground cloves. Works great.
People like to pluck hairs and wax, use creams and make up, gels and spray… Go for it if it makes you happy.
I am obsessed with washing my hands but I don’t dress up fancy just to please other people. I shave when I want and keep my body clean.
Everyone has their ritual… what’s yours?
I’m sure if we could see the bacteria on everything we would wash more. If we could see the plaque and tarter we would brush more and if we could see the mites on our skin we would scrub until we were down a few layers.
Keep clean and look presentable. And don’t go overboard (including me). And never eat the peanuts at the bar!
See ya! Gotta go wash my hands…
Do you love your job? Or do you hate it? Maybe it’s a job that pays well or a job that you’ve had for years but is it really what you want to do with your life?
Imagine a world where you grow up with parents that support your dreams and passions. You try different things and find something you really enjoy. When it’s time to live on your own, you find a job doing your passion or you start a business doing that passion. You do your job each day with enthusiasm and pride. You are excited to get started in the morning and love your work day… everyday!
Sounds like you?
Most of us grow up and our parents influence us as to what we should do with our lives. Some of us finish school and find the 1st job we can get and stay there until something better comes along. Many of us start our adult life working at a job that pays the bills… but doesn’t fulfill us. We start to buy things like cars and houses and pretty soon we are in debt and can barely afford to live. We are stuck at our current job because we need the money.
Maybe that sounds more like you.
We need to raise our kids encouraging them to find their passion. They are with us for almost 2 decades (sometimes longer) so there is plenty of time to find out what they love to do. Once you find their passion in life then you can help them learn about it and get the skills to pursue it as a career. There are no guarantees in life and if your 5′ 2″ son wants to play in the NBA… that may pose a challenge. We need to balance passion with common sense. We all have to eat and pay the bills. If you can’t be the next Michael Jordan then maybe you could coach or be a scout. You could play in a amateur league.
It doesn’t have to be a sports star… it could be anything you want. The point I’m trying to make is that your work life can be enjoyable and inspiring. You can reach for anything you want. Now you can reach but you may not get it. But the process may lead you somewhere close and still fulfill your dreams.
What if you are an adult stuck in a job you hate? Find your passion and follow your dreams. You may have to scale own your lifestyle to make it happen but you only go around this world once. Do you want to take that trip in misery or enjoy the journey?
Before your jump off into the deep end make sure you prepare yourself. Gain all the knowledge you need and prepare financially to go for it. If you are married make sure you and your spouse are on the same page.
Sell your house and find something smaller if you have to. Stop eating out for dinner all the time or sell that fancy car. Does all that stuff really make you happy? Or does it look good to your neighbors and friend? Who cares what other people think… it’s your life and you should be happy living it. What about money for retirement? If you pursue something that you are passionate about you will succeed and make a great living. It may not be as much money as that Union job you used to work at but you can adjust your lifestyle to provide for your retirement.
You can’t take possessions with you when you die. Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a Uhaul?
Start by thinking about what would truly make you happy in life. Maybe you want to be a screen writer. Maybe you love gardening. Maybe you want to fly planes or restore classic cars. Maybe you want to council troubled youth or work from home on the internet selling used musical instruments.
Whatever you would love to do in life you should go for. Be sensible on your journey… you need to provide for yourself and your family. Go for it and if you fail… try again. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
Prove you exist! Live life abundantly!
