Agree To Disagree

No two people will agree on something 100% of the time. It doesn’t matter what it might be people will have different ideas about how to go about doing something. We live in a world of human beings who have different experiences and that informs who they are and what they think. Working with people from different backgrounds can challenge and frustrate.

It gets bad when you have different agendas. When you care about the same things very deeply and you have different ways of supporting it is when you find that your patience can be challenged. To keep the peace you have to agree to disagree and find common ground in other places. Relationships can test you this way.

The temptation is to walk away but perhaps working through the differences can be an opportunity for growth. So many people will walk away from something they love because of their experiences with someone else. Remember you have every right to be there too. Hang on in situations like that.

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Grace In The Chaos

Offer grace to those who are under stress and say and do things that are hurtful. Whether it be family or friends being kind when you are persecuted by loved ones it hurts the most. Our anger can be there for a season, we hope. Grace in the chaos of life can be the greatest gift you can offer to those you love and care for. The last time I checked none of us is perfect.

Friendship, A Part Of Our Lives

Friendship is a part of life that is special. We all need people to go through life with to share those once and a lifetime experiences. Caring about people is part of our humanity.

A fellow blogger and I were having a Twitter conversation about friendship the other day and it seems that the concept is very fluid. Friendship groups seem to change a lot these days. It is rare to keep a long-term friendship group. We are more mobile and our friends change from time to time.

Social media has helped us maintain friendships and that can be a blessing and a curse. In my case a group of people I went to church with when we lived in Murfreesboro, TN stay in touch thanks to Facebook. High school friendships have been renewed because of social networking. 

Unfortunately friendships these days seem to have a shelf life and people come into your life for a season. Its something I have had to learn kind of the hard way. Some relationships end because of ego, self-centeredness and other factors. Drama seems to fracture friendships easily these days. People don’t want to be taken advantage of either in their connections with others. 

For many people they go through life without meaningful friendships because of one reason or another. Those people need people too. I think our self esteem can be a huge factor in how we perceive ourselves and what we think about other people. I like what Jim Morrison says “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”

Elbert Hubbard once said “A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.” Time and love are the important building blocks of friendship and you have to make yourself available to be a friend. Sometimes that means years and decades while other times it means days and months. 

Cherish your friendships. In some ways they become a part of your family or they become a substitute for family. 

When You Have A Blog on Tumblr

You should expect that people are going to explore Tumblr’s vast number of blogs. The system of tagging is such where you can find content from fellow bloggers.

Reblogging is impossible without searching for other bloggers material for posting on your own blog. Think about how many notes you see on some posts. 

There is a difference between exploring and trolling to harass and hurt fellow bloggers. As I have said earlier, every blog I have found was done through just going “shopping” to get inspiration from others and to make friendly connections. The people I follow are my friends in blogging and we enjoy that relationship made possible by Tumblr. 

When a fellow blogger likes what you have posted it is supposed to be acknowledgement that your post is agreeable and appreciated. There are some folks who should know that this is a social network in as much as it is a blogging platform. Unless your blog is password protected your site is open game for anyone on the web. 

Tumblr is simple, complex, fun and more. I am glad to be here. This is where my online voice is. Blogging is about community not isolation. 

Politics and Relationships

Discussing politics can be a very conflicting conversation. No two people agree 100% on the issues of the day. We have to be wary of conflict because there can be relationships impacted. I hate to argue but I also have my opinions and I want to share them. After all I have this blog thing so naturally I am inclined to want to speak out a little.

Some folks can be political and preserve a friendship. I have friends who disagree with me that are good people. We do have other things that bind us together such as religion (which is another blog post all together) and that is great. 

People who can in good conscious agree to disagree but still love each other are strong individuals. Perhaps there are other things that are more important than politics. But these days it seems that the discussions in DC have taken a heightened profile for American’s. 

No matter if you are Democrat, Republican or Independent your voice matters. But don’t let your voice come between you and those you love. People matter more than principles. 

Can A Guy Be Too Girly, And Still Be Straight

As most of you know, most of my friends are women. I enjoy the company of some awesome people who happen to be women. They are caring, considerate, honest, warm, intelligent and perceptive individuals.

The feminine influence is strong with me. However this poses a question I have, can a man be too girly and still be straight? Of course the issue of gender and sexuality are significant to this discussion but I choose not to go there in this post.

When a guy has an appreciation of traditionally feminine things such as chick flicks, clothing, cooking, decorating and the like, does that mean he has abandoned all the traditional dude stuff? Can you have the best of both worlds? (sorry Hannah Montana).

Its been suggested to me by my wife to check out more manly blogs, interests and other male-centric things. Yes its important to embrace my masculinity, but does it have to be always have to be about how to be rough and tumble I should be.

I guess the reason I enjoy the company of women is that I can be myself easier with women than with my men friends. Their interests are closer to mine. Sometime conversations can be deeper and more interesting with a gal pal. Personally I am not a macho dude and I don’t pretend to be.

Women have a very important role in the world. They lead major corporations and cities, teach in the classroom, fight in combat missions, fly planes, preach from pulpits and of course raise children sometimes without a partner.

I celebrate my female friends and enjoy their company. But as a man at times I have some issues in relating fully to their experiences. We react differently to physical and emotional events. Stress effects us in unique ways. I hope I can empathize and sympathize the best I can with women. Perhaps its a heart felt thing. Women need to be honored and revered but also affirmed as human beings in which we share faults and weaknesses.

To all my friends, male and female, know I love and appreciate you all. God bless us, everyone.

A Quick Word on Marriage

Friends, I have had a great experience this weekend. The focus on my marriage and the institution in general has given me some food for thought.

Marriage in all its forms is important to society. It can show the best that people can be when they are showing amazing care and attention to their spouses. Listening, showing respect, spending time and having patience can help any relationship develop.

Men and women are different in how we react to one another. It takes some skill and commitment to make their lives better. Adversity can reveal a lot about a marriage too and working together can make a big difference.

Being passionate is also helpful too!

Not everyone has had a successful marriage. And for those folks may they find connections that provide them meaning and affirmation.