Hasta La BYE BYE...

    Well, well, well guns...   The first time I ever shot a gun was during basic training and it was cool in a bust a cap in a target kinda way.  I'm a city boy though.  Now when it comes to people owning a gun for protection, I try to follow live and let live.  However, I think most people say that as cop-out.  Now who really needs a gun for protection?  If you're not hanging out thuggin with James and them, just who are you protecting yourself from?  GOD bless you if you live in a hood where you actually gotta be strapped to walk down the street.  Thanks GOD I never had it that bad.  Now maybe it's just me but I feel all these crazy gun enthusiasts, not all gun owners, that want to shoot animals for fun or their relatives in a heated argument or a classroom full of children, should do something useful.  They should join the military and get on the front lines.  Then, after their enlistment spent solely in a war zone, see how much more they wanna "shoot stuff" . 
     You know what, I made some hasty presumptions about this whole boys guns club thingy.  I don't have a desire to own a gun but I will go check it out.  I think I will call Marc and see when the next meeting is going to be held. 

     "Hello," Marc said.
     "Yo Marc! What's up?" I asked.
     "Nothin fool.  Whatchu doing?" Marc asked.
     "Nada.  Oh but check this out...  I wanna see what all the hype is about.  When's the next NRA meeting?" I said courageously.
     "Oh you down?  I gotta holla at ole boy but I will get back at cha on that one," he said.
     "Cool.  I'm serious now man.  I want to see if it's like I think it is," I explained.
     "Not a problem.  When was the last time you were on the court?" he asked.
     "It's been a good minute.  Why, you ready to lose?" I asked.
     "Don't make me laugh man," he said while laughing.
     "I will block everything that you throw up.  We can do this next Saturday if you're not scared," I said.
     "Alright, bet," he replied.
     "Hey I gotta go dude but hit me back up with that info," I said.
     "Yep, yep...  Later," Marc said.

     We hung up.  I think he thinks that I'm just fucking with him but I'm not.  Let's see what this meeting has to offer...

Click Click BOOOOM!

     Mister Cody was a small, da na na na na Inspector Gadget looking dude.  He wore these geeky, coke bottle looking specs with pants pulled all the way up to his navel.  Why was Marc hanging out with this guy?  Oh well...

     "So Marc, do you go shooting now or somethin?" I asked. 
     "Yeah we, referring to him and Cody, go hunting and it's pretty darn cool," he replied.
     "I don't know.  I don't quite get the point of shooting shit just because," I said.
     "Well to each his own," Cody chimed in.  "I think more people should take advantage of their Second Amendment rights.  Go shoot sumthin!" he rejoiced.

Yo, he was all smiley faced like what he said didn't sound more stupid than he looked.  I chuckled.

     "Any way, how you really been Marc?  Are you and whats-her-face still talking?" I asked to purposely change the subject.
     Cody interrupted, "I will protect myself and I have every right to do so."
     "You do realize, as a card carrying member of the NRA, you are trying to put more guns in people's hands right?  The very same people that you say you are protecting yourself from...," I explained.

That NRA stuff is borderline mountain men militia weird.

     "Some of those meetings are pretty whacked out though," Marc admitted.
     "You have even gone to the meetings?" I asked.
     "Yeah I have gone a few times to see what was up," he said.
     "We are gonna run this country one day," Cody said.
     "For right now you can just run your little tweedle dee ass the fuck outta here.  Marc, it's been real and it's been fun; just can't say it's been real fun," I joked.
     "True dat man.  I will check ya later," Marc replied.

     As I closed the door behind them, I was shaking my head in disbelief.  If a cool fucker like Marc can get brainwashed by the dark side, then what is really up?

    

Who's Your Friends???

     "Who's there?" I asked.  Oh wait, I didn't actually say it out loud.  That was my lazy, who's at the door thought before I get up and walk all the way over there for a Jehovah's Witness.  Okay lemme get up and answer the door.  I took a look out the peephole and it was a sight for sore eyes; my long lost compadre Marc.  There was some dude with him that I didn't recognize.  My friend Marc was a self-proclaimed know-it-all and a major asshole, if he didn't like you.  He was a very funny guy and we shared similar backgrounds so we were cool.  Sometimes there's nothing worse than unexpected company, even if it is a friend.  You might get caught with your pants down: literally.  Fortunate enough for me, I was just watching the telly so I opened the door.

     "What's up Marc? Long time no tweet, no text, no facebook, no my space, no google chat or whatever the fuck it's called," I said.  That's for all you people that think it's cool to live your ENTIRE life/dirty laundry out on the internet.

     "What's up my nigga?" he responded.  Hmmm...  I never took a liking to that word so hmmm.  Some white dudes use it because they are racists or feel inadequate when sized up with their Black counterparts.  Some use it because they think it makes them sound cool.  I DON'T use it.

     "So where you been man?  It's good to see you!" I said. "I have been keeping to myself and pretty much working." Marc replied.  "So who's your friend?  I don't think I've ever met you," I said to Mr. X.  "I'm this NRA asshole with my foot up my ass that thinks I'm more important than I am" is what I heard when actually...

     "Hello my name is Cody and I am a gun enthusiast.  I thought I should throw that out there cause it could make or break an association" he said.

All Hail the PANTHERS!

     You know, I have a very close, small circle of friends with a few associates sprinkled in here and there.  There's only a few people with the distinct honor of being my friend.  People with their basic morals in the right place that are trying to get ahead honestly.  Oh yeah, and we can clown and act a fool.  I decided to sit back and see what football games were being televised.  Should I get a brew?  Heck yeah, it's the weekend and time for me to enjoy the simple pleasures of trash talking and, hopefully, watching my boys play.  Right on cue, I got a text from my friend Jay. 

     "What's up man?  Who are y'all gonna lose to today?" he typed.  I responded, "Dude...  Who did y'all lose to last weekend, the Browns???  I thought y'all were a professional team."

     I laughed to myself.  Don't worry, it's a sports fan thing.  I will talk trash win or lose.  Correction, I will run my mouth while losing.

     He replied, "How many Super Bowls did you guys win?"  "The only reason that you have a couple of Lombardi trophies is because there were only 2 teams in the league in 1904, you had a 50/50 shot," I snapped.

     I love Sundays, my I don't have to run days right?  Yes Sundays and Saturdays are cool.  I will give 110% at work Monday through Friday, just gimme my days off.  Okay who's on this weekend?  I started flipping through channels.  Right about that time, there was a knock at the door...

Part DEUX!!!

     I believe in GOD!  I'm not perfect nor do I claim to be.  I have screwed up at many different aspects in life throughout the years.  With every mistake, I learned a new lesson.  I live by myself in a nice one bedroom apartment on the W-E-S-T  S-I-D-E!  The west side is the best side!  I have a balcony that overlooks other balconies and a cozy little fireplace where I get to burn shit up.  My walls are all decked out with this art deco, Victorian crap.  Nah...let me quit playing; I'm a bachelor so my walls are bare except for my junior basketball hoop where I can always hit the buzzer beater.  I hadn't watched a lot of TV lately but I have wanted to pay more attention and see what is going on locally.  I turned on the boob tube and I heard...

     "In other news; twenty-five students were shot and killed today at Always Safe High School.  Apparently, there was a dispute between two 10th grade boys.  One of them grabbed the teacher's gun and fatally wounded his rival.  He then began to mow down everyone in sight.  When asked why did he shoot all of his classmates, he answered that he had nothing better to do and the gun was there."

     "Man what is this world coming to?" I asked.  "White people hate black people, straight people hate queers, left wingers disagree with right wingers, Republicans hate Democrats; so everybody disagrees and nothing gets done.  Why do you think I don't know my neighbors?  People are self-absorbed and crazy as shit.

Introduction

     From Nostradamus' infamous prophecies, to the Y2K computer crashing catastrophes, to the cryptic Mayan forecasts; people have been predicting the end of the world since the beginning.  Oddly enough, thus far, none have garnered any merit.  But history repeats itself.  It has always been said, throughout time, that history repeats itself.  Although I tend to agree, I also feel that it's a morbid way of thinking.  But, I guess if you live long enough, you will see people making the same mistakes.  We are very imperfect in that way because we tend to let our emotions and feelings get in the way of logic and clear thinking.
     How many different times in your life have you ever gone through a situation and wished you would have said or done something different?  Maybe you should have said this or done that; or, just maybe, you should have done this and then then said that.  I have done it millions of times in the past.  Sometimes I even have had pseudo conversations with myself.  I would repeat what someone had said to me and come up with several new, witty responses.  It's that drive for perfection that makes some of us great and some of us insane.  Wait until you hear my story!  But first, I must give you some background information.
     From very early on in school, I learned of heroic and courageous men that rose to the challenge even when faced with adversity.  How did they summon the bravery that it took to get the job done?  We will never know exactly what we are made of until forced into action.
     Growing up in a modest household taught me a few things that I wished more people had learned.  It taught me to appreciate what you have and it taught me not to disrespect others for what they don't have.  As early as I can remember, I was for the underdog, "different" person, or, for lack of a better word, the misfit.  I had the luxury of growing up either in the popular group, or at least knowing the popular group, throughout my school years.  I was a very good athlete and that is what a boy is judged by in school.  Parents like academically gifted students and students like other students that can kick ass in sports.  Not to say I was a dummy; because I wasn't.  The fact that I was on the honor roll wasn't what I was known for; it was how many other dudes that I destroyed in dodgeball or how far I could kick the ball in kickball.  I grew up in a house where we went to church at least two Sundays a month.  We weren't religious fanatics but we do believe in GOD.  Most of my Mom's side of the family were members of our church so it wasn't a death sentence to attend.  Dare I say that I had fun associating with all of my cousins and doing what kids do at church.  We sang in the youth choir and toured around the state with my pastor.  We even played softball against various other churches in the region.  Later on in life, that solid foundation in the church proved very valuable and I am thankful for every sermon.
     I was second to the youngest out of a family of four siblings.  For the time that I knew my father, he was very stern and had a way of sucking the air out of a room.  What else would you expect from a career Army dude?  He served in the early 1960's through the 1980's but that's no excuse to be an asshole.  Needless to say, as a military brat, I moved a few times in my childhood.  Early on, I had an undeniable lack of confidence.  I was very shy in general, and extremely shy when it came to girls.  Who would have thought I would have grown up to be one of the most self-reliant, confident, and independent people that I know?
     My name is Devin Colby.  I learned a long time ago, don't burn solid bridges because of foolish thoughts of invincibility.  If you ever fell flat on your face and needed a hand before, then it will happen again.  Can you count on the bridges around you to support you?  Don't take out your hurt on others that are not directly involved with your pain. The very bridge that supported you across choppy waters the first time, won't be there to carry you next time if you destroy it.