Before I went to Vegas, I did a whole bunch of research that kind of robbed me of the magic of being surprised by what I experienced. But no matter how many pictures I saw, nothing could prepare me for the sensation of standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
So, originally, I was supposed to go to the Grand Canyon with my father. I sort of hijacked his plans back in January. He was telling me about some wedding event he was going to in Flagstaff Arizona, and I was like, “That’s near the Grand Canyon! That’s on my bucket list”
And that was it. My mind was made up to see the Grand Canyon in April 2024. Unfortunately, my dad had to back out of the plans. But like I said…I made up my mind. (heads up, plenty of captured photos and videos in this one)
Let me start by saying I’m a firm believer in the notion of, “the only one you can control is yourself.”
That being said, I’m aware that it is possible to get people to feel/think/do what you want them to by game, influence, and manipulation. It is possible to convince others to love you, prioritize you, or to like you. If I wanted to, I could do all of this. And yet, I refuse.
If you were to ask me why, I don’t ever think I could respect people like that. It’s like those clips where a guy walks up to a woman, tries to talk to her, she blows him off like he’s no big deal until she sees that he’s driving a Maserati. Then, all the sudden, she hurries over to get his attention. Now, all the sudden she’s interested.
In 2019, a woman named Hannah Brown made headlines while starring as the “Bachelorette”…where she proudly proclaimed, “I’ve have had sex and honestly, Jesus still loves me.“
Fair enough. Jesus still loves you. Sure. Sure. Now ask yourself…do you think he’s happy with you? Do you think he’s happy with what you’ve done? Do you care? Is that important to you? Because talk is cheap. What do your actions demonstrate?
Last night, I went to dinner with the leader of the church group under the pretense that he wanted to discuss a question I asked. Things didn’t go so great…
Allow me to begin by laying out the sentiments of Romans Chapter 14. If you read that chapter, the jest of it is how Christians shouldn’t be quarreling over these differences of opinions when it comes to our faith or belief.
Verse 13 says, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”
What I love about that chapter is that 1) it takes the pressure off of you stronger Christians when it comes to trying so hard to make another Christian believe the way you believe. And 2) it should reduce/eliminate arguments between us as humans since the main person we need to answer to is God.
I had to take a moment to say “thank you” to an author who truly inspired me to start writing when I was a teenager. Until I read “Kill the Shogun” by Dale Furutani…I never thought it was possible to write fight choreography.
When most people think of books, they usually think of the typical school classics. Hemingway, Dickens, Harper Lee, and Shakespeare. I remember having to read “Old Yeller” and “Charlotte’s Web” and “Moby Dick” and honestly…I didn’t enjoy them.
I liked the premise of the stories, but to actually have to read through the pages, it felt like work more so than entertainment. But when I was fifteen, a freshman in high school…I don’t remember how I stumbled onto “Kill the Shogun” by Dale Furutani. But I can tell you it definitely changed my life.
You see, ever since I was a kid, it’s like I was born for combat. Don’t get me wrong, I never liked hurting people. But martial arts and all skilled systems of fighting just spoke to me. From the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to the Power Rangers, and Street Fighter…when I saw the moves, I was captivated and entranced.
I wasn’t a fan of gore and blood, but the choreography of it. I thought it was amazing, no different from a synchronized dance from Michael Jackson or crew of break dancers.
Last week, I flew to Colorado to attend my cousin’s graduation. With God on our side, it was definitely one for the books. And honestly…just what I needed.
Ever since she was a baby, my little cousin Allyssa has always been one of the most cherished persons in my life. Sometimes, I don’t even like to refer to her as my “cousin” because she’s something much more.
On April 4th 2023, I went to a Jehovah’s Witness Memorial Service for Jesus Christ and something unexpected happened. I suffered some kind of emotional or mental breakdown and had to leave before it ended. I felt wretched and rotten, guilty and unworthy. And ironically, I believe it all stemmed from this lifelong criticism of being called “Arrogant.”
Modesty is not one of my strong points. I get it. It’s kinda like how I’ve been told I’m too “Judgmental”. However, with that, I am truly judgmental. I embrace it. I can accept and defend it.
But Arrogance…How can I justify that? The Bible’s constantly talking about the virtues of being meek and humble. It warns about pride and haughtiness. Jesus himself said that “the greatest among you shall be your servant.” And that whoever humbles himself like a child shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
So, if they are correct in their assessment…what do I do? How do I change? Do I even want to change?
Here’s what I’m going to do. First, I’m going to explain what happened that night during the Memorial Service. Then, I’m gonna dive deep into why I’m clearly so insufferably arrogant.
As many of you know, this year didn’t start off the greatest. One of my most cherished cousins was murdered and if that wasn’t bad enough…the proceeding funeral events were almost as painful.
When I came back to Tampa, I spent at least two weeks in unimaginable pain and anguish. To cope, I kept telling myself, “Rock, you’re not that important. You’re not that important. You don’t matter. No one cares about you. It’s just you.”
That’s just a complex I have, where it’s more comfortable to stay nestled in the belief that I’m on my own. Here, you’d have the common response of, “But Rock. People do love you.” But what good is their love if they never express it? How do you benefit from their love and affection if they don’t show or demonstrate it?
For those who don’t know, Gynocentrism is the dominant or primary focus on women. It’s the opinion that we currently live in a society that panders and prioritizes the wants, feelings, and needs of women over the men, children, government, or even law and order.
Please understand, what I’m about to discuss is likely going to sound offensive. But before you pull out your pitchforks and torches…ask yourselves, what’s your reaction when you hear things like “the future is female” or “down with the patriarchy“? Just keep it in mind as I begin.
Here, I expound on the fourth of eight main points I’ve personally observed to help explain how one thing after another has sabotaged (ruined) dating for my generation. And at the end of each section, I’ll try my best to provide a solution because, I know…these sound like excuses. But I haven’t given up. I still have faith.
The Hook-Up Culture (Non-Monogamous Dating)
Tinder (Dating Apps)
Cat-Calling and False Accusations
Gynocentric Worship of Women
Brett Kavanaugh and Weaponizing Women
The Rise of the Manosphere
The Sisterhood
Leaving Christianity at the Door
In a Gynocentric society, the main goal is to encourage women to ascend to what is perceived to be “better positions,” positions that were traditionally held by men. Whether it’s in sports, leadership roles, politics, family, or the corporate boardroom, women are encouraged to be at the top.
Ladies! This is a huge one. This is a big reason why a lot of people will not get married or have the traditional families our parents and grandparents had. Because of the issues I’m about to discuss, a lot of Millennials are stuck in that perennial high school dance where the boys are on one side and the girls are on the other, but nobody is making a move to approach. Once upon a time, the onus was on men to go and approach the ladies. But because of these issues, the men simply are refusing to do this.
Here, I expound on the third of eight main points I’ve personally observed to help explain how one thing after another has sabotaged (ruined) my generation. And at the end of each section, I’ll try my best to provide a solution because, I know…these sound like excuses. But I haven’t given up. I still have faith.
Back in 2014, almost every media outlet and social forum was talking about that Cat-Calling video. It was the beginning of a campaign that eventually demonize what many believe to be “toxic” male behavior. It was the beginning of acceptance towards open misandry, which many felt was justified due to what they perceived as years of open and accepted misogyny. (because apparently two wrongs do make it right)
In the video, a woman walks through parts of New York and is filmed while a multitude of men are greeting her, complimenting her, wolf-whistling and trying to hit on her. Some were rude and disrespectful, absolutely. But not all of them. The problem is, all of it was deemed cat-calling and sparked a nationwide debate about the terrible harassment women have to face from men who behave like this.
As soon as I saw that video and the reaction it produced, I knew…My first thought was, “Well, damn. Now, how are we gonna talk to women?”