Philip on Life

  2020 has been a hell of a year. A global pandemic, protests and riots, fires, murder hornets, Sean Connery, the Lakers and the Dodgers, and now the US presidential election.   As I write this, Joe Biden’s projected win has caused elation on one side and threats of legal retaliation on the other. Both sides are certain of final victory, and yet, I can’t shake the feeling that there are no winners here.   Regardless of who ultimately sits in the Oval Office, we have all lost where it really matters. We have shown who we are as a nation, and what I’ve seen is both tragic and terrifying.   They say that Trump brought out the worst in people. They say that racists felt safe to show their true colors, and hate came out to play. What I saw were suppressed emotions that were given an outlet; emotions that were already there and will still be there, regardless of who the president is. I saw a pressure cooker letting off steam, and I fear that Biden will simply be putting th...

I believe that words have power. I believe that the words we use to define things and express ourselves are important, therefore I believe that understanding the meaning of the words we are using is important.   I believe that we often confuse racism and racial prejudice.   To me, there is a huge distinction that needs to be made between the two in order to make progress in racial equality and our relationships. Allow me to explain.   I grew up moving back and forth between South Carolina, Florida, and Latin America. The years I lived in SC as a kid, my family attended an all white church and I lived in an all white neighborhood. I really didn’t know many black people. The only times I would see them was when we would drive through a black neighborhood, and those communities were always poor. The economic divide between the white community and the black community was obvious. Sometimes my mom would stop and talk to people in those neighborhoods and I would watch from the ...

For many years now, there has been a heated debate over whether or not abortion should be legal. Those who are Pro-Life say that abortion is wrong and those who are Pro-Choice say that it is not. What I find dismally depressing about the topic is that each side is arguing a completely different point.   Let’s break down the implications behind the names of each group. Pro-LIFE means that the fetus inside a woman’s uterus is a human being and should be kept alive. Pro-CHOICE means that the woman should have the right to decide what she does with her body. The two arguments are not mutually exclusive. You can completely agree with both statements and still not agree on abortion. Why? Because you’re talking about different things.   As a result, I see an endless amount of rage and vitriol coming from both sides. They literally hate each other. One side calls the other murderers and in return is accused of stripping women of their rights.   We cannot have a meaningful convers...

As I have watched the events unfold over this past week, I have been torn by anguish and confusion. As a result, I have refrained from posting anything until I could process my thoughts and speak with some semblance of clarity.   If you have not read my post “Let’s talk about truth”, I ask that you take a moment to read it before continuing this one because I explain my outlook on life and feel like it is important to keep that in mind as you read what I have to say.   Here is the link: https://philiponlife.blogspot.com/2020/04/lets-talk-about-truth.html   Whether or not you read it, I ask that you have patience with me as I continue learning and seeking to contribute to the best of my abilities. I do not assume to have answers. I have ideas, and I have questions. Let’s begin.   I am a white male. I grew up moving all over North and South America and have felt both judged and admired because of my race. What I have never felt is threatened. I cannot begin to imagine ...

Quid est veritas? If you have read enough of my articles, you probably already know that I write for the individual. I try to avoid phrases like “society needs to _____”, or “people need to ____”. I try to write in a way that applies to each person as an individual, but would still benefit a group if each person were to apply my suggestions.   The topic of truth is no exception. I am going to explain a mentality I have adopted over the years, and talk about how I have benefitted from it. Maybe you can as well.   A lot of people seem to get very defensive very quickly when their beliefs are challenged. This is particularly true of religion and politics. People have very strong opinions about things and defenses go higher than the questions raised. I have seen people get verbally attacked for simply asking why someone believes certain things.   Other symptoms of this include the countless posts, memes, and articles that mock and belittle a group that holds a different belie...

Let’s talk about Faith. I identify as a Christian. I don’t really talk much about it in person for reasons I don’t feel the need to get into right now, but I grew up in a Christian family and have been one myself since I was five. While fellow Christians may connect more with what I’m going to say, this post is for everyone, so please don’t let its religious connotation deter you. The reason I want to discuss faith in this specific time is because there are 2 aspects of my life that I feel are very relevant right now, and they are both based on a single verse from the Bible. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 So, the first thing I want to discuss is trust. Over the last several years now, God has been teaching me how to trust Him, and it has not been easy. Ever since leaving the comfort of doing Security work as a full time job, I ha...

Let's talk about COVID-19. So, normally, I don't post about current events. I like to analyze things, mull it over for a while, and most importantly, process my feelings before sharing my opinions. I am making an exception in this case because I hope to make some points that will help in the here and now during this time of uncertainty. So, first off, let's talk about fear. When I watch a horror movie, I have realized that the scariest parts are when I don't know what the monster is or what it is capable of. Any scene in the dark, a creature that hasn't been revealed, or a serial killer that hasn't been identified is fear inducing. So, how much more terrifying is it when you're living out a scenario you've never dealt with before in real life? The greatest cause of fear in this situation is the unknown. Now, fear manifests itself in different ways. Some people may panic, others may laugh and dismiss the threat, while others may get angr...

Let's talk about beauty. I will make an honest effort to keep this to a short novel because, honestly, I have so many thoughts on this subject, I don't know where to begin. When I say beauty, I also kind of mean attractiveness in general, but since a lot of this post will be about women, I'll keep it as my opener. Needless to say, there is a lot of emphasis on physical attraction. Like, just, a lot. Pick up any magazine and you'll see models with perfect skin, teeth, and hair, promoting something that will make you look fabulous. Pick up any other magazine, and there's an article about how Photoshop is ruining men's perception of women... along with models with perfect skin, teeth, and hair, promoting something that will make you look fabulous. Those articles aren't wrong, but Photoshop is not the problem. The problem (or one of the problems because, complexity) is that men (and women) are being raised with a very superficial perception of ...

Let's talk about freedom. This is a topic I've been mulling over for quite some time and, honestly, I have more questions than answers. So, in spite of the overall tone of this post, my questions are not meant to be rhetorical. So, what is freedom? Are Americans free? Is it really freedom if you're doing something you were given permission to do? These are the questions I struggle with. I live in a country where I can go anywhere I want, I can work for anyone that will hire me, and I can hang out with whoever I want to. As I go about my life, there are very few times that I don't feel free. On the flip side, I also live in a country where it is illegal to collect rain water, you get fined if you're not connected to city power, and other people get to decide how much of my paycheck I keep. In 2014 I was staying with a friend in Downtown LA. I would always park on a street that had meters during the day and free at night. Then one day, I noticed thes...

Let's talk about life. Life can be hard. It can also be amazing. Sometimes, it's just meh. I feel like, due to my profession(s) and personality, I experience the full gamut of what life has to offer. I do freelance work in the entertainment industry, and when it rains it pours, but then it dries up and everything turns to dust. On top of that, I feel all emotions on the high end of the spectrum, so when I'm happy, I'm elated, and when I'm sad, I'm Eeyore. So, needless to say, my life is a roller-coaster of emotions, and sometimes I wish I could turn them off. Here's the thing though, life has seasons. It has a rhythm, and an evolution. The only constant is change, and that can be especially hard to remember when things are difficult. This post is for the downtrodden, the weary, and the hopeless. It's for those who have been struggling and can't seem to catch a break. It's for the dreamers who can't find rest. Nothing lasts forev...

Let's talk about rights. There seems to be this ongoing discussion about what people have the right to say, or what people can and cannot say, and I find it fascinating. Someone says or does something offensive and certain groups are outraged and some say they shouldn't have said it and others try to justify what was said. It's like people feed off the drama, and I don't understand why certain things are so important to some people, but I do get a kick out of watching it unfold. Sometimes. Other times I feel really sorry for the general population who feels like it's their responsibility to correct someone else's "wrongdoing", or make it known how offended they are. It's exhausting. I know because I used to be that guy. Someone would say something incorrect and I would be there to set the record straight. Knowledge must be distributed! Then one day, I decided to keep my mouth shut. Not entirely sure why. Maybe I was feeling experi...

Story time. I pull in to a gas station, swipe my card, and start pumping. Around the amount it's usually full, the pump turns off, but not with the normal click but rather like the pump died. I notice the screen says "pump has been turned off". That's odd. I print my receipt, pull my car into a parking spot and head in to use the restroom. Standing at the door of the store is the cashier, a lady, probably mid 20s, looking rather confused / concerned. She asks me if I was just at pump #3 and I say I was. We start walking into the store together as she is telling me that someone else had just put $30 on pump #3 and that I had stolen her gas and that she would really appreciate it if I paid for the gas that I just stole. I look this lady in the eyes and see 2 things, clear as day. She is terrified, like, a rabbit cornered by a Rottweiler kind of terrified, and "stole" in this context means "unauthorized consumption". As she's talking, t...