Saint Sinner Patron Saint of Fubar's blog: "Words of Wisdom"

Today we mourn the passing of Common Sense. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents- Truth and Trust, his wife-Discretion, his daughter- Responsibility, and his son-Reason. He is survived by 3 step-children, I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I Am A Victim. Please join me in a moment of silence to pay tribute.

An old cherokee man is teaching his young grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside of me" he said to the boy. "It is a terrible battle between two wolves. One wolf is evil-he is anger, sorrow, envy, regret, greed, arrogance, self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego". "What about the other wolf?" asks the boy. The old man responds "The other wolf is good-he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same battle is within you. And all others as well". The young boy takes this in and asks one more question...."Grandfather, which wolf will win?" The old cherokee simply replied "The one you choose to feed".

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf, And the world makes you King for a day, Then go to the mirror and look at yourself, And see what that guy has to say. For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife, Who judgement upon you must pass. The feller whose verdict counts most in your life Is the guy staring back from the glass. He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest, For he's with you clear up to the end, And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the guy in the glass is your friend. You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum, And think you're a wonderful guy, But the man in the glass says you're only a bum If you can't look him straight in the eye. You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, And get pats on the back as you pass, But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you've cheated the guy in the glass. -------------------------------------- No typos, this is as originally penned by Dale Wimbrow. 'Pelf' is often changed to 'self' I guess because those folks don't know the word. Also commonly referred to as 'The man in the glass' or 'The man in the mirror'. Just my random two cents extra.

Now, this is an amazing poem. To me anyways. Many years ago, gleamed from my mothers end table, this poem opened my eyes. I didn't want to be a pretty woman. I didn't feel pretty and didn't desire it. I wanted to be known for me. Not for how I looked, but for who I was. This poem personified that for me. Years later, it has taken on even more meaning for me. Now from a womans eyes, I see this as the true definition of physical beauty as well as a womans inner beauty. I am not your traditional beauty, but I am fucking beautiful. In my own way. Not because I fit the normal standards of physical beauty. Because I am what I am and carry myself with pride. This is the package I was given to work with. Flaws and all, it is mine. I love my big ass, it provides cushioning when I fall. My obnoxious laughter means I am enjoying my life. I love my thick calves, they provide strength and stability. My crooked smile adds character. I adore my scars, for they remind me where I've been. My stretch marks remind me I've brought new life into this world. If you can point out a physical flaw of mine, I can retaliate with what makes it beautiful. I've felt this way for a long time. I honestly think I can attribute this mindset to this poem being in my subconcious all these years and forming what 'a real woman' is in my mind. So if you are a woman, I ask you to reread this poem. Again and again. And again. Realize the Phenomenal Woman within you. Find her. Don't worry so much about how you paint and dress the outer shell. Nourish that Goddess within and it will shine thru to the outside. You will be stunning. More so than you already are. If you are a male, read this and think 'who does it remind me of?' Some woman is bound to come to mind. If she embodies this poem, tell her. Make it known to her that she is a Phenomenal Woman. Not every woman realizes it or sees the potential. Make her aware, you will be doing something great for her. It will feed her ego and make her feel appreciated. So I guess that pretty much wraps this all up. Just wanted to encourage everyone to recognize beauty where the rest of the world may not see it. And if you're not seeing it: Open your fucking eyes! It's there. Embrace and acknowledge it. But for now, this Phenomenal Woman has shit to do.... Phenomenal Woman By Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size. But when I start to tell them They think I'm telling lies. I say It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips The stride of my steps The curl of my lips. I'm a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman- That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please And to a man The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees Then they swarm around me A hive of honey bees. I say It's the fire in my eyes And the flash of my teeth The swing of my waist And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman- That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can't see. I say It's in the arch of my back The sun of my smile The ride of my breasts The grace of my style. I'm a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman- That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say It's in the click of my heels The bend of my hair The palm of my hand The need for my care. 'Cause I'm a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman- That's me.

I love this damn work. It's helped me so often. I found this on my ex mother in laws nightstand once. Coincidentally, it carried me daily after I left her son. A framed version hangs in my living room, a constant reminder. It occurs to me that I should share, for those who may happen upon it here. I know of a few fufriends who could probably benefit from this right now. They know, or will after reading it. I can't credit it properly because there is much hubbub concerning who originally penned it. Without further ado.... After a while.... you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul. And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead, with the grace of woman-not the grief of a child. And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrows ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So you plant your own garden, and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really CAN endure, you really ARE strong, you really DO have worth and you learn and you learn with every goodbye, you learn...