A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

March 26th, Monday... So I'm flipping channels on my TV and I happen upon the Atlanta Housewives on BRAVO. Sheree' is in a jewelry store with her future son-in-law and they are looking at engagement rings. The jeweler announces that the (particular) ring they are looking at costs $40,000.00! The brother is taken aback by the price and comments on it (To the effect of that's a steep price for an engagement ring!), to which Sheree' responds with "blah, blah, blah, you can work overtime!") No, she did not blink or stutter! I have to hand it to the casting people for the 'Housewives' Franchise! They know how to find despicable people!
Don't get your drawers in a bunch. I know it's TV and it's entertainment and man, I AM ENTERTAINED! I see why people are frustrated and disillusioned with the rules of Society. No wonder people are flocking to Religion for guidance. It's just too bad Kingdom principles do not work in the secular setting. You're going to have to die to experience that stuff (if you're conscious to know what you're feeling! Good luck with that!). I was thinking about getting married (again). I no longer harbor those thoughts!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

January 25th, Wednesday... For the record, I am not a Bible thumper. I cannot recite chapter and verse off the top of my head. I do believe in God so I am not all bad! I try to live right. You know, respect others, respect myself... That sort of thing. I do go to church and I enjoy it. When not in church, I sometimes watch and listen to THE WORD Ministries that come on during the week. All of that being said, I cannot listen to every pastor or bishop or apostle that gets up there and goes through the process of teaching. I say that because I have problems with the presentation and delivery of the WORD by some.
There is one pastor, I won't mention his name, who wrangles my nerves! He is a good preacher, in my opinion, but he always manages to talk about his house, his possessions, his riches... He talks about how much he tithes and how it measures up with how much other pastors tithes... He's like watching religious train wreck performance art! (I can't turn away!)
Maybe I should not be critical of a religious man but am I wrong for feeling this way? I mean, if I visited his home that is set up like a museum and be comfortable in it when I cannot touch anything, when there are no signs posted that says "DO NOT TOUCH!" Not that I would want to touch anything. My fear is that the alarm would go off and security would physically remove me from the premises and, yet, I should be comfortable while visiting. Maybe I don't get it? Maybe I should just submit to a passive-aggressive, masochist who seems to get pleasure out of beating my brains out under the disguise of Christianity! Lord Have Mercy!

Excerpt from "My Life Sucked..." by A. Dacosta Brathway

Man, talk about history repeating itself... Back in the 60's, when the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing and the rhetoric that was being spewed from both sides of the ledger seemed to make sense, the Vietnam War was in full effect. (Just like the Iraq War now) At that time, the government implimented a draft and young males were chosen (like a lottery pick for the NBA) and issued a "status rating." There was certain criteria set that you had to meet that would determine when you were drafted. There was a list of conditions that the military determined how you could be drafted or not be drafted and there was nothing you could do about it. I remember thinking that I would have to go to war and never become the "genius" I thought was my manifest destiny. I did not want to go to war because I knew I would have a problem navigating the terrain in Vietnam. I knew that because I was having a problem navigating the gang turf in my 'hood. There were two prominent gangs happening when I was a kid. There were the Bishops and the Chaplains and, believe me, these two groups had nothing to do with the church! (That is unless they were violating a rectory to rob the sisters out of their "vow of silence" allowance!)/ I lived in Bishop territory. A block away from me was the border between Bishop terrirory and Chaplain terrirory. On the surface that was not a problem for me, since I was neutral. But, it became a problem for me because of my mother every weekend. My mother had this thing about me going to the grocery store every Saturday to pick up the usual suspects... Breakfast cereal, milk, some kind of cheap meat, and her feminine hygiene product. The Chaplains thought that because I lived in Bishop territory, I was a Bishop. When I had to go to the store, I had to find a way to explain to them, when they stopped me, that I was not a Bishop and I was going to the store for my mother. For some reason, that was not enough of a passport to get me through the gauntlet they had set up. I should have chosen track as my sport because I got real fast!/ Needless to say, I did not always get through untouched. I remember once I tried to explain to them that I was not a Bishop or a Chaplain... Hell, I was in conformation classes in the Episcopal Church to try to become an alter boy and they wouldn't let me join their gang! It might have been easier to just take the gang initiation then going through those classes! Anyway, I took two ass whippings that day. After the Chaplains were done, I had to go home and explain all of this to my mother. Under normal circumstances, she would have understood but this particular Saturday was a heavy flow day and her maxi-pads were of vital importance. In retrospect, maybe I would have had an easier time in Vietnam!

CRAP/ My Journal by Al Brathway

October 5th, Friday/ I lost my faith today! Things just don't seem to work for me like they do for others, if what the others say is the truth. I have signed on to believe that the process is the same for everybody but I don't get the results others have claimed to have gotten. What? I pay the bills, I'm on time. I follow the proceedure religiously! I've done all the right things when I go thru the process...Yet, I have nothing to show for it. It even worked for my sister and she just committed to it once. But you know what? I'm not gonna waste my time anymore. What's the point in believing if there are no results? Okay, maybe I'm looking for a miracle but isn't that what it's all about? Where is the payoff? I might have to start looking for a woman in church because the Internet thing is bullshit!/ CRAP!