“Glorify the Lord” @ Dairy Queen… or… Treat the Guy with Tattoos Like He’s Scum…

It started simple enough… my ailing wife requested cookie dough ice cream with a waffle cone. So, I set off to Dairy Queen here in Hixson. I decided to go in as I didn’t want to be the jerk holding up the drive thru trying to explain what I wanted. I stumbled over explaining what I wanted.. but got it worked out. Yay, Cookie Dough blizzard and a waffle cone… I’m a hero… The cone, after tense negotiations, was priced at $1. When preparing to pay I realized I forgot the BOGO coupon… oh well, I’m not going back to the house. Transaction complete, I step off to the side to wait on my order. It was then I noticed the ceramic cross with the words “Glorify the LORD” on it. I immediatelt found this odd… at a fast food restaurant. I am not one to have a problem with followers (as misquided as I believe them to be) displaying their “religious articles” wherever they choose… so I gave it no further thought.  There was a dad with his young 3-4 yr old daughter, she had with that  energy, you know, the energy we all wish we still had…  It made me smile.  My two blizzards were presented (not upside down) without lids for the trip home… and sans one $1 waffle cone.  The conversation ensued like this

Me : I ordered a waffle cone as well

Kid: Waffle cone…..      I don’t know…

He turned away from me, walked back to his station and proceeded with the next order…  I assumed I had missed something and after a moment asked

Me: Are waffles cones not your department?

Kid: Ignores me

Kids co-worker:  Yes, he needs a waffle cone

Kid: rolls eyes… walks to cooler and produced the almighty waffle cone… with his bare hands…

Me: Uhhmmm….   Can I get something to put it in

Kid: without a word, takes cone and drops it into some plastic sundae “to go” cup.

Me:  Can I get a drink carrier?

Kid: again without words, takes the carrier and slowly sets it down

This is where I made the decision to NOT speak my mind and get the $10 melty mess home.  I managed to drop the cone on the ground twice as the boy genius’ setup was a big FAIL.  I was thankful for the hoodie laying in my seat, under the drink carrier…  It soaked up most of the stuff dripping down the sides of the cup.  All that to say this.  If you are going to place your religious icons in a public restaurant then you need to teach your employees how to treat people as… oh, I don’t know…  Jesus would treat them.  Isn’t that what “christian” means,..   Christlike?  Even those with tattoos and a Boondock Saints T-shirt on.  See, I don’t have a problem with religion, I have a problem with the assholes that claim it while proudly displaying hypocrisy.

END

-E.T.

The new THUMP behind The Unsatisfied

Spring has sprung

Religion is the devil… Part 1 of ?

I’ve been putting this off for some time…  writing down how I feel about spirituality, mine in particular, in an attempt to get it out.  I am not “well-spoken” in the sense that I have so much going on in my head that I have a hard time vocalizing my feelings, thoughts, ideas etc.  So here goes a try with written words…

CHILDHOOD

I grew up in a STRICT religious household.  I will take the time here to point out that there is a BIG difference between “religion” and “spirituality”, in the interest of being clear.  Here are some of the Rules or “beliefs” our house abode by.

• Women do not wear make-up or jewelry
• Women do not cut their hair
• Women do not wear pants, only dresses and skirts (and those must cover  from neck to wrist/ankle
• Men do not have long hair
• Men also wear clothing that covers almost 100% of skin (no shorts, no swimming… not even gym shorts)
• Of course…  NO MASTURBATING (that goes for the ladies too)
• No television, no movies, no amusement parks, no dining anywhere that served alcohol, no spending the night at friends and most family b/c they had televisions
• No MUSIC unless it was southern gospel

There are more.  I think these suffice to get the idea across.  It wasn’t THAT bad.  Sure I got made fun of at school and bullied until I learned how to throw a good jab but all in all I learned a lot about what Faith is and what it means to have convictions and to stand by them.  Aside from that, as a young child I always felt that I was going to go to hell b/c I could never fully believe all the stories and teaching I was getting from the Bible.  You know, Jonah and the whale, the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, going to heaven on a chariot of fire and most of all the raising of the dead.  When I first heard of Greek mythology, on a elementary school field trip to the Parthenon in TN,  it was the first time my mind clicked and realized that it was basically the same “story” with different names and dates and ideas but basically the same Good vs. Evil thing.  I was young and of the mindset that Religion was the same thing as Spirituality.  I knew that Christianity was not for me so I figured spirituality was not either.  So I guess you could call me an atheist then… but that is strong…  I really didn’t even think about it much you know…  nothing of the sort existed for me.  I spent a good amount of time in my mid teens learning about different religions for knowledge’s sake.  I found them all to basically be the same thing, re-written by whomever at various stages of human history.  So there I was… an atheist with no spiritual code, sheltered and about to greet the world of sex, drugs and rock’n'roll with a fury.  I guess, looking back, these became my “religion”

~ ~ ~ ~   for now

Occupy EVERYWHERE

If John Lennon were alive today I know where he would be…  likely in jail.

The powers that be have done one hell of a job keeping the public fearful.  We’re fearful enough that leaders like John seldom raise their fists anymore in opposition to anything.  Over the past few weeks has seen a rapidly growing movement spring up called Occupy Wall Street (www.occupywallst.org).  OWS is spreading like wildfire and for the first time in my lifetime I see that SOME people are unafraid to start speaking out.  In my opinion there is not much left to lose.

The media keep looking for a “leader” or “common enemy” when covering this story.  I find that typical and very TELLING.  We have “freedomed” our country into something that doesn’t even mildly resemble the ideal union our forefathers had in mind.

In my opinion our “leaders”, in both “parties” use this nation’s spirituality (religion) as a cover for their dogmatic agenda.  All religions teach love above all else…  do they not?  The media are led by the elite to manipulate us.  We should care for each other as humans, not as anything else…  It is never for me to judge you, though I am far from perfect and do my fair share of it.  But I recognize this as a problem with my spirituality and I believe that to be half the battle, the other half I am working on.

And therein lies my point.  Until we recognize that WE THE PEOPLE are still JUST THAT, we will continue to follow the Pied Piper no matter right or left.

-E.T.

Late night gibberish

Neverminding the poor
Is really what you’re “for”
Knocking humans down
Adds gems to the crown
Dancing on our backs
Telling us to relax…
Keeping us at our throats
Sit back and gloat

Wring those fat hands
Enjoy your hate
A few in the stands
Will help seal your fate

You hate.
Don’t.
Retaliate with compassion
And firmly stand
On your soul’s demand for
fairness and equality
For ALL!

-E.T.

My first wordpress

My name is Eric, my friends call me E.T.  I have a wife and two dogs.  I play in the band The Unsatisfied.  Do me a favor and check us out!  Find somebody to LOVE.  -E.T.

P.S.  I promise my “blogs” will usually have more content.  AND,  they will likely piss someone off from time to time.  I apologize ahead of time.

The Unsatisfied

E.T.