“The whole world wants you to be miserable. It wants you to put your head down, sigh to yourself and give up on being happy, and I know just as well as anyone that sometimes, giving up seems like the only option, but if you take one thing away from this record, I hope it’s this: Don’t give those people an inch. Stand your ground every chance you get because everybody deserves a chance to be happy.” –The Wonder Years.
On July 19, I turned twenty-nine years old. I must say that the 365 days from my 28th birthday to my 29th birthday has probably measured up to one of the worst and best years of my life. I continue to vent frustration, disappointment, and anger to someone who recently became my best Alabamian friend. We are sometimes joined at the hip as we stroll in a joy ride at three miles an hour down the side walk of the Summit strip mall maybe occasionally catching a cute glimpse. Then frustrated individuals behind us get so angry because with a new subwoofer in a new truck music blares as the punk rock indie group named The Wonder Years announces how great life is with the theme of succeeding in the midst of unfavorable odds.
My new friend and wing man sidekick, Matt Calhoun, has a bold understanding of what it means to be content and what it means to be a good friend. He has the most positive attitude and outlook on life of anyone I know. Recently I have been downtrodden because individuals from this past year, some that I considered dear friends, still continue to ignore me because of a disability I could not and still to some extent cannot control. With Matt, I never had to beg him to be my friend – he just was and is! He saw me as an equal opportunist in the Lord’s eyes to become great at whatever dreams I pursue. Matt never ignored me for any reason! I think that is what makes a great leader, addressing the concerns of those who wish to express them so desperately. It is really amazing. All he did was listen.
As a leader in ministry, I will never turn my back on the underprivileged as many in my own experience have, even recently. I think that is why I feel so vibrantly passionate about fighting for the fatherless of the cause of orphan ministry. In the eyes of an orphan, I see a mirror of my own life-an abandoned castaway.
At 29 years of age, I am pledged to fulfilling what I have called my own happiness project, but this year of growth begins a blog entry of this nature with three main tenets. First, I will not let the reactions, reflections, and insults of others claim my own happiness by allowing what other people think of me affect the way I think of myself. I may lose faith in leadership of those above me, but I will not lose faith in whom and what God has created me to be-James Cartee. BE ME!
Secondly, I will not be a leader like those who have silently assassinated me with the hurt in their lack of words and communication. It is one thing to be scared of what you do not understand, thus resulting in inactivity. It is quite another to belligerently ignore a brother in Christ hurting for the feelings of reaffirmation that have long been lost. I will not ignore those who are in need as some have me.
Thirdly, I am learning to let things go. I believe this also extends into not taking things so seriously. Sometimes I think I am so serious I forget to just have a little fun. Life is hard enough as it is. Do not take the joy away, or you might find there is no joy to give.
“The whole world wants you to be miserable. It wants you to put your head down, sigh to yourself and give up on being happy, and I know just as well as anyone that sometimes, giving up seems like the only option, but if you take one thing away from this record, I hope it’s this: Don’t give those people an inch. Stand your ground every chance you get because everybody deserves a chance to be happy.” –The Wonder Years.
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