Manns Medium

When you feel like you have been in a prize fight and could not defend yourself from the massive amounts of blows thrown by your opponent.  When you thought you had a handle on your opposition only to find yourself trying to dodge a flurry of punches.  Some landing and some glancing but each one inflicting a little damage all the same.  During these times, you realize that this is not a title fight nor is it a dream or a figment of your imagination.  This is life, plain and simple and if you are going to play it, buckle up because it will be a long and bumpy ride. Why so gloom you ask, well I have just discovered that there is a very strong possibility that I have two beautiful daughters that I never got a chance to know, watch grow or hold.  Their names are April and Ashley and they lived in my dreams.  They have relocated into my heart and there they have built a mansion to remain for the rest of my days.  You see, I had taken a military doctor’s ...

Now I know that I can not be the only one asking this question but it appears that I am the only one addressing it.   One has got to wonder when this all changed from a society where those who can, help those you can’t into a world where those in a position to help dwell so deep within their own selves that they refuse to extend and share their knowledge and expertise to anyone or anything unless it can be done for a price.   I cast this light upon our justice system and those entities associated with it whose primary task would be to help control or eliminate desires to cause harm or injury to ourselves or our fellow man. As many of you may already know, my nephew is the victim of this trend.   He is a young 15 year old with a very bright future ahead of him but quite a troubling past behind him.   Back in the past entities and families used to band together in order to help these lost souls find their way.   Each having their place and their assigned task...

As a single father, I am truly upset at some of the reported actions of parents who act long before they think.   It makes those like me who work hard at raising my children to respect another and only using violence to protect themselves feel as though I may be the only one teaching this.   I know that is not the case but rarely do we ever hear or see anything about the decent parents who know that raising children is the most frustrating and yet rewarding job in the world.   This is just one of the indirect damage caused by thoughtless parents. I rail against ignorant when it comes to parenting and choices some make especially stories like this one reported by CNN Wire Staff titled California mother arrested for encouraging son to fight where this lady promoted violence as a solution in her own front yard and was the primary cheerleader while children were hurt and injured.   Her callous actions project a message that it’s okay to settle thing with your fists and...

We are all quite aware of how too much of anything can be bad even if it was reported to be good for you.   Could the same be said about complimenting your children?   As a parent and remembering how it was for me growing up, it made me feel like riding on a cloud when any one of my parents would acknowledge me and once in a while tell me how well I am doing instead of constantly reminding me of my faults.   I make it a point of letting my children know that not all of their decisions are bad ones and applaud them when they do the right thing.   I found myself doing it more with the two youngest ones than I had with the older ones.   I began to wonder if I was doing more harm than good by doing this so often. What made me aware of this possibility was the constant acclamation of my five year old about winning at everything.   She has gotten to the point that she must win at every cost and before this was seriously addressed by her mother and me, it seemed ...

On about June 1997, I took in four foster children who also happened to be my nieces and nephews.   What made it a somewhat easy decision was when all of the family was gathered together and the four were dropped off and picked up by completely different foster parents.   The look on their faces when they saw the other was heart-wrenching and it was made even more unbearable when they had to part ways to leave with their assigned guardians after the gathering was over.   I made a promise to myself that if it ever became an opportunity to not let that happen again I would take.   Little did I know what that promise would cost in the end? I was living with my significant other when that opportunity presented itself.   I got a phone call from one of my other sisters and she informed me that the mother of these children had dropped them off at her house the night before and had not returned to get them.   My sister explained that she could no longer watch them ...