PoeticaL
cluttering the net since 2001

you can't keep any promises....none...zip...zilch!

Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005
Tonight my son was dropped off after a Promise Keepers event with his father. But I�ll get to that later.

Once he was dropped off I had an appointment with Ace (the tattoo guy) to get my tattoo filled in. I took my son with me as it is something I wanted him to see because he�s got an artistic side that is second to no other 12 yr old I�ve ever known. Ace was quite the busy guy tonight doing 2 tattoo�s while Keith and I waited. Rick was also nice enough to go to McDonalds and get my son some dinner while we waited. Apparently my son�s Dad didn�t think to feed him before he dropped him off. (I think he was in a hurry to get rid of my son and his step son at his father�s house, to think of actually FEEDING his kid�.but I let that one go)

I got my tattoo colored in and there will be photo�s to come. While Ace was tattooing my back, there was another tattoo artist working on a girls shoulder tattoo. He was telling some crude jokes, as to be expected in such a place, but I would have preferred he skipped them because my child was sitting there. But I�m a laid back mother when it comes to the notion of virgin ears. My son attends a public school and I�m pretty positive that he�s heard the same sorts of jokes there before. Ace was great with my kid as per my expectations. He explained things to my son and asked him what he likes to draw and told him how he ended up in the business. He did his best to mentor him on the ideas behind the trade and told him what it takes. My son may or may not ever want to be a tattoo artist, but it was a nice experience for him regardless of what the future brings. He nearly insisted I take him to Walmart after my tattoo was finished so he could buy some fine line sharpies and draw on his skin with them�pretending to give himself tattoo�s.

Now I realize there are parents out that that would never allow their kids to draw on themselves. And I certainly refrained from encouraging such behavior when my son was a toddler etc. But he�s nearly 13 now and understands what is artistic and what isn�t. However, I did wonder how many days before his Dad takes his markers away and doesn�t allow him the freedom of expression that I myself find worthwhile and worthy of the remote remote chance of ink poisoning.

After we got home, which was nearly 4:30 a.m. (oh my his father would disapprove�.but then again it�s not a school night and we had a blast together!!) I opened a bag my son brought into the apartment when he was dropped off and inside it contained two books. First this one�.

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hmmm appears to be about missionary work. Not something I would do, but not something I am opposed to. But what 12 year old do you know that is going to read 207 pages that basically appears to encourage you the reader to give $30 a month to an Asian missionary. Thankfully the book cost $5.95 and therefore my son will still eat next week. (note: buying missionary books is more important than buying school clothes)

let me quickly interrupt my thought process to mention that my ex, my son, and his stepson attended the Promise Keepers Conference this weekend. The following are the rates to attend

Adult Registration - $89.00
Youth Registration - $69.00

That means he paid $227 for a day and a half conference and drove to Orlando to do it? My son also had two �The Awakening� t-shirts to commemorate the event and I�m sure ex bought himself a load of crapola too. Gahhhh

Now onto that second book I picked up and the real reason that I sought out all of this information�.
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Read that title again. Say what? My ex is buying and giving a book that is about addiction to porn and how finding God helped some guy stop going to sex shops and massage parlors for hand jobs? I did a search for this book on amazon and did not like the reviews or what the reviewers had to say.

That is when I stopped and decided to do some research online about The Promise Keepers. I found a ton of information about how they hate homosexuals. Then I quickly recalled a conversation that I had with my son quite awhile ago whereby he told me not to vote for a particular presidential candidate because that candidate did not like �fags�. The word he used at the time. I freaked out. I immediately told him that God loves everyone, that there is no God that is prejudice. I was shocked to hear my own son say such a thing and I went on and on in my speech trying to remove his previous speeches given to make him think such a thing.

Tonight we went to Walmart to find those pens and the girl behind the counter upon seeing me buy 20 lilac candles asked me if I was getting married. I told her yes. She then said, �My girlfriend and I are getting married next year� I replied with a �what did you say?� Because I half heard her�.and then I felt horrible because of how that must have sounded. I first thought she stated her girlfriend was getting married. Upon leaving the store my son told me, �That was gross�what that girl said.� I responded to him by saying, �I don�t like girls, I�m not attracted to them, but if someone else is and two girls love each other, then so be it, that�s their choice to live as they want.� I think that my son is not necessarily homo-phobic�.however I do think he�s being taught to be so. (edited info out)

After doing some research online I found several upsetting things�..

at this site�..
http://www.promisekeepers.org/faqscore24

The Promise Keepers believe that homosexuality is an abomination of almighty god.

Two and a half years ago McCartney used a University podium to promote Colorado for Family Values' Amendment 2, declaring, "Homosexuality is an abomination of almighty God." Homosexuals, McCartney reasoned, are "a group of people that don't reproduce. Yet they want to be compared to groups that do reproduce."

BUT DOESN'T PROMISE KEEPERS PREACH RACIAL RECONCILIATION?

The Promise Keepers record concerning blacks is highly problematic. PK seems to distinguish between what they term "reconciliation" and a more pronounced call for true equality. Black men (and others) are "godly" only if they fit into the PK lifestyle template. In addition, it should be noted that a number of the black evangelists show cased by the Promise Keepers are Christian Reconstructionists. This extreme movement teaches that society should be "reconstructed" along Biblical, Old Testament lines; it proscribes the death penalty for a number of transgressions, including blasphemy, homosexuality, adultery, "witchcraft" and even disrespect to parents.

At this site
http://www.rickross.com/reference/promisekeepers/promisekeepers1.html

He also explained the group's stand on homosexuality. "There's a biblical design for sexuality that's in the context of heterosexual, monogamous marriage," Chavis said. "Other expressions of sexuality are outside of God's design. That would include homosexuality, the use of pornography, premarital sex and extramarital sex."

This group believes that men should �take back� their role within their homes and not ask for that role but �take it� from their wives. This group belittles woman. They believe that homesexuality is a sin, they further believe that black men are less than????

My ex-husband is a dirt bag who needs to latch onto some cult like vise in order to feel a part of something because he can�t quite figure out how to be a good moral person who does the �right� things. The biggest thing that kept coming back to me as I explored all of this muck was the years in which my ex tried to pawn off expensive soap all in the name of the Amway gods. The constant listening to hooo�rahhh tapes where internal Amway men (the ones that sold a LOT of soap and were worshipped by all others) would spout on and on about where they came from, how they started and how YOU TOO could be a rich mother fucker if you lied to other�s about how great it all was. I recalled the endless meetings at waffle houses where the greasiest loser men with their bewildered wives would sit across from us talking about how when they finally made it up the pyramid �.strike that�I meant how when they finally won the lottery�oops I mean when they finally helped OTHER�s succeed and in doing so could then themselves succeed�.we would all rejoice in the soap lords. I recall how those Amway men would hug each other and give validity to each other, calling each other the next big thing. I remember how I whined and carried on and tried to explain over and over to my ex that if we just bought a box of Tide and called it a day we could save our money and do something legitimate. He never listened. That was the first of many sad states of affairs within our marriage. He was always on the lookout for the latest hype.

This Promise Keepers bullshit doesn�t surprise me. And low and behold�..I inadvertently found the inane source of the �I love my Wife� sticker�..look that stupid damn thing is sold by the Promise Keepers cult. Yes I said CULT. I call things what they truly are. If you gather together and pay to do so�.then you are in a cult!
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Sometimes when these current things are happening and I come to learn of the current crazy doing�s of my ex. I rejoice. I rejoice because I no longer have to talk sense to a senseless man seeking to belong anywhere�somewhere�..where his insanity is seen as an okay thing. I rejoice in realizing that I can watch it from afar and not sit in any more waffle houses, I can pay my bills and skip over the paying to belong insanity. I can not buy the t-shirt, I no longer must shake the hand of the current leader of all that will make the world gleam in it�s wonderfulness��I am free free free!!! I sincerely laugh at the absurdity of it all.

This man who attended a Promise Keepers conference is the same man who could not keep the most holy of promises to forsake all others until death did us part.

I�m still alive. In my deepest heart, in my most sacred soul�.I will forever believe that by doing that his soul is damned to hell. No matter how many t-shirts, crosses, books, stickers, necklaces, bracelets, and WWJD products he buys.

Furthermore, last year I purchased my son a University t-shirt for Christmas. He asked for it because he was proud of his Mom. The t-shirt mysteriously disappeared after only a few short days. (ie the stepmother was bothered that the ex-wife is achieving?) One last thought�I suppose I should rejoice that my ex is not teaching my son how to pay his rent.

I�m really not laughing about any of this no matter how it might come across. But I certainly no longer feel bad about a few jokes my son heard at the tattoo parlour.

I edited out information above...if you really want to know what it was drop me a line and I'll email the text to you. Note to anon: he's my ex-husband...and my son did not read what I wrote and I know this because he's with me. I often edit things out to avoid that.....but then again you might not be paying attention and that's to be expected Mr/Mrs. Anon.
6:22 a.m. ::
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