I Respect Your...

Preface

I am supposed to tell you: What to do. What to think. What to say. What to believe.

You are supposed to: do and think and say and believe. Not according to your freedom to be. But according to your faith without qualification.

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At least, if I am your... God.

Otherwise, I am supposed to tell you: nothing.

You are supposed to: everything.

At least, if I respect your... right. 

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But that's not true, is it? Not really.

I Respect Your...

I respect your...

right to the truth so:

that is not how it works and you know it.

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After all... you won't leave me be. What to do. What to think. What to say. What to believe. You're full of it: full of telling me everything.

What's happened to my everything? Or is my right to everything, like respect:

a one way street where you make a mockery of mutuality like you own all the lanes?

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I respect your...

right to respect:

that's how it works and you not only know it, you pear-shape it.

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Without me affording you the benefit of civility, you couldn't: Attack what I do. Ridicule what I think. Dismiss what I say. Vilify what I believe. You're full of it: full of doing everything but being real.

Because passing around a hat to fund indulgences isn't being rich. Because gaslighting real lives of real people isn't being powerful. Because pumping nightmares on steroids isn't being influential.

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I respect your...

right to believe that:

I am supposed to say nothing while you do you. 

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If it weren't for the timid, the people who think and believe 'fairness' means you exercising the practice of wronging with impunity -

if it weren't for the apathetic, the people who think and believe 'liberty' means seeing, saying, and doing nothing here -

if it weren't for the wrong, the people who think and believe 'happiness' means the will of God, that is: destiny, is in the eye of the beholder -

you couldn't do you without qualification. Not really.

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I do not respect your...

immunity to consequences and

I am not supposed to worship your pear-shaped make believe, where the timid and apathetic and wrong are supposed to manifest riches and power and influence

over my self-respect.

Whether you lie for happiness - whether you defraud for faith - whether you deceive for your right to wrong -

you're in a lane you don't own:

mine. 

Addendum

People make much ado about 'respect'.

In the context of generational differences - or entitled versus earned - or that which is owed or due because its expression or measure is not enough - etc.

But all such ado - is not always about respect.

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When 'respect' is unfurled like a flag that incites and provokes rage from the wounded and aggrieved -

the truth is:

that is not respect. Period.

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And insofar as contempt of respect has been, is, and will be met with disinterest and inaction,

basic b$tches and basic s$gmas have been, are, and will pear-shape respect:

to @sshole without consequences.

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Such that normative @ssholery and prescriptive @ssholery are not only a reality because basic b$tches and basic s$gmas are @assholes -

but also because people make much ado about not giving a damn. After all, people have been, are, and will surrender to basics playing at being God, because the alternative is giving more f#cks than zero.

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Needless to say, I am not supposed to see, hear, and say nothing when basics play at being God and I respect neither the basics who are @ssholes nor the people who see, hear, and say nothing while a dumpster fire sucks all the oxygen out of everything.

M

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Postface

When basics 'win':

You don't win because it's your choice. Because basics aren't in it to win it for you. Nor do you win because you don't care. Because basics never win without the tacit cooperation of people who'd sooner sell their organs for a magic bean or two than invest and engage in civic action.

When basics 'win':

This isn't good people here being good. This isn't God's will. This isn't inevitable. This is:

you playing at being God 

like God's on team @sshole.

M