It’s Been the Week from Hell But There is Hope . .

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Leonardo Ramirez

Last week I was involved in a discussion about the where we are as human beings and how we’ve allowed to become so out of touch with the world around us. We’re quick to blame video games and political parties for the atrocities that happen (and yes, some of those are to blame) but we’re less apt to look in the mirror while checking our pulse for reasons why so much tragedy on the rise. We turn off the news because we can’t handle the suffering of others. We don’t dig deep enough to find answers to what is really going on in this world and why they happen. Instead we’ve become “low information voters” who are too lazy to search for the truth on our own. In the discussion, one person stated that as they’ve grown older they’ve given in to the fact that there is nothing that they can do to change the world around them so they might as well enjoy it. Sorry but I have a real problem with that.

I firmly believe that we can live bravely in both worlds and for the joy of living to be bedfellows with genuine concern. Why? Because I’m too afraid of what I might become should I grow apathetic. Apathy,I believe, is our biggest enemy today.

For over twenty years, a doctor slit the necks and severed the heads of live precious babies. If there is any clear picture of what infanticide really is it is this case. The pictures that I’ve seen are horrific and the person(s) responsible are nothing less than monsters. The initial lack of coverage by the mass media of the trial is reprehensible. Again, this went on for 20 years and no one did anything to stop it including the employees.

It seems that in recent years I’m coming across more and more people that are apathetic to the world around them who believe that one voice cannot change anything. This is reflected in social media as well. Jokes are made about tragedies and accusations about culprits are thrown out without any evidence in the hopes that social media will take hold of a lie and make it true. Apathy turns into self-interest. Self-interest turns into selfishness and the latter can surely turn a person’s heart cold and indifferent. For crying out loud, investigate before you tweet something!

Do I believe that there are still good people in the world? YES!

Otherwise, we never would have been given the power of choice

The bravery of those that stopped to help the runners of the Boston Marathon after the bombing of the same. These cannot be overstated. Strangers tweeted for runners to come to their home if they needed shelter. A medalist removed his medal and gave it to a runner who wasn’t able to finish the race. Sergeant Tyler stopped to comfort a young girl scarred by the blast. These are people that have made good choices.

It shouldn’t take a national tragedy to bring us out of apathy. Some of us choose to close our eyes to the things that are happening around them. I understand that it’s a lot to take in. Suck it up. We need you. Be the hero that America needs so desperately right now. Our hope is not in any politician, pundit or celebrity. It’s in you.

Between the Boston Marathon bombing, the ricine letters and the Texas fertilizer plant explosion It’s been the week from hell for us as a country. Be vigilant at all times. Pray for Boston. Pray for Texas. Pray for our nation.

And don’t stop.

What is your hope?

As a side note: This post started out as a commentary on the human condition but something inspired me to take a different direction. As silly as this may sound, it was the trailer for the new Man of Steel movie. Even if you’re not into Superman, it’s a great trailer.

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit Leonardoverse: Science Fiction for the Human Condition for more info.You can support his work by purchasing The Jupiter Chronicles, now available for 5.99. Click here now to buy.

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The Samurai Code and Societal Ills

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Leonardo Ramirez

I was watching The Last Samurai (I love Ken Watanabe in any role) this week. Now some folks might get a little annoyed by the movie notes that sometimes flash across the screen. Not me. I’m a big movie buff so I love to hear how the producers were able to concoct some of the images we see in the final film. As a writer I love to know the research behind the story as well. As a martial artist, I found the research done on this film particularly interesting so I had to do more of my own.

In doing so, I set out to find what it meant to be a Samurai and specifically, what is known as the bushido code really struck a chord. These are traits and philosophies that mean a lot to me as a martial artist and as a person. This is especially true since we consider ourselves martial artists all of the time, not just when we’re in the dojo.

Listed below are the seven virtues of the Samurai known as the bushido code and what they mean to me:

Rectitude (Gi): This is also known as justice. This is not the social justice that is so rampantly talked about these days and (in my opinion) a distortion of what justice really means. This sense of justice is more about doing the right thing in the midst of difficult circumstances and when it may be unpopular. It is more righteousness in the strictest moral sense as opposed to entitlement. Real justice is not perverted or follows a crowd in doing wrong. Instead, it has a motive that is purely seeking the right choice without a hidden agenda.

Courage (Yu): This virtue does not entail foolish endeavors of heroism or charity for the sake of an audience or to be seen in good favor in the eyes of men. To the contrary, it means doing the right thing even if you’re alone in the effort. Sometimes this means you will be hated by men. Doing what is right can sometimes lead to isolation but always ends with a clean conscience and no regret. It’s jumping into the deep end.

Benevolence (Jin): Also known as compassion, this virtue must be an honest and real sense of concern or empathy for those who are hurting, ill, poor or otherwise. I personally believe that the reason why we go through adversity is so that we can help others navigate theirs. If we can’t do that sincerely, we have no reason to be here. We have become a society that is very detached from each other. We are not genuinely in tune with what our neighbor is going through. It is too easy to insult each other in a forum or a comment section of a website without any consequences. Unlike some, I do not blame technology for this. We have a choice. Technology is simply a means to an end. We can spread good or we can spread hate. And quite frankly, it’s too easy to blame the internet and advances in technology. The words that appear on forums and social media sites are written by people, not by themselves. Benevolence can thrive anywhere. And real benevolence does not stop at feeling something. It starts with doing something good even if it makes us uncomfortable. My father passed away a year ago next May. Even now I can clearly remember who was there for me, who had a genuine kind word of concern and who did not stop to speak a word despite the fact that they saw me every day after. This is not resentment I am harboring. The lack of concern is simply a shining example of what I don’t want to be.

Respect (Rei): This one is huge for me because it’s clearly something that we have thoughtlessly discarded. We are so concerned with our standing in society, the loss of our job or position, etc. that we have very little respect or regard for each other. Respect is both given and received and does not dominate for the sake of filling an insecurity in ourselves. When one side has no respect for the other, the exchange stops. Yes, respect means to hold with regard those who are in authority over us but the exchange is a whole lot easier when we don’t seek to control through manipulation.

Honesty (Makoto): I love our karate school and there are many things that I love about my instructor, Grand Master Danny Chapman. But if there is one thing that I always point to it is that he is respectfully direct. There are no hidden agendas and no one telling me one thing and meaning another. Besides the fact that he is the first leader I’ve ever had in my life who has dealt with me in an honest fashion, I love it that I never have to worry about where he stands on an issue. His intentions towards me are pure. That way when we are given a compliment we know beyond a shadow of any doubt that it is meant and that we’ve truly earned it without conceit but through hard work. Our school is lead with integrity and straightforwardness and we’re never in the dark. There is no deceit or cheating. That’s the kind of leader I want to be. The only hard part about that is when I have to go back into the “real world” and start all over again. Oy.

Honor (Meiyo): When I think of honor it’s not simply recognizing the good qualities that we’ve learned to live in practice that have been handed down to us. Honor is also our reputation. As alluded to before, we teach our students that we are always martial artists whether we’re inside the dojo or out. So the natural question to follow is how do we act when no one is looking? That’s when we are who we really are. Honor is consistency. Honor is real. Honor does not sit in the seat of scoffers or bring shame upon those closest to us. If we live our lives with honor then it is all the more meaningful to those whom we honor. Hold fast to what is good. We show the greatest honor in those in our loves when we are concerned about their needs both physical and emotional.

It’s sad that our society no longer views honor as a virtue.

Loyalty (Chu Gi): If there is one virtue that is sorely missing today it is this one. Promises are easily broken and relationships torn apart because of abuse, self-interest, insecurity, and the list goes on. What we fail to understand is that with genuine loyalty comes relational security. We fear that if we’re loyal we’re going to get trampled on. And sometimes that does happen but no one said that loyalty was easy. It is not. In fact, sometimes it downright hurts. Just to be clear I am not speaking to wives in abusive situations. I’m speaking to the husbands who abuse. Real loyalty is motivated by love. Real love is motivated by selflessness.

Notice a pattern? All of these virtues are inter-related. They go hand-in-hand. Without one the others suffer greatly and all balance is lost. And without love at the heart of all these things we are nothing but a clanging cymbal.

And what is love?

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails

Are you following the code?

Chat soon,

Lenny

Number Two: A Letter to the Child of Divorce

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Leonardo Ramirez

Dear Friend,

I may not know your name but we’ve known each other since I was a little boy. In fact, you and I have been best friends since the time my dad left the first time.

Do you remember that day? Do you remember the day that mom and dad sat you down and changed how you looked at things forever? I do. I don’t remember exactly what was said. I just remember that it didn’t matter. Things were going to be different. Forever.

I wasn’t sure if the sight of my mom laying under the kitchen table on a bed of shattered glass would be better than my dad leaving. That was the first time I had asked anyone if this person in front of me was dead. Even though they fought a lot I still felt safe. I knew where I was going to go to bed every night. I knew where I was going to eat. I went to a great school where I felt loved. More importantly, I felt secure.

That security was shattered after that sit-down talk. I moved from relative to relative at different times. I remember once waking up on Christmas day being scared to death that there wasn’t going to be anything under the tree for me. Uncle Frank made sure there was. I had to change schools. I can still remember the smell and sounds of being a forgotten face in a crowd eating lunches that made me sick to my stomach and working on fractions that I couldn’t understand. And just like the name of the school that hung on the outside wall of P.S. 153, I was now just a number. I was number two.

I was number two since my older sister was number one in receiving the letter that my dad had married again before he had left for the states. He married the girl he had introduced us to the day before. We weren’t even sure who she was or why we were hanging out with her. After my sister tore into her room nearly destroying everything in a fit of rage she handed the letter to me. That’s when I became number two. I then handed the letter to my younger sister. She couldn’t read yet so she became number three.

As the years went by the only thing that my mom could see was him and all the hurt that he had caused her by leaving. She was blinded to the point where a screwdriver being driven into my hand by her tirade bore no guilt. After all, I was only number two. The few times that number two was number one were confusing when a genuine hug or an “I love you” was followed by a broom handle to the head.

As number two I never had a bedroom to call my own. My hair was awfully cut and the hand-me-downs still smelled like someone else’s sweat. I remember going to a church for groceries and the Salvation Army for toys.

Most people think that you and I are like everybody else. We are not. You and I might go through life assuming that no one wants to talk to us when we enter a room and being used to that.

People think that divorce is not a big deal. Everybody is doing it. Getting a divorce is like changing your socks. People think that the heartache doesn’t last forever. It does. A family member told me once that I needed to grow out of it. Her parents were still married. If someone ever tells you that ask them if they know what it’s like to jump out of a plane without a parachute. Politely tell them to please try it.

I know that for years to come you’ll be asking yourself one question.

Why?

The answer is simple. Selfishness. Not only does it take hard work to stay married but staying together boils down to one thing. It’s a decision. Now if your mom is being physically hurt or emotionally abused by your dad then she shouldn’t stay. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about dads that leave because they’re too lazy to work it out. I’ve seen more and more of this lately and it makes me very sad. No one deserves to be alone.

This is not your fault.

I was angry with my dad for leaving. But I also had the wrong ideas about who he was. It wasn’t until a year before his passing that I could see in his eyes that he hoped that I would forgive him. He was set free that day from that guilt and left for the last time knowing that I loved him. It took him a long time to get there but he got there.

Now that you know why it happened, it’s time to move forward. It’s time to decide for yourself that despite the bad cards that you’ve been given that you will not do what a parent of yours may have done. That you’ll look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’re better than that because of who you are. It’s time to decide that with every day comes a chance for you to share a laugh with someone that is sitting next to you. Decide that with every day you’ll become a better person than you were yesterday and make the shift from asking why to looking ahead. That you’ll see things through different eyes and make every decision with love as its motive. Decide that you’ll laugh a lot more than you were allowed to.

It’s time to break the trend and think along the lines of giving and not taking and yes if that means that by relying on God that you can accomplish great things then that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes there’s more hurt than the heart can handle by itself. Not because you’re second best or deserving of anything less but simply because you’re not number two.

You’re number one.

You will get through this. And you will be happy.

Decide to start now. I did and I couldn’t be happier. I take that back, I could be happier if I had some cherry pie in front of me.

I love cherry pie. Cherry crumb pie to be exact.

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available now.

Click here to buy and thank you for your support!

New Forum Topic: What Book Has Significantly Changed your Life?

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Leonardo Ramirez

Hi All,

There’s a new NextGen review on the website by Alexandria Sheridan. Be sure to check out her fresh take on Interview with a Vampire! Click on the NextGen tab on the menu!

Also, if you have not yet listened to the HAVEN OF DANTE PROLOGUE as an audio drama, visit the post here to listen. You won’t be disappointed!

In keeping with the theme of Science Fiction for the Human Condition we’re asking the question, what book significantly has changed your life?

I remember reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Man, did that book mess with my head! I’m glad it did though and I’ll explain why.

Many years ago my father told me a story about how much his faith had been shaken at a critical time in his life. At the time, there was no one to guide him since his father had already been living in a hospital due to his paralysis. As a side note, this is where the importance of having a father-figure was made clear to me. My dad had no one. In fact, once when we argued I asked him, “Why did you leave me?” His response was simply, “my father left me.” This, of course, was infuriating to me but at the time I hadn’t fully realized what he meant. In all the questions he had at that very important time in his life there was no one willing to answer them because of tradition or because the subject was taboo. He was a true out-of-the-box thinker.

This is where Screwtape came in. If you’re unfamiliar with the work it’s a collection of letters that the demon-mentor Screwtape writes to his nephew Wormwood who is seeking knowledge as to how to steer humankind away from God. The fact that it’s written from the point of view of a demon is probably what really messed with me! Alternatively, this book let me know that I can hold on to my faith and think outside the box and not be afraid to talk share my heart and the doubts that sometimes hide within. That I can do as Thomas Jefferson once said and “question the existence of God” and return to a confidence that He does and He’s watching over me. I can talk about the subjects that some may not want to talk about and I can even disagree while my faith is not shaken. I still belong. We don’t have to fear our doubts and we don’t have to condemn ourselves for our questions.

I just wish I could have been there for my dad when he had those questions. His faith was shaken and he didn’t find it again until just before he died. It was right before he left for the last time that I could see the love in his eyes once again. He knew he was loved once again and he was right.

And no one could take that away from him.

What book has changed your life?

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available now.

Click here to buy and thank you for your support!

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Science Fiction for the Human Condition

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Leonardo Ramirez

I received a follow on Twitter this week (among others) that caught my attention simply because for the longest I’ve been struggling with who my target audience is and who I should strive to connect with. Before I continue, however, let me say that my first and foremost reason for blogging is to connect with you, the reader. You have plenty of other more important things that call for your attention so I’m extremely grateful for the time that you’re taking to read.

The fact of the matter is that while I will always be myself when I write, I long to know who my readers are and I don’t always know that unless folks comment. So, to get you to comment more I have to know who you are. But to know who you are I first have to know who I am and how we can connect That’s where the Twitter follower came in. It turns out she’s a branding expert from LA who provides a wonderful booklet on branding that every entity who is struggling to get their message out needs to read and it asks some very good questions.

If you’d like to reach out to Kimberly, she can be found at http://www.kimberlybordonaro.com/. I did notice that some of my fellow writers follow her as well. Her Twitter page can be found at https://twitter.com/Brandspiration

Questions such as who is my target audience?. More importantly, what is my purpose?

My heart and motive have always been for people who are hurting. These can be kids who have had to suffer through child abuse or neglect or an absent parent which can be equally torturous as was the case in The Jupiter Chronicles. It can also be young girls who have suffered an assault like Haven did in Haven of Dante. Young or old it doesn’t matter. Those are the kids and adults I want to speak to because I’ve been there and so has my wife.

Reading these questions has made me realize that this is who I am and this is who I’ve wanted to reach all along. I just didn’t know how to verbalize it. I’d sit at night next to my wife and ask her why is it that people won’t connect to what I’m trying to do and to what’s in my heart. For years I’ve been frustrated and would say to myself, “if people understood my motive for doing this why aren’t they more supportive??”

It’s because I’ve never explained it before now.

I hope that you’ll stay with me and my family in this journey. What will help me to know that you’re with me is that you comment and share with others what we’re trying to do. Writers need to be encouraged and I’m no different.

So what am I trying to do?

Through the written word, let the reader know that they’re not alone and that they can make good choices for their future in their heart and mind. I want to let them know that I get that they’ve been dealt some pretty bad cards but it doesn’t have to stay that way. That because of our human condition we are going to screw up and make mistakes. I want dads to wake up and learn that they need to spend more time at home. I want kids to know that they are loved and precious. I want women to know that they don’t have to put up with verbal and physical abuse. Yes there will be giant robots. There will be martial arts and girls who can kick booty. But more importantly, I want the reader to learn to smile and laugh again.

With that said, here’s our new logo.

What do you think?

Our first book review is in!

We’ve received a great response from our call out to readers from elementary to college age level who will be the next generation of writers. Our first review is from Sarah Feyas, a biology major who submitted her fresh take on The Hunger Games. To see her take on the movie, simply click on the NextGen tab on the site menu. Please be sure to leave a comment and make it positive. We want to be encouraging to the next generation of writers!

If you’re from grade school to college age and would like to submit a review, please see the Guidelines for Book and Movie Reviews.

Our goal is to have reviewers of all ages have the experience of writing site reviews. A special thanks goes out to MariLynn Ross who coordinated this effort!

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available now.

Click here to buy and thank you for your support!

Codes, Values and a Moral Compass: A Culture Commentary

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Leonardo Ramirez

My wife and I were devastated by the events in Connecticut. I hugged my daughter a little tighter and told her how much I loved her a gazillion times. We had deep conversations and we cried over the beautiful faces that were lost.

But since Friday, I’ve heard numerous comments about what gun laws need to be fixed or how all guns should be banned (which doesn’t seem to be working for crack addicts, meth labs and drunk driving) from a government that supplies guns to our enemies. Yet what people don’t want to seem to address is the heart condition. By no means do I want to convince you to believe as I do and nor do I want to get political because that would detract from the conversation.

Who are we on the inside?

Your answers are your own. All I can do is share who I am and why. I will not force my beliefs on others (and ask that you not do the same) but I won’t run away from them either.

There are a myriad of reasons why my wife and I call ourselves Christians but in the context of this dialogue the one that comes to the top of my mind can be found in one word. That word is reliance. If I believe that man is flawed and that we make mistakes then I have to have something inside of me that tells me what I’m saying is wrong, what I’m doing is wrong, how I’m saying something is wrong and how I should be doing better. I believe that there is freedom is saying I’m sorry and that if you can’t say it and mean it there is something fundamentally wrong. I believe that if I didn’t have that on the inside that my soul would become dark, remorseless and without a check to stop me from carrying out my human nature. I believe that the more we get used to doing something wrong the less we feel bad about it. That just gets worse with time and I can’t help to wonder if this is what is happening with our culture.

Coming from a broken home or from poverty can be a factor but it is not the deciding one. I came from both. My faith tells me that my decisions are my own. I have to have someone on the inside telling me that I need to do a better job at loving people. We all do.

Look, I know that for some reason or another Christians and God aren’t liked a whole lot right now especially by the media. Some have even said that Christians want to establish a theocracy which is ridiculous and goes against Christianity in and of itself so if you’re looking for a theocracy check the other side of the globe if you dare. The views of others stemmed in prejudice and misinformation won’t dissuade me from my beliefs. If someone came to me and told me that my wife was a serial bank robber would I believe them?

No. Why? Because I know better. I know her.

I found out for myself who she was before I married her.

Now I’m not sure what is happening with young men these days but I see it a lot. There’s an apathy and a disconnect from consequences. There’s a detachment from the urgency of natural human need that could be happening right in front of their eyes. There is ease of hate speech online that is unprecedented. Try getting on to some of these movie/comic book websites and look at the comments. I’ve never seen so much freedom to hate as I do when I peruse these sites. Hear my heart when I say that I’m, by no means, taking some kind of moral high ground here. It’s quite the opposite. I’m coming from the bottom up and saying that we’re all flawed. To what degree you accept that determines how teachable you are. How teachable you are determines how humble you are. And how humble you are determines your ability to know right from wrong.

Some would say, if God is so good why does He let this happen?

As you’re probably already aware, control and love do not go hand-in-hand. You can’t love someone and control them at the same time. That’s not love. This was on us.

I can’t navigate this life on my own. But one thing I can take solace in is that despite my shortcomings, I am loved. I am loved by my wife, my brown-eyed girl and my God.

That’s all I need.

What’s your moral compass?

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available now.

Click here to buy and thank you for your support!

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Small Business Saturday is November 24!

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Leonardo Ramirez

My wife and I are huge local business fans and we support them in any way we can because we both know how hard it can be to start your own business. Both of our parents made their living as owners of a small business. While my dad made a living owning a Puerto Rican restaurant, Kristen’s grandmother owned a clothing store in Texas.

My dad worked every day of his life and never took a day off. When I’d go visit him I’d have to work from sun up to sun down. There were some aspects of it that were fun like going to the bakery at 5am and smelling the freshly baked bread. We’d always grab a loaf for ourselves and had it with coffee. Tuesday was the day to stock the restaurant so we’d still have to get up early and go to the store for supplies. We’d spend half a day stocking the restaurant and the rest of the day was ours. He’d always take us to a movie that evening but the next morning we were back at it. At the time, I wasn’t too fond of the crazy working hours but I developed a great work ethic as a result so naturally the lesson that I want to pass on to my daughter is “if you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Given the success she’s had with bake sales and lemonade stands I have little to worry about.

In recent years, it’s saddened us tremendously to see some of the local businesses in the area we live in go under but at the same time it’s brought us great joy to see others survive.

It’s small business that drives jobs. According to the online magazine, Entrepreneur, small businesses represent 99.7% of all employers and employ half of the private sector and 39% of workers in high tech jobs so you can see just from these stats that small businesses make a huge impact on the American economy. I’ve always been for the little guy who either invents something or has an idea for a business and then begins the work of building a business around it. It’s what I’m trying to do with Leonardoverse and books like Jupiter Chronicles and the upcoming Haven of Dante so with that said, I’m asking you to support your favorite local business on Small Business Saturday and the rest of the year as well.

Small Business Saturday falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

For a list of small businesses in your area, visit this link. Your favorite and others may not be listed on this link but please be sure to find out who they are and support them.

Separately, please be sure to visit our new forum if you’re an educator or librarian anywhere in the country or a Nashville area writer, artist

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available now.

Click here to buy and thank you for your support!

Self-Definement: A Race Wars Prison Break

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Leonardo Ramirez

I had two interesting conversations this week. Not that I don’t have them often but these two stood out. One of them made me sad. I’ll let you guess which one.

I have a distant relative who lives outside of the states who posted a video on FB where the host brought in a government official from Puerto Rico to discuss the island’s statehood. I’ve watched the host before and have generally enjoyed his business commentaries but when his guest came on he began the interview with an onslaught of assumptions as to why some may want the island to become our 51st state.

“You just want the money,” the host began. “No,” the guest responded. “It’s not about that.” The host then continued his barrage of assumptions in declaring that all that this was about was the money. This interview made me sad because I had come to like the host of this show as eluded to earlier. So to hear him launch his attack without granting the guest the courtesy of explaining his position (although he didn’t explain it very well) was upsetting. What was even more upsetting was the argument that my relative made which was to say that all Americans hate Puertoricans which I vehemently disagree with.

Another conversation occurred with my sweet wife at the voting booth. We’ve always believed in practicing our constitutional duty to cast our vote so we went as a family. My wife and I approached the table to show our photo IDs (our driver’s licenses) when the lady behind the table asked me for my voter registration card in addition to my driver’s license. Currently, the state of Tennessee only requires a valid government-issued photo ID which I presented when we both presented. She did not ask my wife. To be quite honest, I didn’t even notice. I happen to believe in the integrity of the voting process so I would have been fine with showing it. My wife wasn’t happy and understandably so. She felt as if I was paying for the corruption of another and there’s truth in that. On the other hand, we can’t really assume to know what was in that person’s heart. For all we knew she was supposed to ask me and the other lady was supposed to ask my wife and didn’t. In any case, my sweet wife said a few things about how much I love this country and that there was no reason to suspect that I was not who I said I was.

Here’s what I’m getting at.

We cannot stop people from pigeonholing us no matter what we say or do to prevent it. It’s simply part of fallen and imperfect man to put people into categories. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been snarled at for refusing to speak Spanish at a McDonald’s. It’s not that I’m ashamed of it (because I’m not). It’s because the lady was clearly engaging in what is known as “reverse racism” and it showed in her bitter treatment of a customer.

I truly think that if we can focus all of our energy into not letting others define who we are as individuals a whole lot of this race baiting and divisiveness can end. I say this knowing full well that I would probably still get angry if someone made a stereotype or ignorant comment about me as it pertains to my ethnicity.

We must define ourselves. You must define who you are and not let others do it for you or incite you to hate another because of something said. The moment that we allow others to define us, anger comes in and steals from us our goals and dreams without us even realizing it. Don’t be jealous if someone else has accomplished something that you wish you could or accuse someone of stealing it from you. If someone does then turn away and find another way of accomplishing your goal but determine in your mind and heart that no one can stop you from accomplishing something that is good. Determine in your mind to believe that you are not who they imply you to be and seek the truth about yourself and pursue things that are good and true. Treat their assumptions like gossip meant to divide us from each other, from our dreams and from self-confidence.

I still get people who act surprised when I don’t speak a certain way. I don’t care. It’s not up to them to define what I should sound like.

Decide in your heart who you are and don’t let anyone define you. In time, you’ll find that assumptions, stereotypes and pigeonholing will bounce off of your bullet-proof chest and fall at your feet. I mention race wars in the title but this really applies to everything on a social level. With all humility know who you are. If you’re not sure, seek truth.

That’s when you’ll find freedom.

Chat soon,

Leonardo Ramirez is an author of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Visit leonardoverse.com for info! Jupiter Chronicles is available in paperback now.

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