It only takes one.

Yes, that's right folks! Step right up and see the man of the hour. Don't get to close though! He is relic in today's' world. Yes sirree! He is a dinosaur of the worse kind. The kind that is extinct and does not know it. His kind of gentlemanly manners and courteous ways are for another era, another time, another life. One day, he will get the idea and extinct himself.
In today's world, if you want to get along and get up in the world, you need to be able to steal candy from a baby and make the baby think you are doing him a favor. You should be able to sell ice cubes to Eskimos and make them think that ice is something new and wonderful. You have to be able to look someone in the eye and lie through your teeth. I have seen some academy award performances, much to my chagrin. It should not be like this, but it is.
Why? I do not know. I have been in a position for the last year and 9 odd months to study a whole new class of people. A class of people that, up until my ex-wife threw me away, I, thankfully, had no knowledge of at all. The people will steal from anyone, at anytime and for any reason and sometimes, for no reason at all. I can not understand them. I have tried. It is like some foreign sub culture. Not that they are from other countries, mind you, just that their way of thinking and doing is, well, f*cked up.
I have a lot of new friends, now, some good, some bad, some indifferent. Each of them actually has some redeeming qualities, but for some reason, they refuse to use them. They would rather be just on the other side of right and just and good. They prefer to play the "game." I keep telling them, it is not a game. This is life and death. The winners stay alive to see another day and the losers do not.
In another life, I thought I was a winner. I was a full time father and husband. I loved my spouse and I loved my children. I worked full time. I helped with the housework and the kids. I did all of the things I thought I was supposed to do as a husband and father. I did not cheat on her. I did not spend every weekend out with the guy's or away from home. I knew in my mind's eye that I was going to be in that life until I was called home. My spouse had other ideas. After 16 years of knowing her and 13 years of marriage, she decided she was done with me. At lunch one day, two years ago this October, she looked right past me with a blank expression on her face and said, "I can't live like this anymore." My happy little world ended with that one simple sentence. She could have just as easily put a pistol to my head and pulled the trigger. The result was the same.
It only takes one. It only takes one person to end another person's life or change it forever. Whether by violence or verbal expression. It only took one person to take away everything I ever wanted in life. I am dealing with it much better these days. Early on, I could have used the pistol myself. I did not. (Obviously) My therapist said to me, "Why not stick around and see how it all turns out?" I could not think of a good reason not to, so I stayed. I did, however, have the very best of reasons to stay, and that was my children. I live for them, now. I will be there for them, always. And I will teach them how to be gentlemen. They deserve that. Ladies, chivalry is not dead! As a matter of fact, it is doing quite well. Look for a true gentleman and you will never be disappointed.

Nice guys finish last?

I want to apologize up front, I am a little drunk right now. I can still think though.Why? Why is it that nice finish last and gap-tooth MFs get all the girls? I can treat a girl like a queen and get ignored all the time. Those aforementioned gap-tooth MFs can treat them like sh*t and they can't get enough! Why? What is the problem with all the young ladies of today? Do they like and desire to be treated like sh*t? I was raised that you treat a lady like a lady. I should have been raised to treat a lady like sh*t and I would have them standing in line. Why? What is the f"ing deal? Am I supposed to ignore decades of gentlemanly training. I was born and raised a gentleman. These days if you are kind and nice to everyone, you get criticized for being weak. Well, young ladies, don't mistake kindness for weakness, it will burn you. I am kind and nice, but you had better not believe that I am weak. I am not! I will always treat you the way a gentleman should, it is up to you if you can handle it or not. Look up, gentleman are waiting to treat you like a lady.

Honesty is so simple.

Why lie? In the end, it does nothing for you. You may feel as though you have gained something from a lie, but you will only lose it later. Lying is wrong on every level. Lying hurts people's feelings. Lying tells people that you neither care about nor respect them. If the dress makes someone look fat, say so! Why would you let someone you cared about go out looking bad?
As I said in the title, honesty is so simple. When you lie, you have to remember what you were lying about. If you are a habitual liar, you will drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with all the lies. I know people who are habitual liars. They lie about everything. They lie about things that do not need to be lied about. They lie, when the truth would be much easier to tell.
This has nothing to do with morals, just plain common decency and courtesy. Although, these days, it seems that decency and courtesy and respect are out of fashion. It makes me sad to see a beautiful, 21 year old woman lie, just to impress others.
I teach my children that lying is wrong, always. I teach my children that we "do the right thing" no matter what the consequences. It is the only way to live. What are your thoughts on the subject?