Latest / Dope Discussion With Normthegreat1 🔥 / The State of Our Youth and Society Today
Transcript
- Mr Normthegreat1: Welcome to Dope Discussions, where faith isn't quiet and truth isn't comfortable. We're having the conversations most people avoid about purpose, pain, leadership, relationships, identity, and the real walk with God. No pretending, no performance, no watered-down gospel, just raw growth, real convictions, and kingdom conversations. And kingdom conversations that challenge you to become who God called you to be. And now here's your host, Norm the Great One. Yo, what up, what out, what out, what up, man? You already know who it is. It's a great one. We back in the building. Yes, Lord, we back in the building. Another day, another opportunity. You know, that's how we start every show by giving thanks to the Most High God for all his many blessings that he stores upon us. And one of the biggest blessings of them all, man, is to see another day and to be back behind the mic one more time, man. Another Wednesday, another blessing, man. How y'all doing, all right? How y'all doing out there, family? Hope y'all been doing all right. Hope y'all been taking care of yourself. Hope everybody had a good 4th of July weekend and hope you had the extra day off and all that, man. That heat is coming, family. That heat is coming, man. I hope y'all just been taking care of yourself. Getting that H2O in, getting that electrolytes in, you man, you know, ⁓ where they got that liquid IV that you can put in your water bottles and all that good stuff, man. Hope you're being safe out there, man, because ⁓ that heat about to turn up, up, up. I've seen down there in Arizona, man. It's like 114-ish. I mean, they had like trucks riding on the road and they they wheels the the the tires were melting. They had a lady had on flip-flops and were walking down the street and the flip-flop was melting on her feet like it was that hot that ⁓ the trash cans on the street was melting and the ⁓ the sharpen cart it was so hot the sharpen cart was bending. Now that's what I saw. Hopefully it wasn't AI or nothing like that. But I believe that because in Arizona It get real, real hot. And I was like, man, 114-ish. And that ain't the index, it's just 114. But I believe I got a cousin to live out there. He was saying that if I recall correctly, that after a certain time, when it gets hot like that, I think everybody gotta be off as a law or something by like noon or something. Don't quote me. You know, I think that I believe that was the conversation, but ⁓ nevertheless, man, we back in the building with a good one, man. Hope y'all ready for it. You know, we're here to do get you over hump, baby, and that's where we're gonna get you closer to the weekend. Yeah, man, my four with July was pretty cool, man. Enjoy the we was off that Friday. Chill out, ain't did too much spend time with family and friends and loved ones, man. Actually had a pretty good time, and I think like in an era where people hanging with family and doing things is pretty much like on the last leg, you know what I'm saying? Where people don't look at it like that or don't care about it. Everybody just independent of today's self and isolated and all that. We had a big turnout, man. We had the Dunkin' Booth. ⁓ we had ⁓ Dunkin' Booth, we had food on the grill, man, we had face painting. I mean, it's just a good time to see people get together and fellowship and have a good time, man. We had a couple other families there. So we mix and mingle and just have a good time and laugh and you know, just have a good time, man, like how we used to as people, man. You know what I'm saying? Like Often talk about how times used to be, but you don't see that. But we managed to have it and had a good bit of people. They had the fireworks show and all that, man. It was a beautiful thing, man. I can't complain about it, man. You know, ⁓ I'm just I just love to sit back and see people enjoy life and fellowship with one another and without the nonsense and the negativity, man. So, you know, that's always a great thing, man. ⁓ that's always a great thing in itself, man. ⁓ Shout out to my little sister, man. Her birthday coming up. Her birthday is coming up. Her birthday is coming up. And if I'm not mistaken, her birthday is today. I wanna say happy birthday to my sister Bernice. I love you. I'm grateful for you, the baby of the bunch. I think she turned to 23. Don't quote me. But yeah, my little sister, happy birthday. Love you and wish you many, many more. Yeah. And ⁓ Yeah, I had a great time, man, like I said, but you know how it goes, man. I mean, when you look around, man, I was back home and back home, man, they ⁓ man. I mean it's just like crazy times, man, because everybody from different stories all over the world or whatever the case may be, you just see how these kids just cutting a food. I mean, they just out there teenagers doing whatever. I mean You know, I'm based out Charlotte, you know, I live in Charlotte or whatever the case may be. But even in Charlotte, man, you know, over the Fourth of July, the day itself, they had like thirty kids getting arrested from ages twelve to twenty-four. I mean, they just out there with this teen takeover stuff and acting I mean, like a plump fool. Like it's just like what is really going on, man? It really gotta be in the last days, man, because The way these kids carrying on, it's like there's no end in sight. And go back home to my hometown of Charleston, man. It's like they had an event, had cops out there, some things went left or whatever. I didn't even watch to get those stories. I was so disgusted by it, man. You know, now we had a place where teenagers fighting the cops. I mean, like, fighting the cops, literally, swinging on them, jumping, kicking. I mean, it's like a I don't even know what you call it, but it's like, is this really going on? Are these kids are these kids really this big and this bold that they to a point where they're cutting a fool and acting like this? Are you serious? And I mean they just out there that seen the video, it just made you sick to your stomach, man, to actually sit there and watch that stuff, man. How they just like there's no fear, no threat or nothing. They scared of nothing. Parents, teachers, nothing. They just out there with the cops with guns and tasers. I mean, swinging and jumping and fighting like ain't no tomorrow. And you're like, where did all this come from? Like, how did we get here? How did we get here? Like, who's responsible for the kids? I mean, these kids doing whatever they want. I mean, it's not just Charleston, it's not just Charlotte. It's cities all over. I mean, I seen somewhere and even in Raleigh. They had like ⁓ thousands of teens fighting in rally, thousand or dozen arrests, like from eighteen to twenty-four, all these places, officers getting hurt. And the thing about it, it i it's not even it's not even seventy-two hours or whatever the case may be. And you see the comments where people online champion these type of stuff like, and you sitting there like, really? I'm not naive to the fact I live in America. I'm an African American man. It's a lot of stuff that goes on here that I don't agree with on both sides of the fence. But you're not gonna tell me how can you see justice and you think that's right to where excuse me to where a cop is trying to protect and serve and get some ordinance and get some things in order, and you got teenagers up in their face talking like it's nothing. Like it's nothing. It's a disconnect really going on, man, with these kids. This it has to be, man. It has to be. Because they're up in the cops' face. I mean, they swinging and fighting on the cops like they don't have guns and tasers. That thing could have turned out so many different ways, man. And you got people condoning it, ⁓ this that and the third and da-da-da-da-da. You know, we I mean, it's just like the the mindset of these people, man. Like to support this type of Animal behavior like it's crazy to me because first and foremost when I grew up, I ain't that old, so it ain't been not many, many moons ago, like some people would say, but when I grew up, man, you know, we carried ourselves a certain way. Now I'm not saying that we didn't do things and we didn't get in trouble or we didn't do things, but I'm saying we were younger, we carried ourselves a certain way because it was consequence and repercussion, you know what I'm saying? Like If you was out there cutting the food, even though it wasn't no cell phones or social media like that. But if you out there cutting the food, word of mouth got back quicker than any any video, anything these days, because that word of mouth would have been just like that. Your mama knows what you did. You was across that street out that corner still acting grown, cussing and carrying on. And you get in the house, you know they ask you that dumb question. Like, you ever been in trouble with your parents? And they actually I mean, I don't know if it's just me, and I know it ain't just me. But I'm just saying, like, yeah, your parents and the first thing they ask you the dumbest question, and they and you already know they know something, but they'll ask you the dumbest question in America, like, how was your day? Well, pretty good. Ain't nothing out of the ordinary happen today. And you say myself like, Where this going? Nah, nah, nah. Ain't nothing happened. So you wasn't at the store cutting the food? They like, What? Such and such say you was at the store cutting the food. Nah, nah. ⁓ so you're saying such and such is a liar? Okay. Put your put your shoes on. Put your jacket on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on? No, let's go to the car. You said such and such as Miss Green is a liar. We're gonna go to Miss Green. This how this high raiser. We're gonna go to Miss Green. You know Miss Green? ⁓ Lord have mercy. It's over for me. We're gonna go right now and get in the car. We're gonna go to Miss Greenhouse. Since you said Miss Green lie on you, I want you to tell Miss Green to her face that she lied on you, and I don't and you don't appreciate that. So now you get in there. No, say what you say. And now, now you about to get, whoo we, what that new la that new thing they got going on these days called belt to behind. You about to get some belt to your behind. And I always try and I always trip and laugh when I tell people all the time, like people would say, ⁓ two-parent home, two-parent home, two-parent home. I love that I raised up in a two-parent home, but let me tell you something, man. When the time to get disciplined, your mama gonna get some, and boy, when she finished. It's their last words gonna be and wait till your daddy get home. You sitting there like, yo, I thought the debt was clear. Man, you sitting there like, yo, man, that time going by super fast, man. When you hear that car, that truck pull up, man, and you like, ⁓ my goodness. Boy, you trembling and you shaking, boy, you nervous. And then yeah, I guess she already made that call, or they done had a conversation, or you know, once he before he get to you, they done have a conversation. And here go another dumb question again. So what's going on with you? Huh? You like, huh? If you hunt, you can hear. You like, uh-uh-uh, I mean nothing, I'm alright. No, you can be alright the way you acting and carrying yourself, so you cussin and carry on or whatever, like you growing. Nah, nah, nah, no, sir, no, sir. I I I so you still lying. ⁓ man. Whew. You about to get that belt to behind round two. My pops had some big hands like a baseball mitt, man. And you know them older fellas used to work a lot and they had them old rusty knuckles, boy, and I'm telling you, man, that dude has some hand the size of a baseball gloves, boy. And man, I tell you, boy, when that joker grabbed a hold of you, man, and built to your behind, woo. Man, ⁓ man. Mm-mm-mm. But I tell people all the time I thank God for them butt cuttings and punishments and stuff that saved me from going down that path. Now evident now eventually I went down that path and did some dumb stuff. That wasn't because I didn't have the tutelage at the house. That because I was stupid and trying to just do what I wanted to do. And let me tell you something. For me personally, doing what you wanna do ain't never got me where I need to be, cause Every time I say I'm doing what I want to do, it always costs me double. I learned that lesson the long way, the wrong way, however you want to say it, I learned that lesson years ago. Cause man ⁓ man. But I'm grateful, man, for the parents that I had and the household that I came up in, and the structure and the environment that my past taught you how to work and do things and all that there because I only can imagine growing up now and my parents still been alive, God bless their souls, and ⁓ they saw me on a video cutting a fool like that. I'd never go back home. I'd rather stay with the cops. I'd rather go to y'all can take me to jail, man. Because boy, ⁓ boy, you finna get built to behind 5.0 because you was out there cutting a fool on video. Man, ⁓ man. That's gonna get you. I'm trying to tell you that's gonna come back and bite you in your butt because them parents did not play them funny games with you. I don't care what the circumstances was, it was always some consequences for your action, man. And it wasn't even about fear, it was about structure and doing the right thing and just certain things you you just wasn't gonna do. You know? For a plethora of reasons, you know? You just like, nah, I'm good on that. Cause you know what comes with it. You know what I'm saying? But these kids these days have no fear of nothing. Nothing. They go to court, they kill somebody, do something, and they sit there in front of the judge like it's nothing. A fella get a hundred years, he cursing at the judge, carry on. I mean it's like, wow, they just that disconnect and don't have no soul or nothing to win. It's just like nothing phased them. They go to jail like it's nothing. And it's like, what is really going on? I mean, eve it's not even just the young fellas, it's the young girls too. I mean, they are there just as wildin' getting it in, fighting, shooting, killing. I mean, it's just like, what the heck is really going on, man? I don't get it, man. It's just like and everybody that tried to push something positive, they always get pushback. Always get pushback. And I mean it's like how do you Pushback on somebody that's trying to bring the culture, the community together with positivity. Nobody wants to hear that. That brings me to my next topic. With this India Iree and Carisha, a young lady name, I think that's her name, or whatever, who got that song spin net with scamming or whatever the crap she's talking about. And I agree with India R because music is powerful. And a lot of people would sit there and be like, ⁓ she just jealous. No, she's an older person. Much respect to her. Beautiful woman, beautiful spirit. Love her music. She had that song Brown Skin. Man, that was a banger. But anyway, ⁓ she she's speaking on her side of being in the industry and Dark sides of it and how they do certain things. And I I'm I I'm willing to say and willing to I'm not a betting man, but I've I was. I'm willing to bet that them our music and the 808s and them things, it plays a part in these kids. They listen to this trash music all the time and kill this and shoot that and F this. And I mean it just go on and on. Some I wonder I tell you one time, man, I listened to some of that crap, man, for I did something a spare for half a day, man. That joke will make you I sold drugs, I robbed. I mean, it just makes you feel like you want to go out there and be crazy. So imagine I did that for a couple hours. So imagine them kids who listen to this all day and go to sleep with their headphones on, with that nonsense in their ears, you know, just playing it over and over. What do you think that what do you think will happen to that? What do you think? What you think, man? That music is powerful, man. And if you see behind the scenes with music and stuff, how they people be chanting and how they do certain things. And it's just like you k you might not even like a song. You hear that song, you be like, that's trash, yo. That's so trash. And you hear the the the the rapping part is like horrible. But the beat and the hook is so catchy. You're gonna be ⁓ I can't stand this on. I really can't stand a song. Now you're gonna be at the house or riding to work or doing something. And you're gonna catch yourself singing that song or humming that song or something. And you're like, I don't even know how that song gets in my head. But that's how it works. Because, excuse me. If you play the radio, satellite radio, or something enough, they play that song in rotation. They play it enough and it grows on you enough to you end up liking it. And NDR speaks about. Kings and queen and loving yourself and you're not your hair and loving the skin that you're in and just embracing your, you know, who you are, whatever the case may be, and speak your life into you. Well, on the other hand, this other young lady, I forgot, Carisha, whatever her name is, she got a song called Spin That, where they're telling people to rob and steal at the store and be scammers and spend the money, and that's what people glorify. They they drawn to that. They drawn to that. And then you got people that supporting it like, ⁓ this, that, and the third is just music, whatever the case may be, time change. But people having morals and stuff and being honest and truthful, that ain't gonna never change. But to have a song promoting scamming, sleeping with people, doing all that type of craziness that don't ever get old, I'm just acting, man. That's crazy that that don't never get old because people will suck that up and you should see online the amount of people that goes after ⁓ Miss NDRE and talk about she old and she bitter and I mean it's just like, yo, you cannot disagree with nobody to save your life. You disagree with somebody or say something or whatever, ⁓ you a hater. ⁓ you you you this and you that and you're like what's going what is coming from? You know, 'cause you're not allowed to go against the masses or to ⁓ to have your own opinion and want a positive impact for your people. You can't have that. No, you can't have that. They don't want that. They want you to go with the crowd and stick with the crowd because they got ⁓ it's like they got them under a spell or something. How they go crazy for these songs and stuff, man. It's like I don't understand it, man. I really don't. Because when you think about it, right? These people play these songs, they got videos, they got dances, they do the most craziest dance and the craziest thing when these music are playing with a drug music and all this crazy stuff that they listen to, like killing and shooting and raping. I mean, and it's just like I don't care what nobody say. You put them headphones on somebody and they play that stuff and that headphones all day, all night, and it just and go to sleep with that stuff playing, that stuff start to stick up in your head, man. Sticks in your head. It's like normal. You just listen to it all the time. It just like it tr it like it transforms you, you know what I'm saying? Because you listen to it all the time. But nobody sees a problem with that. Well, you know it's just music and you gotta let them live and you know, you know how then you know headcome to other people. Well, you know you've been young too. Yeah, I was a young fool, that's why I try to stop the young kids from making a fool of themselves. That's the elder people's job to help the younger people. Stay free and not in trouble. Because you're telling them from your experience, hey man, don't go that way. Don't do that, miss. Don't do that, ma'am. Young lady, don't live like that. Don't do that. Carry yourself like this. Do this. Do that. But ain't enough people doing that because so many people on the other side. Man, you ain't gotta do that. Live how you wanna live, man. Do what you wanna do. Stop letting people run your life. It's your life. Well they say, Yola. You only got one life or something like that. So that's what they want you to live like. Then once you done crash out and be crazy out here, got charges and different things that you can't get off your record. Now you can't get nothing going on. Now you're mad at the world. Why you mad at the world? Life is about choices, man. It's about choices. If you know you didn't do the things that you need to do to stay out of trouble and to keep yourself straight, then why you be mad at somebody else? Like People always make these decisions and do stuff to please the masses and to please the crowd and all that craziness. But then when the rubber hit the road and you're in front of that judge, you up there by yourself. Ain't nobody with you. Ain't nobody with you at all. Nobody. Nobody. You got to stand up there by yourself, do all that time. They out there giving these cats be 14 and 15, getting 20 and 30 years, man. Throwing their whole life away. For whatever reason. Supposed to be the culture or whatever you want to call it. Man, you better get yourself together. You better get yourself together. I don't know, man. I have no idea where we go from here. How do we get this back on track, man? But we have to start getting families together. And we have to start being parents to these kids, man. I can only imagine for the life of me what a teacher gotta go through if they out there squabbling with the cops, not in the free, not I mean, just running back out and doing all that with the cops. Fighting with the cops. I mean face to face with the cops. Well heck a teacher don't stand a chance. It's so many teachers walking away from teaching right now. They had all that time to do ⁓ all that time they spend in college to get their degree because of their passion. They want to help these kids. And these kids are not even responding well to the teachers. Like you got so many I seen a a news clip a little while ago. Well so many teachers just walking away. They had enough. They can't deal with it. The kids are rude. They don't want to learn. Most of them underachieving. Most of them can't. Most of them can't read on the level they're supposed to read. Most of them don't want to do nothing. And you reach out to the parents, they ain't no help. The parents ain't no help at all. So now it's like, now you see how the kids act the way they act. Because The parents ain't no help. You know, when I was growing up, man, we had of course my mom stayed to the school. She'll hick, I think she might would've been on the payroll if she could. I mean, look, my mom we used to go to PTA meeting, have conference with the teachers. Your parents knew who your teacher was. I mean, when when when your parents call you, when the teacher called, you didn't have the chance to say nothing. The parents ain't goddamn. They ain't ⁓ they didn't argue with the teacher. They knew who their child was. They didn't act like they didn't know my child would never do nothing like that. ⁓ now, you goddamn go and tell somebody that their kid did something or you see their kid, man, you better be almost prepared to fight. Cause I'm trying to tell you what they would do, they would come after you, curse you out, want to fight you, carry on, don't leave my kids alone, beep, beep, beep. You mind you. I mean. It's like backwards, man. I don't know what's going on out here, man. It's like it's like something that you never imagine, man. And every day that goes by, it gets worse, man. It gets worse. Like, it's like every day I thank God for another day. I wake up. And once you get yourself together, might be eating your breakfast or whatever. And you just scrolling, man. And you see these stuff online, you just be like, Mike. Goodness, what is people doing? Like, I mean, it it just don't stop, man. It's like people don't have no fear or nothing. They do the most craziest thing there is, man. And I'm like, wow. How? How could you even do that, man? Huh? How? There's like another story out of somewhere down here in Aiken or somewhere in South Carolina. ⁓ I think a little girl three or four years old been missing. And they were saying that the little girl probably been dead for a month or whatever. The parents locked up, they confessed. They abruptly child, not a child missing. I'm not sure if they showed them with a body at. I mean, like, and the mom just had another kid. So I'm like, we got people out here just having kids and having kids, getting rid of kids, killing. I mean, it's like, my goodness. Like my grandma had to say, used to say back in the day, Jesus gotta be coming back soon, man. Because there's no way the way all these stuff going on, we live in a times, man, down that. Whew. It's perilous times, man, because the stuff that people do with no fear, no nothing. And the way people willing to throw their life away, man, it's crazy. They would throw their life away like it's nothing. Nothing. A little girl ain't stand a chance. No telling why. Ain't no telling. But guess what? That little girl probably suffered. And suffered bad. And I'm looking at it like, man, why not give the little girl up for adoption or give it to somebody else? That so so many people couldn't have kids and stuff like that, man. And why not give the kid away or something? Pressures doing that type of stuff, man. That's crazy to me that you would have a kid like that and have your kid suffering for no apparent reason. Why? I don't get it, man. Why not just give that kid away? But no, that makes too much sense. That makes too much sense, man. They gotta ⁓ instead of doing that, they gotta ⁓ Keep the kid and have the kid suffer. That's ridiculous to me, man. That's very ridiculous to me. I never thought I would see the days when people doing all this crazy behavior out here, man. I mean, it's just like, how did you get here? You know what I'm saying? Like, how did you get here and how in your mind that killing your child for whatever reason? was the best thing. You know what I'm saying? You just go out there and kill your child like it's nothing. And and and and the child, they say the child probably been dead for a month. And you think that was cool? Like, how cold are you? I can't imagine doing something like that to my kid. I couldn't imagine doing something like that to my kid as a father. I couldn't. Ain't no way. There's no way. Like people are cold hearted, boy. I mean, like, the kids suffer, all that. And they just go on with life like it's nothing. And go on with life like it's nothing. I tell you, boy. We gotta stay prayed up in these days and time, man. Because if not, the enemy. Has got people mind and got people going ballistic. And like I said, the summer just started. It ain't the summer just started, man. It's only gonna get worse with the heat, with the shooting and the killing and the fighting. They fight everywhere they go. I talked about that last time. It's like where is the common ground at? Like where? Like. We don't want to be better. I mean, for me personally, man, I like to live in peace, man. I like to live in peace and harmony, man. I love to live in peace. That's all it's about for me. ⁓ I know life ain't perfect. Ain't gonna never be perfect, but you can have a peaceful life, man, and try to make the best of it. There's so many negative stuff around here that try to keep your spirits down because. You know, the weather's nice, you wanna go out and you wanna enjoy yourself, you got kids, maybe the water park or you know, just to get out and about, but you can't go too much places, even in the grocery store, they fighting or carrying on acting on their food, so you're sitting there like, Man. Last thing you wanna do is spend your money to go to the amusement park or something like that, and these rascals out there fighting. I seen a video of two girls, they fighting in the water in the pool or something. I'm like I never seen so much anger, so much craziness. Like, what is this world coming to, man? Like, What is this world coming to? And you got some people that like these stuff because it's fun to them. They have no issues with it. No issue. I don't get it. I don't get it. And you know, ⁓ I always start to look back at where the problem could come in, and I know I probably can't find the answer to it a hundred percent. But I'm always hearing people talking about the family structure, man. And as you look at it, man, I don't know understand like what happened to us as a family, and people like I'm saying, like, You know, growing up, man, you know, you had moms and pops, and that's a lot of people were married and had good family structure. But now it's like the f like I said before about the Fourth of July thing, like the family structure is like dang near done for the most part because so many people done written their family off and certain things. But I think to me personally, the only way we can get back to some type of order and decency, we gotta get the family structure back together. Now, like I say, we had a point where men don't want women, women don't want men. It's just a war, but it's just a trick of the enemy that got us so divided because everybody wants to be independent and feel like they can do it by themselves. But newsflash, nobody ever done it by themselves. So what makes you think that you can do it by yourself? I don't get it. What makes you think that you can get it by yourself without help, without support? Everybody needs support. Everybody can use a helping hand. That's why they say when you have a partner, they can see something that you don't see. But so many people done had so many bad relationships or wasted their time with things and people that didn't matter. Now they're so scarred when it comes to relationshiping. Quite frankly, people don't want to be married. People wanna don't want to have kids. So like the numbers of kids are just dropping. Families are dropping. So like I'm sitting there like when I read the Bible and I study like more like what's next. Like I still have faith that better days are coming, man. But it looked gloomy, but I still trust God with everything that it'll get better, man. Because actually some people out there that still love that family structure and still want that family love and that thing that time like that and to do things with family and just have fun with peace and love. Everybody ain't like that, but for the most part, that's all you see sprawling online. Like I said before, like cut this person off. Cut that off. Don't do that. But the Bible says clearly, man's not supposed to live by bread alone. At the end of the day, you're not we're not meant to be by ourselves and and and ⁓ and and live this life and go through I don't need nobody, this, that, and the third. You know, I remember it was one point in life where I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't do this and I don't do that. Like I'm still like a to myself person, but I'm okay with doing different things. And trying different things and, you know, getting out with people and having a little conversation of certain things. Now certain things in certain places I'm just not gonna go. That just a done deal, you know what I'm saying? But for me personally, I believe in certain places that I can go and enjoy life and stuff, and it ain't gotta be no club or nothing. Some people think that the only time that you can have fun if you had a club or Some place with alcohol and drugs or something crazy like that. That's not true for me. Because I don't even drink alcohol. But I can go out here and have a good time and enjoy myself. I enjoyed bowling. You know, I enjoy shooting pooling. I actually picked up a new thing that I liked this year that I did for my birthday. Like, ⁓ what was it called? Kayaking. I like actually enjoyed it. I was a little skeptical at first, but I actually enjoy it, man. There's a nice little workout on your upper body and stuff, and I actually enjoy it, man. You know, sometimes I believe that we become so closed-minded to things that we don't leave ourselves room to open up for new things, a new possibility, or different things. Because we are ready to put ourselves in a box like, nah, that ain't for me. I don't think I want to try that. But I encourage anybody, man, to step out your box. And try something different, man, you know. Probably try a restaurant you probably normally wouldn't try. Try a different food, you know what I'm saying? Try to pick up a new hobby, you know what I'm saying? You never know what can catch you, man. Like I say, in this world where the things going, you gotta find a way to stay positive and you gotta find a way to distract yourself from the noise of the outside, man. Because if you get caught up like some people often do, get caught up in watching the news and all this bad and crazy news. They're gonna have you in the whirlwind, man. It gonna have you in a whirlwind. That just like when COVID hit, man. You know, people been just every day they watching the news, all the numbers are this, that, and the third. Turn that stuff off. I get it, but turn it off. That ain't gonna do nothing but mess with your mentor. And you finna be out here crazy like the rest of them folks because you out here looking at that stuff and the people pushing that thing to you. Cause you know, you can go on four or five different news channels, everybody pushing the same propaganda. And you know that's what they do, pump fear. They pump that fear in you, and you done sat there and let them keep pumping and pumping, and they done pumped fear right into you. And what happened? Boom. It done started working on you. It done started working on you. Now what you got? Excuse me. So now you done got that fear working against you. Now what you gonna do? Now you done sitting there Like so many people sitting here and they live in a fear that lock themselves in the house and don't want to do nothing and this, that, and the third because of the fear, or this, that, and the third. I trust God, man. I trust God that He gonna lead me, guide me, and protect me. And his will will be done. You know what I'm saying? His will for my life will be done, and that's how I live. And I govern myself accordingly. I'm not saying that I'm above this and all that. I'm not saying that. But like I said, at the end of the day, it's a good thing, man. It's a good thing to have that relationship in. Because at the end of the day, you have to have that relationship these days and time. Because at the end of the day, you have to build your hopes on something, man. The way this world is going and the way people doing things and the way people leave in here, man. You gotta stay covered, man. And I and I tell anybody, man, I see people all online, like I always said debunking it, and all this, that, and the third, and if this was that, how all this happened. Like people don't understand. They don't read to show their self-approval. They always talking this and that. They always talking this and that. And all this nonsense where they don't believe and this, that, and the third, and if this was that, and Why this happening? I mean, it's just so many stuff that you hear people say all that just to say they don't believe and all that. No, just say you don't believe 'cause you don't wanna believe. And that's okay. That's your right. But don't come out here with all that nonsense. I've seen so many things online when I be in comment section and certain things where they call it the imaginary daddy god and the imaginary sky daddy and all this here in the third and They'll take one thing I do know, they'll take bits and pieces of verses and stuff or whatever, and they would cut it up, and when you go look at it, they would put a little a little bit of the truth in there with some lies, and then they would say, see, that's why I don't do XYZ. Then you got so many blind witnesses that don't even know and don't even study, and they go right there with it. And it's like everybody don't need God until they need God, then it's too late. But they don't want that relationship. They just want God to be like a genie that gives them whatever they want and they desire without doing anything. If I say you gotta deny yourself, right then and there, most people out because all they think about is they self. You ain't worrying about nothing and you ain't trying to do nothing. But at the end of the day, it gotta be a better way. It gotta be a better way. If you're tired of going to that same circle, tired of doing the same thing, you need that relationship. Or you may not be tired. You know, cause some people seem like they like going in the same circle. They like that. They don't care about it and wouldn't care nothing about it at all. They keep doing the same exact thing. And then you ask yourself, like, how do you keep doing the same thing over and over and over and end up in the same spot? How, how, somebody tell that. Because at the end of the day, I don't know how you don't feel you need that relationship. I mean, for me personally, you know, I know what he done for me. And like I always say, if he ain't did nothing for you, then okay, kudos. But to me, as for me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord, the God of the Bible. And I know at the end, at this thing winding down, I'm gonna talk about God and all he's done for me. I know some people might don't wanna hear that, but over here. You know how we do everything over here, man. We give credit to God. We praise God for everything. We're not ashamed. We say it boldly. We say it proudly, man. Thank God for everything, every day, and every opportunity, every time we get a chance. That's what we do. Give thanks. Because he's worthy. More than worthy. More than worthy. He's more than worthy. I'll tell you what, man. Y'all try everything else. Give him a try. Get a prayer life, get your Bible, start studying and reading, and you tell me. That's all. And you tell me. Give him a try. You try everything else. You try everything else. So why not? Why not? Why not? You know, I remember when I was out in the world doing all type of crazy stuff when I used to. I used to like that great goose, man. You know myself. I used to like that great goose, man. That was my thing. Great goose pineapple juice and coorslight. You that coollight used to have the candle turn blue, man. You couldn't tell me when I got off on Fridays, man, that Coors Light and that ⁓ Great Goose was my joint. You couldn't tell me I wouldn't be nowhere without it, cause that would be my joint. I wouldn't do without it, cause I was sucking it down. I'd have had a cook like right now. And you know, I just thank God for change, growth and all that there. And I'm not knocking nobody who drink now, you know, that's your thing, that's what you do. Hey, kudos to you. But I know for me, that's a pay a part of my life that I done I done pass and I thank God for the growth, man. And I don't look down on nobody that still struggle because even though I got past that hurdle, we all still struggle with something. So one thing I tell you about coming over on this side and giving your life to God that don't allow people who claim they more they're so heavenly minded they can't be no earthly good to water you down or make you feel bad that you where you are, because We honest and open about yours, but they hide in their struggles. A lot of people excuse me, what a lot of people do, they hide behind religion and titles and stuff and shame people publicly for a lot of the stuff that they do privately. And I don't like that. Cause we all sin and fall short. But we thank God every day for his grace and mercy. Every day. Every day. We don't take that for granted at all. Well that's my time, man. Like I said, I appreciate the love and the support. I really do. I hope this touched somebody. If you got somebody you know you want to send it to, send it out. If not, check the podcast check the podcast, ⁓ Dope Discussion with Norm the Great One on every platform, man, that they got podcasts available. Check me out. ⁓ like I said, man, I thank you for all the love and the support, man. ⁓ hope you enjoyed the rest of y'all week. Going into the weekend. Be cool out there. Be safe. Be smart. And if God willin', man, same time, same place. Next week. Peace. We're outta here, baby. Thanks for listening to this episode of Dope Discussions. Where faith isn't quiet and truth isn't comfortable. Continue on this journey with us, like and share on your favorite podcast platform. And for more real kingdom conversations, be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode.