When Least Expected™

A Sign Of Respect

January 30th, 2007 at 11:28pm Manchild

On day 30 of 2007, I humbly beseech each of you to join me as we tip our hats as a sign of respect for Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Today marks the 1 year anniversary of her “Homecoming Celebration.” I can only imagine how elated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became when his saw his Queen walking through the front door of our Father’s house. May their souls rest in peace for all of Eternity.

During his morning talk show, I recently heard Mr. Steve Harvey share the fact that “men used to dress to impress women.” It was disappointing to hear this syndicated talk show host say something to the effect that, “Now, men dress to impress each other.” I sat there for a few minutes to ponder what I just heard the “best dressed” man in the entertainment industry share with his listeners.

As I sat there “thinking way too hard and blinking my eyes until they hurt from fatigue, I recalled what happened far too often while riding Marta to a previous job in downtown Atlanta, Georgia in 1999. I became indignant while watching one woman after another board the train and have to stand because one too many men refused to do what real men with character used to do back in the day.

Not a single man got up and offered man’s most valuable resource their seat. I couldn’t keep standing there doing nothing but complaining about what my deceased grandmother, my unsung sheroe, would have beaten me to within a half an inch of losing my life. I had to do something out of respect for the women who deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.

I confronted the men and challenged them to take a stand and show man’s most valuable resource some hard earned, well-deserved respect. To my utter dismay, one too many of the men tried to argue me down and vilified me for jumping smack dab in the middle of their kool-aid. Because I knew both of my deceased grandmothers were watching me from within the pearly gates, I didn’t lose my religion and revert back to my previous ways.

Despite the fact I was working out with weights as often as possible, and weighed about 225-lbs, I resisted the overwhelming urge to “knuckle up” and dish out a few well-deserved “beat downs” in the name of Jesus. Besides, I knew Dr. King was also watching me honor my personal promise to resolve my conflicts non-violently. What happened next reminded me to never underestimate the power galvanized women possess when they start working together as one for the good of all the women riding the train that day.

I asked all the women on the train to start clapping until every man still sitting in their seats finally did the right thing and stood up like a man and surrendered their seats. Kudos to all those women who refused to stop clapping until the men gave up their seats as a sign of respect for the women who were probably somebody’s grandmother, momma, wife, sister, or teacher. These men were disrespecting the next Coretta Scott King, Mother Teresa, or Ms. Rosa Parks.

Can anybody out there in the “blogosphere” tell me what in the world happened to all that “southern hospitality”? I miss what I saw while visiting my grandparents who lived in Selma, Alabama during the infamous days when “white only” and “colored only” signs spoiled and cluttered the segregated fields of their big dreams.

If the blatant sign of disrespect I saw the men display towards the women riding the train that day is indicative of what the “hip hop” generation refers to as the “dirty south,” it’s time for a generation of “old school” men, who still know how to love, trust, and respect all women, to take a stand. How many men will help clean up what a few misguided men have messed up for the rest of the men who still believe a woman is too valuable to throw away? No wonder 51% of all women are living single lives with potential husbands who didn’t realize the women they disrespected could have been their lovely wives someday.

Ladies, if you see a man in Atlanta, Georgia tipping his hat to every woman he meets on these mean streets, I’m simply doing so as a sign of respect because I’m still deeply in love with the Queens that each of you are. Besides, I wouldn’t here if it weren’t for Mother. By the way, I can’t terminate my message without saying, “I love you Mommy!!”

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