Respect: It’s Not Enough!

Respect it’s not enough! Before we start on dissecting this topic of respect, I would like to begin by being a bit transparent about myself and the passion that fuels me to write this book. My father passed away when I was eleven years old. My father was by no means an ideal parent, husband, or role model, but at this stage in my young life, he was my strength and only example of dealing with life. My father’s passing left me in my home with my very mentally broken, unstable mother, and two older sisters. After my dads passing my mom would often time wake up abruptly after having horrible nightmares. She would wake up hysterical with grief crying out in the middle of the night. These vivid and frightening dreams were about my dad calling her down into his grave. She would scream my name as loud as she could, terrified with her heart pounding, wet with sweat and clammy hands. My mom soon escaped into alcohol and numerous drugs, to soothe her grief, which leads to her being committed to a mental hospital. Our dysfunctional family broke up. My two sisters went to live with an aunt and uncle who already had issues and problem kids of their own. I went to live with my aunt and uncle in the bay area of California, who faced a similar situation with their family as well. My aunt and uncle took me into their home but made it very clear that I would never become a genuine part of their family. Our dysfunctional family eventually got back together upon my mom’s release from the mental hospital. We soon discovered that my mom’s drinking issues had now turned into an alcohol and prescription medication addiction to appease her troubled life. I was eleven years old when my life deteriorated. I cannot explain in words the overwhelming insecurities that I grew up with because I had to become the “man of the house” at eleven. Growing up, I felt robbed of my childhood, and so I grew up depressed and angry at everything and everybody. All over our planet, people from all different walks of life are vying for any form of admiration or assurance of esteem that will bring them a sense of value. Whether at home; on the job, at school, or anywhere we tread. My background includes 30 years of working in the prison system in a custody position, with 25 of those years as a Correctional Sergeant. I am also an ordained Christian Pastor and have served in numerous areas of the church through the years, both local and international. I wasn’t a Christian when I started working in the prison system, nor did I have any Christian upbringing. During my time in the prison system, I have witnessed some of the most brutal, violent, and hideous acts committed on a human being regarding this issue of respect. In this book, you will read true-life stories from the streets and inside the prison system. Unless otherwise noted from an exterior source…all of the stories and examples in this book are my personal life experiences that I was directly involved in, not hearsay, but my own experiences. I have taken the liberty to change names and reword some verbal statements, to protect personal identities and leave out the unnecessary exchange of foul and indecent language. Through the years, I have observed a detrimental trend in our society and the world abroad. We have embraced the notion that being disrespectful towards each other and those in authority is acceptable. Almost everything in society is new and improved, including technology, living, industry, and communication. Changes to every day human life brings changes in human behavior. The primary purpose of the improvements is to make living easier and better. With all these gadgets and devices, video games, music, social media, people have become ungrateful and inconsiderate of the work accomplished in the past and the present. But it seems the biggest degradation of current society is the insolence among relationships and lack of respect. In this book, we will take a look at the relationships in our lives that cultivate, nurture, and help us develop a life of respect, and take a deep look inside ourselves to discover why true feelings of trust, safety, and wellbeing are so important, and from where they derive. You will view the inner structure of the prison system and the inmate population, along with the mental health program that governs inmate behavior. Examine the causes, effects, and means to help cope with PTSD, often associated with careers in stress-filled occupations of criminal justice, military, and first responders. Empathize newfound respect for these courageous men and women who serve and protect our streets, neighborhoods, highways, byways, and the world abroad, preserving and protecting our freedom. Take an epic wellness expedition on “your road through Samaria.” Samaria will demand the purging of your very soul, to find your individuality, and figure out what is most important. This book will help you discover man’s greatest objective in life, who the God of the Bible is, and how a relationship with Him could eradicate a life of shame and regret. Respect…it’s not enough is not just another book to read. You will be taking a journey. You will laugh, maybe even cry, but you will be changed! You will take a journey that so many of us need to experience to contend and cope with life. To end our search for significance in a mixed-up world, and examine our need of respect for each other and – ultimately our Creator Himself.