12/03/2020
Men,
I'm going to share something that WILL trigger people. It will not be easy to read and if you are of the feint of heart, don't read it. Those who know me know I can say some pretty challenging things AND I have a good heart and just want us to thrive. So, if you want to know how I feel and can stomach what has been going on with me these past few months, here it is.
I just gave a crass review about our community because, in my judgment, we have work to do. And I am sure you will throw the "I statement" finger or projection deflection all over this, and me, but I am going to express it anyway.
What happened to you? What happened to us? Before this pandemic we were boombastic soul shakers and courageously skillful heart seekers. Before this pandemic we looked straight in the eyes at what had terrified us as little boys, teenagers, and then men and walked straight through anyway. Before this pandemic we were leading the way in so many areas of community development and interaction. We had new groups being formed, warriors from old times coming back, and new blood emerging in leadership. Before this pandemic we cried our eyes out because we faced some of the meanest demons that have ever walked this earth... then... have fallen prey to zoom?!?! We are saying too much screen time is what will be the end of us?
And I am no idiot. I also recognize the stress and difficulty of death being ever-present in all of our elders' lives and the sorrow that we cannot be close to our friends, family, or brothers being a huge contributing factor and... still... but because of that so many of us have just laid down. Not all but a lot. A lot of us have chosen to just curl up into a ball and wait for this to go away so we can emerge victorious like we were part of the team that slayed this dragon. Like we had just endured some immense nightmare of... sitting in our house for too long?! I get that a lot of people have lost their lives and more are losing their lives everyday and I am not saying that we need to go meet physically and risk it; I am asking if this has already taken you too?
What happened to all the tools that we learned on our weekend? What happened to the letter that we wrote ourselves to read 15 years down the road to remind of us the immature we once were but the big lesson of heart we needed to remember? What happened to the habits we told ourselves to give up while on that magic carpet ride on EVERY NWTA we were on? What happened to the promise to our little boy that he can play? AND be protected? Where did the wonder go?
All through my time at MKP I have heard of courageous feats of brilliant men doing otherworldly things on those weekend moments. I have heard beautiful tales of almost every man that I know. And I've been quiet these past few months because I've tired of holding zoom events that people drop out of because they need to "take care of themselves," or host events that 8 people come to, then 6, then 4, then just me. When are we going to wake up?
Where did these men go?
Is that man you?
Where did you go?
My number is below
Anthony "Tony" Lungabardi
Cell: (317) 440-8398
