No Balance and you fall on your face

Balance is part of what makes life beautiful, although life shows its ugly side at times too. That balance in itself is part of our make up. The ups and the downs, the good and the bad, the right and the wrongs are all in the equation. Life is choices and the balance of the choices that we make in it.
If we choose to be lazy, then we will pay for it in the long run. If we work too much, our families and friends will suffer due of our absence. If we choose to eat mostly junk food, our bodies become punishments waiting to happen. If we choose to eat only healthy, then we'll miss out on the joy of eating a cold ice cream on a hot Summer day. Our lives need balance.
I think reality shows like Love and Hip Hop, Basketball Wives, Jersey Shore, and bad music take too much blame for things. They are a justification for people to point their finger at something and say 'It their fault'. When any individual spends too many moments in front of the TV period, it makes for unbalance. Let alone consuming themselves with non productive programming that does nothing but entertain.
I watch some of these shows myself, but know they are strictly for entertainment. I don't act like Stevie J because of the last episode of Love and Hip Hop. I'm an adult. I hear people say that these shows shine a negative light on the way that black people act. They're right. But whether the TV camera is on them or not, that is how they live their life. It just happens to be on TV.
The problem is that we have a severe shortage of shows that show any race in a positive light that get a high rating and stay on air. Long before our lifetime, people of the world have a craving to see other people's drama and that will not end. In fact it may get worse. But when we have balance, we can see these shows and certain music for just what it is, entertainment.
I watch National Geographic, History, A&E, and other informative shows and channels, as well as some of these reality shows. I see nothing wrong with laughing at Scrappy telling the world 'He's wanna put his paws on em.' We, as adults are responsible for what our children are consumed with. As many of these reality shows I have seen since childhood, I would not allow my child to watch them because I'm the adult. Even though I wasn't far from his age, when I first started watching the Real World back in the day.
It's not a problem to God for us to eat food, but gluttony is a sin. Jesus made wine out of water, so I don't think he has a problem with us drinking alcohol. The problem arises when we loose ourselves in the consumption and become drunk. Seeking knowledge is a beautiful thing. But even if we read every word out of every book ever written, we will never know everything. So eventually that quest for knowledge can just as easily become a pursuit of power over others and then the true reason shows itself, our vanity.

We're not given all these emotions, thoughts, and feeling to only be one way... Balance helps to keep us from falling.

whips and chains...

Riding in the new whip, flossing silvery chains
what the forefathers ran from is what I'm trying to gain  [whips & chains]
I hide behind the glow to conceal my eyes and pain
speak my mind or hold my tongue. no cause for refrain
sold my soul for the whip, pull up to a fine dame
eyes get lost in the rims. these hoes are all the same
blasting stereo in my ears, I'll be deaf before my age
can't control myself. only emotion I show is rage
want people to read me but will only show one page
looking for help but won't allow myself to be saved
in my elder's words: I get all the blame
so I walk my own footsteps and go against the grain
me care what you think? must be insane
my mission is me so no need to complain
dressed to the tee, gotta image to maintain
saying I care more how I look than whats in my brain
I got that work if you need it, that pure cocaine
Oh, you're a shooter; can tell by your bruised up veins
I stay killing my own people, Saddam Hussein
whatever for the dollar. should of stayed in their lane
I know more about my lawyer than I do my own child
baby mother gets her money. so what I been absent for a while
my little man has my blood so I know he'll be versatile
got more kids than fingers, but sticking around ain't my style
I'm too busy making money and watching the money pile
my pops wasn't here, left my mother down the aisle
my life became a courtroom and my actions are the trial
yea, I spit a little game. women's feeling are too fragile
I got what I want, she got hers. she already knew the profile
so when she picked up that phone and started to dial
she knew the response, and arguing was futile
I been stopped caring about anything but myself
and doing, saying, or killing whoever to build my wealth
I don't care that I'm a reason for the black family's fall
I don't care so many are fatherless, don't give one damn at all
I don't care that my life will mean nothing in the end
I don't care my acts destroy generations, leaving no amends
I don't care that my forefathers ran from the whips and chains

I know I'm running toward what they were running from, to me that's all there is to gain