"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions… but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
~ Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Integrity, a man's word, his belief of whats right and wrong, those are the things that make a man. Do you stand up and fight for what you know is inherently right, or do you take the easy way out to save yourself?
"I have never asked God for anything, and I wasn't about to start because of a situation that was contrary to what I wanted or expected my life to include. Things happen in our life, often times they're a result of an event or events that we have a difficult time digesting."
Morality, staying true to who you are and standing up for your personal code of principals, at all costs. Whether you are taught morals or it's something ingrained in your own personal fabric of character, your morality is the voice to your soul.
"Anyone that believes they know what God's will is, in my mind, is mistaken. We all have an idea, if we believe in God, what we believe his will to be. No one knows. We like to believe that we do, but we don't. It all comes down to what we believe. From the time that we're children, we begin to develop a system of beliefs of what we choose to categorize as right and wrong. Most people share the same beliefs on matters of morality. When were exposed to an event that requires us to make a split decision, we all react differently."
Honor, this word holds different connotations for different people. To me honor constitutes a strong sense of self, knowing who you are and what it is that you stand for. To be honorable to one person, may not mean the same thing to another individual. It's sad to me, that in todays world, honor is not instilled in our younger generation. Honor is what this story is about. In Unleashed, the third installment of the "UN" series by Author SD Hildreth, this is the story that unfolds.
"I'll die proud as fuck of you, boy. Let me tell you something. When I'm done talking you and I are going to go to dinner. They're all waiting - your friends, your girlfriend, the rest of the family. I know this is Sunday. And I know it all starts tomorrow, but all I have to say. I can say it real quick." he paused and placed his hand on my right thigh."
Michael A. Ripton, a man's man, a boxer, a boyfriend, a friend, a son, and a brother. Ripp knows what he wants and knows who he is… until he finds himself in a fight for his life. This book is a continuation of Mike's journey. Scott's writing does an impeccable job of showing us the growth of the human spirit. Laid before us is a man, all of his strengths and weaknesses, all out in the open. A man that "is who he is." Who is he? He doesn't even realize that he doesn't know, until he's on the other end of this life changing event. We watch him travel from "I've got this" to now "I get this."
"As we walked to the car, I took a deep breath in through my my nose and smelled the sweet Austin summer air. All of this was new to me. New friends, a new relationship, a new chance at living a trouble free life. I had a chance at a new beginning of sorts. With each step toward the car, I realized my nightmare was truly over. I would be in charge of my own life from here on out. I could make it as good or as bad as I wanted to. I looked down as Vee squeezed my hand in hers."
Vivian "Vee" Simone, a woman, not a girl. She knows who she is and what she's made of. She knows she's "got him" because she knows him better than anyone else. She knows she's fierce, but she becomes "Unleashed" because she's fighting the most important battle of her life. The fight for her heart. The fight for what her heart knows is important to stand up for (re-read that, not only is she fighting for her own beliefs but she is fighting for her heart who is Mike, but what her heart (Mike) is fighting for). That's where a woman truly shines. This is what I love about this book. Mr. Hildreth was not afraid to give us a strong heroine, but also a heroine the hero has to depend on. It's okay in life to realize and accept that needing others doesn't make you weak, quite the contrary, it strengthens you.
"I pizz you," he said as he bumped my fist.
"I got this." I said as I pressed my knuckles to his.
"And I pizz you back."
This story, this account of humanity is just that, an account of life. The beauty of life shines when we realize and ask, what am I doing? Everything I thought I knew? Just got rocked because of a situation I never expected. This is the moment when you have a choice, be grateful for where you are, or quit complaining. Ripp has done all of that and more. He's realized the people who showed up in his life unexpectedly albeit, are his greatest gifts. Family isn't always just about a blood bond, family is who you choose to expose yourself to, open up to, be real with. Even if its a casual conversation, everyone enters your life for a reason. It's what you choose to make of it, that chance, that shapes who and what you are.
"I sat at the table different. Changed. Full of a love for my friends and family that I had never felt. As I glanced around the table, my mouth forced a smile. I realized everyone was still talking, I just wasn't hearing what they were saying. I looked down at my lap and noticed Vee's hand was still resting on my thigh. A-Train and Bug were still talking, and Austin's eyes were darting back and forth as people spoke, attempting to absorb it all. Shane sat back in his chair taking it all in, his face covered in that Shane Dekkar smile. And Kace. Kace did what Kace does.
She sat and smiled.
If we aren't focused on living life to the best of our ability, we're slowly dying a death that's of our own choosing. The odd thing is we get to pick the course we take. Why would someone choose not to live at full capacity?" I looked around the room and smiled."
Conscience. We all have one, it's what separates human beings from animals. It's whether or not as a human, one chooses to listen their conscience and that alone separates the demons from the angels. There isn't a roadmap to life, and the even best laid plans go astray. You live life thinking you know who you are until you're presented with that one situation you never expected. It doesn't matter how you end up there, what matters is how you deal with "there" once you've arrived.
"Climbing deep into the bowels of the human mind, determining what causes us to be happy, what causes us to be sad, and understanding why is a task that is not able to be confirmed with any degree of accuracy. It is and always has been a matter of opinion. I don't particularly care for obtaining an opinion of what makes me happy or why."
Kudos Mr. Hildreth. Kudos.