Hate Tennis

Hate Tennis

When people other than me play tennis, the ball goes back and forth and back and forth and back and forth for hours without end. Sometime during the Regan Administration I was a student at Mt Valley Middle School in Satler, TX. Coach Dement tried to teach us redneck children how to play tennis. But it just turned into Mike Hewitt and I trying to see if we could hit the teacher’s cars with the ball; but I digress…

When people let their hate for each other, groups, ideas, and especially themselves go back and forth, it becomes extremely destructive.

Hate and anger (while the inspiration for some pretty cool heavy metal lyrics in the 90s) destroys not only personal, business and community relationships, but is also the cause of many if not all international conflicts; along with perpetuating disease.

Hate and anger along with all other forms of mental anguish initiate the fight or flight reaction. That causes a rise in your blood pressure, a decrease in organ function and hormone production, along with constricted blood vessels leading to muscle and tissue hypoxia leading to degeneration and decay and thus, when chronic, disease.

Don’t be a Darth Vader, don’t let anger control your life. It is no good, it is a cancer. It will grow and fester until it destroys you and those you love. I once heard Dennis Waitley say that others don’t make you mad, you and only you allow yourself to get that way. Your own interpretation and hang up over people and situations are the main impediments to personal growth. He said to take out a piece of paper, write down the name of the person or situation that is making you that way, then throw it in the trash. It’s over, it’s never coming back the only reason hate is still hanging around is because you let it.

Don’t get caught up in the back and forth. Don’t let your emotions take control of your life and health. Let it go, forgive; stop playing hate tennis.