Just because

Just because I didn’t write about love yet
Doesn’t mean I have never been in love before
I remember and I don’t think I can ever forget
How I felt when I fell in love, arriving at life's core

But I guess it’s easier to capture sad moments in words
It’s always easier to write about sadness than love
So forgive my poetic failure towards a four letter word
for when it comes to love I don’t think words are enough

Just because I didn’t sing a love song yet
Doesn’t mean I have been saving my vocal chords
Though my feelings for you have a different outlet
My singing career is open for more to explore

I have sung about heartbreaks, about separation
About missing you and how much it hurts
but my master piece is still in creation
My religion is love, that'll make the world convert

So patience my beloved for I know not
how to yet articulate my love in artistic ways
My actions express the love I got
I love you and I mean every word in this phrase

For when I write and sing about love it won't
sound like anything you've heard before
It will put you in a trance, you'll be simply stoned
and once you hear it, read it, you'll ask for more….

Customer Service

here's the spelling of my name Sir
here's the business card of my manager
feel free to file a complaint Sir
Tell them Tony would not put up with my Anger

Hey hey, It's not about the business anymore
though you made it clear up front, nothing personal
well back at you sir, now look towards the door
don't let it hit you or let it, sir it's your call

I don't know what makes you think it's alright
to voice your opinions with such disgrace
I don't know what makes you think it's Okay
to show disrespect and act like you own this place
I don't believe "the customer is always right"
There you are, say no more, I rest my case
don't care how high you can reach, but sir if I may
Give it your best shot, worse people were once in your place


It's  R A B B A T I'm no rabbit ma'am
What business have you anyway in my background
What's your title what you own, lady no one gives a damn
And your opinion always sounds so irrelevant

So you have a bad hair day but it's not okay
To take it all out on me as if I were your hairdresser
And then threaten to take your business away
Let me help you, cos of the two evils I'd choose the lesser

I don't know what makes you think it's alright
to voice your opinions with such disgrace
I don't know what makes you think it's Okay
to show disrespect and act like you own this place
I don't believe "the customer is always right"
There you are, say no more, I rest my case
I don't care how high you can reach, but ma'am if I may
Give it your best shot, I got no problem saying it to your face

This is the story of a corporation
that only cares about being politically correct        
The story of a sex beast that takes pride
In being erect and going after every object
They only know popping up more widgets
To add more to their greedy sales project
And here's my apology for being direct
I won't put up with anymore of this bullshit

I don't know what makes you think it's alright
to voice your opinion with such superiority
I don't know what makes you think it's Okay
to disrespect me and act like you own my dignity
I don't believe your customer has always been right
I proved it wrong, and before long it will be a decree
I don't care how you run your business today
find someone else to run your sales, I'm not your shopping spree

Projection, jealousy and other vices

Isn't it true that we can't stand in people what we fear the most in ourselves?

He asked me how my Easter day was, it was good, really good. I told him how I started the day on the phone with a mutual friend of ours who lives overseas, and how we chatted for almost an hour. He immediately asked “why! Are you going to visit him or something?” I answered “No, it’s been a while since we talked, and he always takes initiative in calling, so I wanted to call this time” He asked again “So you talked with him for an hour but you don’t have plans to go visit” I said “No, I have absolutely no plans to go visit him, are you insinuating that I would only call people if I have the intention to visit?” I didn’t care for the direction of that conversation based on a previous experience with that particular “friend”, I told him that I was getting an important phone call that I needed to take to get off the phone. Only then, it hit me, a few years back he would not return any of my phone calls or emails, and six months later he called me saying that he wanted to catch up, as the conversation interestingly unfolded, it turned out that he had a trip to make to LA and was wondering if he could crash on my couch.

When I got that new job he asked me what was it exactly that they saw in me, and I answered innocently (or should I say naively) without attaching any meaning to his question. After seeing the company I started working for, he said jokingly "they must be blind to have hired you". I wasn't surprised by his comment at that point in our relationship, or the lack of it, so I said "Well, I hope they remain blind then, because I love my job". I'm going to put this as simple as I possibly can, if the situation was reversed, I would have said "Well, you have earned it, you definitely deserve it, and they're lucky to have you".

I don't want anyone to take away from me the sunshine. I don't want to react in the same low level I was reacted to, so I say "Smile and keep your head held high, just realize it when people project their resentment on you, and when they do, don't lose your cool, don't lose yourself and what you believe in because if you do, it won't be their comment or behavior that's going to bother you, it will be your own reaction. So forgive, ignore, let go. And when closure after closure doesn't work, just distant yourself from all that negative energy if that's possible, because at that point, it shouldn't matter if they get it or not".

I'm a Believer

I'm a Believer

Do I need to be someone who stands 

in front of the crowd raising his hands

praying praising god aloud

feeling righteous, superior and proud

Do I have to kneel down and pray

and show my gratitude many times a day

and visit that pure holy place

to earn forgiveness for my mistakes

And do I have to belong?

isn't it enough to know right from wrong?

I'm a believer 

not in guilt nor in cult or any kind of bait

I'm a believer

Religion should not spread indirect hate

I believe in love

I believe in mercy

in forgiveness

in simplicity

I believe in life

and what it offers

I believe in love

and in lovers

But keep me away from your religion

Allow me to make my own decision

Do I have the right to manipulate peace

and spread terror to fight terrorists

can I decide that it's war

and forget what I was fighting for

and in the name of purifying earth

millions die for billions worth

slavery exists even worse today

be politically correct in what you say

Do I have to be strong?

Isn't it enough to know right from wrong?

I'm a believer

And I'm neither democrat nor republican

I'm a believer

not in leaders but in the strength of the common man

I believe in freedom 

when it's not abused

in people's right 

to elect and choose

I believe in earth

not in countries

in a universal home

with no boundaries

keep me away from politics

I'm too clean to mess with

And hand in hand we stand united

and diversity is welcomed and invited

so be yourself, be black be white

muslim, jewish, gay or straight who's to say what's right

but if you impose your beliefs on me

I have the right to disagree, why judge me? 

for I'm a believer

I believe in equal opportunity

I'm a believer

my religion is called humanity

Closure....

You left a candle unattended. The very same candle that lit the way for you, for years, perhaps a decade. That candle wasn't going to burn you, it was burning to give you light. And just when it needed your hands to protect its flame from the wind of change that came unexpectedly, you left it there to struggle alone. You walked away and didn't care to see if it was going to make it. And you were proud, proud because you abandoned it to find a different one, one that would hide your true colors, from you.

And today, you stand in the dark, but you think you're glowing. Your head is bent down with shame, but you imagine it held high. Your heart is beating with guilt, but you hear passion. Your breath is stinking with remorse, but you smell flowers. Your feet are tired of your weight, but you feel light. You're living a lie my friend. And it won't take long before you realize, life goes on with or without you. And when you wake up from the illusion you built around yourself, and it will probably be too late, are you then going to admit that you made a mistake by walking away from those who all they asked for was a little space to breath?

Look back and remember the times people had given you the benefit of the doubt, the space you needed, I was one of them. So, try to move on now, without a heartbeat, without a breath, without pride, without passion, without truth, without respect, the respect of Closure….. And I commend you if you can and wish you good luck as I always did, and always will. Just keep away, and don't knock on my door when you miss me "and you will", because you won't find what you didn't care to give ... when you should have ..... Closure.

Enjoy The Ride

I have given this a lot of thought, is there anything out there that doesn't require competition? Competition is positive and healthy to a certain extent. But when the competition becomes the goal, not a practice in a journey, when competing loses the bigger picture, and becomes the main picture, at one point, one can't help but wonder, what is this all about?

Then I started to imagine a work that does not require competition, does it even exist? I thought for a while it doesn't, you will always have a goal and a challenge, you will always want to achieve and do better, and if you don't compete with your co-workers, you start to challenge yourself even more. I got tired, I finally was able to imagine that kind of work, and then realize it. I started my own business, and even though I got a lot of competitors out there with lower prices, I focused on my performance, I gave it my best, and my business took off. I never gave any attention to my competitors, I wanted to do better because I took a chance on doing something that has value, that is rewarding, to my clients, to myself, rather than to a big corporation that set goals for their employees and the employees start the competition without knowing where they are heading. I always look for better ways to improve my business, by working hard and being authentic in what I present, not by trying to beat up my competitors, and here's the song that I came up with:

http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/artist/Tony+Rabbat/track/Enjoy+The+Ride

Enjoy the ride

Let's sketch a picture                                   

take a brush and strike some lines                            

Don't worry about guidelines, or designs                        

paint your thoughts and what you feel                        

Let's do it together and make it real                            

Let's write a song

don't think of rules and commercial sound

or catchy phrases going round and round

play your tunes and how you feell

let's send a message and make it clear

Not everything has to reach the top                            

not every move we make has to compete                        

Have we lost the meaning of simple fun                                       
it's ok to try and be incomplete                                

not everything has to be pop                                

or trendy and up to date or up beat                            

Take the lead, I don't have to be the one                        

I'll enjoy the ride                                    

in the back seat                                        

let's take a walk

put your shoes on don't over think

are we gonna watch the sunset over a drink

is it gonna take an hour or forever

it's not the destination, it's being together

Let's have a talk

how have you been how are you now?

are you happy and content? that's all I care about

let's catch up over a cup of tea

just be yourself and I'll be me

Not everything has to reach the top

not every move we make has to compete

Have we lost the meaning of simple fun

it's ok to try and be incomplete

not everything has to be pop

or trendy and up to date or up beat

I'll take the lead, you don't have to be the one

just enjoy the ride

in the back seat

I don't want to worry too much                                

I don't want to worry at all                                   

am I going too slow am I in a rush                            

always pursuing a higher goal                          

I just want to have simple fun, let's keep in touch                    

Let's laugh and dance let's just lose control                           

Not everything has to reach the top

not every move we make has to compete

Have we lost the meaning of simple fun

of enjoying the ride, not just where it leads

not everything has to be pop

or trendy and up to date or up beat

they'll take the lead we don't have to be the one

let's enjoy the ride

in the back seat

http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/artist/Tony+Rabbat/track/Enjoy+The+Ride

 

Intimidation ... a sign of weakness

They always look at me and say that it doesn't have to be complicated, and then they tell me exactly how I'm going to handle it. I say I agree it's not complicated, all we need is this or that  document from the court and we can proceed. They lose patience, you can tell from their body language, then the cliche comes immediately (it takes about 2 to 3 minutes from the time they introduce themselves) "Listen, I'm a lawyer and I know and I can ... " Yawn.

I politely apologize for the inconvenience they have to go through, however we run everything by our  own legal department. They start the bully technique. It gets really ugly and loud. Then after showing me how angry they are since their threats didn't work, they say that "it's not personal, it's business".

They always leave  dragging behind them their empty threats, walking out of those large corporations with their red faces, cursing and cussing every employee who works there, not realizing that just because they have a degree in law, it doesn't mean that the world has to run its course according to what they have learned. they also don't realize that "intimidation is a sign of weakness". But what's pathetic about all that, is them not realizing that their real battle is not against us, the little victims who put up with all the unnecessary hostility, but that they're actually fighting with each other, because the guy on the help line from our "Legal" Department is also a………… Lawyer.

She lowered her glasses and gave me that really evil look and with a voice full of anger she said  "DOCTOR Hickey". I was taken aback, not because of the title, which was irrelevant to what we were handling, but because of her demeanor. She threw her coupon book at me and screamed her heart out that she didn't want people from India calling her at 9 AM on a Saturday morning. I handed back her coupon book and said to her "Ms Hickey, I am trying to handle your request to the best of my ability, but you're not exactly making it easy" And oh boy, she heard me saying "Ms" for the second time. She threatened to get me fired. I gave her my manager's name and his manager's name. I just wanted her out of my sight.

She came back and told my manager that her problem was not with the people in India or with the mis-posted mortgage payment. Her real problem was with me not calling her "Dr. Hickey" And here's how she felt entitled to that title; her logic, and that is being quoted from her complaint to my manager, was "I have worked so hard to get this title, to be where I am today, I was ahead of my whole class, I teach in a very respectful university, and I work in a very important hospital. So if I'm being addressed, I should be addressed by 'Doctor'".

Now here's what I'm confused about, so when I'm dealing with an engineer, should I call him/her engineer so and so, and when I'm dealing with a pharmacist, should I call them pharmacist so and so? Since when do we have to call each other by our titles? I wasn't aware of that mandatory protocol. But that justification has another problem Dr. Hickey. Even though you have worked so hard to earn your degree, do you know how hard everyone who comes your way has worked to get to where they are whatever that is. You don't know how hard I have worked to be an Assistant Vice President? Yet I never asked you to call me by my title. You don't know how hard the waiter who served you dinner has worked to be promoted from a bus-boy to a waiter. You don't know how hard that nurse has worked to earn her degree and get accepted at that particular hospital. You don't know how hard that cleaning lady is still working to provide for her sick son whom your degree didn't heal. So is that your justification why you wanted to be called a doctor? Do you really think that just because you are one, you can feel superior and disrespect people left and right!!!

Bottom line whether you have a PHD in medicine or law, you don't demand respect, you earn it with the way you carry yourself and treat people, and please............ don't leave me a hickey without at least making love to me first ;)