Tag: Encouragement

The Giving Of Thanks, By V.R.

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in 1980's, 1990s, nes, Nintendo, retro, retrogaming

Being thankful is so underrated these days. I think back to my childhood growing up. I was an 80’s baby, born in 1983 yet I can remember it like it was yesterday. Thanksgiving at my mother’s house was always a great time. The nostalgic smell of roasted turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, fresh collard greens, candied yams, cornbread, and so much more fills my nostrils and thus my mental space with goodness, my soul with joy, and my belly with food. 🙂

My family and I didn’t have much growing up considering the fact that I was the youngest of 8 kids. Many times we struggled, but I honestly cannot remember a single year that we did not have a huge Thanksgiving feast. My parents sometimes planned for months to make sure that one day we ate exceptionally well. Then like most families we would watch football, go outside and play, and ride bikes in the cool weather. Pure happiness and blissful thoughts.

The shear excitement of being out of school, playing Nintendo after dinner, and being with my family the following Friday after Thanksgiving was more than enough. I truly don’t even remember Black Friday being a special event growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s. I’m sure that some commercialization was present back then, but in no comparison to today. I always remembered watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Christmas movies back to back and enjoying my mom’s famous leftover fried turkey sandwiches.

Let me be clear: In no way am I being judgmental or condemning anyone that enjoys the hustle and bustle of Black Friday. I surely enjoy it as well with all of the savings and specials. I just have to ask, have we become so obsessed with materialistic possessions that we don’t even know how to operate within the realm of simplicity anymore? It’s simply a question that I have pondered on while I hypocritically fill my shopping cart with toys, games, and clothes for my 4 children.

As we approach Thanksgiving 2018, I challenge you to focus on the simple things and maintain an attitude of gratitude. Even if your circumstances are not ideal or are just plain negative, their is always someone out there that would love to live the life you have. Some stranger out there would indulge in the pieces of food you find not appetizing to your precious taste buds. What would the child out there living in poverty say about your situation if he looked into the dining room of your home?

My friends the giving of thanks is the key to having a successful Thanksgiving. It’s not the holiday it’self. Be grateful, be content, and be happy everyday. Happiness comes from within a thankful heart. Thank God for another day. Learn to be grateful for your health. If you can open your mouth to eat, that’s a blessing. If you have the means to treat your family to food in general, you have it better than people in various countries around the world! I have a quick story to share with you my reader.

As I complained about a lack of money one day I had an associate tell me a harsh reality. He stated “If you have the type of problems that can actually be solved by accumulating more money, consider yourself lucky.” I was offended because he had money and was very successful. As I reluctantly inquired what he meant by this, I realized that from his response he looked at my situation similar to how I viewed his. He looked at me and said “You don’t know how lucky you are having a wife, 4 beautiful healthy kids, and people that love you. I just moved here by myself, no family, no associations, just me.”

I started to think about a few things. Their are rich people with terminal illnesses. There are successful single people that have no one to spend their wealth on. There are beautiful people that struggle with self esteem because of how they were treated in the past. When I was laid off from my job this past July that coworker ended up moving back home to be closer to his family. This made me realize something that I will share with you all. Put your life in perspective this Thanksgiving, so you can truly be thankful. Don’t compare, it’s all a state of mind. Signing off for now,

V.R. (Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!)

Withholding Heart, Spiritual Song By Vintage Retroman

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980's, 1990s, retro

Withholding heart, is the way that i fail You daily/

Withholding heart, even though i truly need You/

Withholding heart, i struggle in my imperfections/

Withholding heart, sometimes i do what i shouldn’t do/

(Bridge 1)- So take my heart, and completely make me over/

So take my heart (take my heart)…and make me brand new/

So take my heart, because i don’t have any power/

And take my heart, oh Lord I’m desperate just for You/

Verse 2- Withholding heart, please forgive my imperfections/

Withholding heart, sin has left a crimson stain/

Withholding heart, a sinners plea for grace and mercy/

Withholding heart, yes i messed up once again/

(Bridge 2)- So take my heart, it’s not about me trying harder/

Please take my heart, please dissect it for repair/

Please take my heart, and dip it in your living water/

Yes I’m so glad, that despite me You are still there!/

(Worship chorus 4x) So this heart of mine! It’s Yours, it’s Yours!

Lord, please, just take my withholding heart!

V.R.

A Blast From The Past!

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in retro

I always appreciate when our youth are blessed with talents and have the courage to share them. One of the most difficult things we deal with as creative people is unconstructive criticism. Whether you are an artist, a graphic designer, a blogger, a musician, a dancer, or any other artistic person it takes courage. Many times, people outside the creative realm don’t understand that we open up our hearts and souls through the content we create.

Recently at my church, one of our young men by the name of Kevin Brewington who is only 16 years old, mustered up the courage to share some of his sketches with me. To him, it is just a hobby. Something he enjoys to past time between school and football. To me, a retro lover, it is excitement, exhilaration, and a cool drawing i am taking to work to show off on my desk! A true blast from the past!

I wanted to share this with my followers, because Kevin is a great young man that is very talented and has a great appreciation for art. More importantly he is an excellent student and a model citizen. He charges a small fee for his custom made hand drawings, but his work is more than worth it. If you are interested in contacting Kevin and having some work done, his Instagram is @brew1ngton and his email is megatronbrew5@gmail.com. Thanks in advance! Love, peace, and happiness to all.

V.R.

My Morning Prayer- By Vintage Retroman

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in retro

I thank You for waking me up this morning/

And sending me on my way/

I thank You for Your grace and mercy/

To be with me this day/

I thank you for loving me continuously/

And keeping me in Your heart/

It is because of You that I woke up this morning/

For God You gave me a new start/

God the Father, I thank You for Your infinite power/

Jesus, thank You for dying for me/

Holy Spirit, i can’t take credit for this poem/

It was You that planted the seed/

My life is not easy or fun at this time, I’m not battling one demon but a few/

But this i know, every stronghold i have in my life, can easily be defeated by You/

So I ask for Your blessing and I ask in this prayer/

Give me love, hope, patience and Your eyes/

So when trouble comes my way that I know it cannot stay/

And I’ll never be taken by surprise/

I love you Lord and I’ll never measure up to the sheer amount of grace that you’ve given to me/

I just thank You for my faith, for my family, for my friends, and just simply one more opportunity.

Amen

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself, My Name Is….

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in retro

A retro reset, a rebranding of sorts. I truly believe that mentally, i am stuck somewhere between the early 80’s and late 90’s! I have now been blogging for about 9 months and i am loving it! Despite struggles and hardships in my personal life, i view my blogging as a source of intellectual refuge. I love touching people through originality! From “Pac-Man Poetry” to fiction short stories. From professional reviews to “Memory Lane Moments”, i love presenting people the option to escape the reality of the stresses in adulthood. My whole goal is simply to make you feel like a kid again!

In the spirit of creativity, originality, and content delivery i have decided to completely redesign my site! This is for you, my reader! I hope you find it more user-friendly, with content that is meaningful. Use the search bar to shop for retro items and apparel, all discounted! I hope you all continue to pursue your passions purpose on your individual pages! Remember my slogan: Never let life dictate how far you can make it! I hope you all will be blessed beyond measure! More content is on the way so stay tuned!😀👍

V.R.

Turbulence, By Vintage Retroman

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in retro, Uncategorized

Could it be? Could it be that I lost my focus? If only for a fleeting moment did I let life dictate how far that I could make it? First and foremost, let me apologize to my audience. Life sometimes sends us all through twists and turns and things happen that we cannot prepare for. There are times when we are flying high in life, then turbulence happens in the process of us trying to coast at 50,000 feet. Allow me to explain.

I have heard it said that the only thing constant in this life is change. I have found out over the past 6 months that this theory is extremely accurate. I came into this year with very high ambitions to be consistent in my writing, to become a professional blogger, and to make a difference in the lives of my readers. As I begin to pour endless amounts of energy into my craft, my laser focus was blurred as 3 major events happened that shook my world consecutively. In March of this year my father passed away, in June I had a health scare that sent me to the hospital, and in July I was laid off from my job.

From July 2nd until September 2018, I went into a sort of hibernation from writing. Life became extremely difficult. As I continued to cope with the emotional issues of losing my dad, along with comforting my mom and family, I couldn’t write. As financial pressures mounted from being without a job for the first time in my life, I was constantly fighting bouts of anxiety and depression. I felt so inadequate as a husband, a father, and provider. Have you ever been there?

In the process of stressing over life, I was not taking proper care of myself and ended up in the hospital. My heart was beating at levels it had never beat before. This was due to a combination of stress, too much caffeine, and an improper diet. I was hard pressed to find a job quickly to minimize the impact of sudden unemployment on my family. I was blessed to find a job quickly, while starting class to gain my insurance license. As life continued to happen, I still hid from my passion of writing and replaced it with the distraction of busyness.

Training for a new career, while in class at the same time is enough to stretch any person’s mental capacity and creativity. Just the thought of writing this past summer scared me. It is amazing how as writers we may feel as if we loose our audience because life temporarily takes us in a different direction. Things are starting to settle back down as several adjustments have been made in my life. These situations build character, integrity, as well as mental and emotional toughness.

After having time to reflect and adjust to this thing we call life, I just want to apologize for my hiatus in writing. I truly love and appreciate you as my reader and I am sorry to neglect you. I am happy to report that one of my blog posts called “Capture The Magic Moments” was chosen to be published in a short stories collection book. I have been blessed, I have been humbled, and I am grateful. Thank you for hanging in there with me through this transition.

In conclusion, I have every intention to regain my consistency in blogging. Please accept my apology and pray for me, and I will pray for you. Never be afraid to fly high in this life, just remember that a little turbulence is normal as conditions change. My tagline as Vintage Retroman is “Never let life dictate how far you can make it.” If we’re honest, life can be challenging at times. Do your best to hang on in turbulence, because it’s short lived. “And this too shall pass” – V.R.

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Samus- Destined For Greatness- Part 3 (The Memoir)

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in 1980's, 1990s, nes, Nintendo, retro, retrogaming, snes, Uncategorized

Inside my deepest thoughts, there are complexities that I cannot explain. Inside my
deepest fears, I am nothing special. My name is Samus Aran, now a bounty hunter who separated from the Galactic Federation Police, yet I still have ties to the organization. It’s been years since I rescued that little girl who was about to be destroyed by space pirates in part 2 of my story. As far as that event, I made it out alive but my relationship with some key figures of the police are forever tarnished. The commanding officer Adam Malkovich won’t even speak to me anymore, and we once had a great relationship. In my never ending pursuit to defeat the evil Ridley and Mother Brain, I must be strong as a woman. Still, there are parts of me that I cannot show, because emotion can be taken as weakness. Because of this, I choose to express my feelings in this personal memoir in hopes of not being judged.

Since 1986, I have been regarded as a hero. I wear the title with pride as the first major female protagonist in video game history. Still, under this power suit I am wearing there is a physical person with limitations and weaknesses. Similarly, when you peel back the layers of my heroism there are wounds, scars, and deep questions I long for the answer to. How would my life had been if my parent’s lived? What if the Chozo’s never adopted me? How would my life be different if Ridley never attacked my home planet of K-2L? What ever happened to my little brother Solomon Aran? What type of relationship would have developed? I wonder what life would have been like as a regular kid?

To the readers of this memoir, I was called to be an intergalactic warrior. I just want to now how does it feel to be normal? To those on planet Earth, I have listened to stories about people going to school to learn. I heard that boys escort girls to this thing called a “Prom”. How does that feel? What is it like to fall in love with someone, or go out on a date, or get married? To the career women, how does it feel to wear a business suit and go into an office, making important decisions? Being a bounty hunter is a lonely life, but I do it to one day avenge the evil creatures that created this life for me in the first place. There is one other issue I must address in this memoir.

To my reader, for years people thought it was a man in this power suit. When I was introduced in 1986, people either did not realize who I was, or just didn’t respect me. There are plenty of men in my field of work. I am personal friends with a few characters from the original Nintendo lineup, such as Mario, Link, Lil Mac and Donkey Kong for starters. We even starred in a game together called Super Smash Bros. I have always been friends with those guys and can hang with the “big boys”. Some have even asked if myself and Mega Man are 1st cousins, which that is yet to be determined.

See, that’s me in the middle. 🙂

I respect their platforms and they respect mine. But when it comes to leaving a legacy for women in our craft, just remember that I paved the way for future women in gaming such as Laura Croft from Tomb Raider, Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, or Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII, among many others. I say this not to brag, but to make you understand that women in this field have made a tremendous impact on millions of fans around the world in gaming. My story is just one, but it is the first and I want to make it known that through all of my struggles I am proud to be the woman I am. I hope that this entry to my memoir serves you all well. Of course I am out in the field fighting space pirates as we speak, but Vintage Retroman please feel free to share this entry with your readers, in case if I don’t make it back. Thank you V.R. for believing in me and recognizing that I was destined for greatness. Signing off,

Samus Aran

Hitting The Pause Button To Express Appreciation!

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980's, 1990s, nes, Nintendo, retro, retrogaming, sega, snes




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From retro themed poetry to moments scrolling down memory lane, I truly love what I do as a writer. When I started http://www.vintageretroman.com, I began a journey of self realization and creativity through writing. I am aware that I do not think or operate like many people. I enjoy everything from Christian Hip-Hop to Pac-Man. I like to wear masks and costumes. I am entertained by everything from Nascar to Marching Bands. Most importantly I love the vintage and retro cultures of the past.

I never would have thought that 100 people would actually see my vision. For many years I did not showcase my writing ability because I simply thought that it was not good enough. I purposefully try to surround myself with other bloggers who are much better than me. It keeps me humble, and I learn so much from them. As I continue on my mission to provide the best content possible for the masses, I want to take a quick moment to hit the pause button and say thank you.

To my 100 followers on my blog, and almost 1000 followers on Instagram, I genuinely appreciate your support. I have been through so many things this year that were negative, but my blogging community has been a true blessing in my life. When I lost my father in March, you have been there. When I was in the hospital 2 weeks ago, you encouraged me. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for understanding me. I may not be the best at many talents, but rest assure with me you will always get sincerity and authenticity. It is how I live my life and how I will continue on.

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Me with my youngest daughter, 2018

Thank you for every like, every kind word, and every thought and prayer. You are appreciated. Please remember, my only goal is to make you feel like a kid again. Operate with passion. Structure your heart with love for others. Remember not to take life too seriously. Lastly, never let life dictate how far you can make it! On to 200 followers! 🙂

V.R.

Back From The Present- My Wake Up Call

by Vintage Retroman Music (Official), posted in 1980's, 1990s

Throughout my life there have been times where danger lurked in unexpected area’s and I had to push the pause button to refocus on the things that are most important to me. To my readers, I apologize about my short hiatus. I have been so busy, trying to work hard at my day job and even harder on my blog. The stress of work, parenthood, losing my father a couple of months ago, along with a few health issues and too much caffeine through my core out of balance. Recently, I spent some time in the hospital from everything going on in my personal life. Because of this, I was forced to take a quick break from my blog.

As I sat in the room of the hospital with EKG’s and IV’s attached to me, I laid back for a while and just thought about the simpler times in life. The times when things were not as serious. I thought about my childhood, when life was less stressful regarding responsibilities. Time seemed so much slower. The world was less complex than today with smart phones and social media. With my loving wife by my side, it was surreal me being in that position. I felt scared, anxious, and not in control of anything. I started to think of something that I feel we all need to be aware of.

Self-sufficiency has real limitations. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that we need to work hard and be ambitious. As important as that is, I do believe that there are times in life when we need to realize that we cannot do it all on our own merits. As a Christian man, I do believe what the Bible says in Philippians chapter 4 which states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I also know that there are times when God give’s us a wake up call to get our attention. This was one of those times for me.

As I waited anxiously for the results of the tests to come back on my heart, it seemed as if the minutes and seconds took an eternity. Honestly I am not a fan of doctor’s and hospital’s, so the fact that I drove myself there and checked myself in was a big step for me. I am a pretty stubborn guy, so it has to be something really wrong for me to check into the emergency room. I laid back in the hospital bed, still in my work attire because I left work early to check into the ER.

As each nurse came in, my heart rate would raise. Then as they encouraged me, it would fall again. Soon the doctor would come in and tell me that all of my tests came back normal, and gave me recommendations on things that I can do to become a healthier person. I praised God, kissed my wife, and was able to be discharged. When I saw my 4 children again, I kissed them and they hugged me and asked me how I was doing. I looked into their innocent faces, and realized just how fragile our bodies are.

I am writing this post because I know how powerful God is. I know that He is a healer. This is my testimony. He is the great comforter. He allows doctors and nurses to obtain their positions. He gives them the knowledge to do their work and help people, even save the lives of some patients. I believe that when we realize the limitations of self-sufficiency, it forces us to rely on something bigger than ourselves. Bigger than our work, and larger than our agenda. I am grateful for my life.

I just wanted to take a brief moment to share a wake up call with you. I don’t know what you may be going through right now, but God does. I know that life can be hard at times, but it is only temporary. I know that anxiety and suicidal thoughts are real. Remember, you are not supposed to be the victim but the victor in your situation. Is God trying to get your attention like He was mine? Do you need a moment to pause, pivot, and refocus on Him and what is really important like family, friends, and taking care of yourself?

Remember, your body is a temple. God gave it to you to be a good steward over it and take great care of it. This is a simple reminder that you cannot take care of anyone else if you do not take care of yourself, and that is not selfish at all. Take that vacation, enjoy some time off work. Do not let anyone make you feel like you are less of a person because you want to take time to invest in your most important asset, yourself! Please use my situation this past week and learn from it. I surely have. I wish you all nothing but love, peace, and happiness. Remember, “never let life dictate how far you can make it”.

V.R.