Sikhism - A Primer for the Unenlightened

It is obvious from the events of last week, in which a gunman and possible accomplice, shot and killed several people in a Sikh house of worship, that the public needs to be educated about the Sikh religion. They are perhaps the most peaceful, although strict, of all the religions on the planet. They strive to offend no one.

Their belief system is based upon the existence of 10 Gurus, beginning with Nanak in about the 15^th century. They have no affiliation with the Islamic community as far as their religious beliefs, or requirements. The public’s confusion about this distinction between the two regions became abundantly clear after 9-11, when some gas station attendants were murdered at work for wearing Turbans, which have no relation to any type of Arab garment. The dynamics of this tragedy, at the present time, appear to be similar. An ignorant group (it is not clear yet if this was a group action, or a lone gunman, though there is a person of interest being sought in connection with the murders) with no knowledge, or tolerance, of people who are different have once again shown the lack of what freedom means.

So, for the unenlightened, here is a brief re-cap of the Sikh religion based on my own knowledge. Please feel free to correct me if I have it wrong.

The religion is based upon the beliefs of a man known as Nanka; who was the first Guru; followed by 9 others. Their practice consists of 3 basic tenets; the Sikh Rehat Maryada ; which consists of the Prohibitions, much like our own 10 Commandments. They also believe in Ardās; or, Kirtan Dasvand; which is akin to the Baptismal ritual. Their final belief is in the 5 Evils vs. the 5 Virtues, much like our own 7 Deadly Sins. So, you see, they are very much like us in the Judeo- Christian sphere of worship. It is the 5^th largest organized faith in the world today, with something like 25 million adherents. They are mostly congregated in the Punjab region of India.

To be sure, this is a very brief and possibly slightly inaccurate portrait of the Sikhs, based upon my own travels and experiences, but you get the picture. This was a senseless crime, allegedly committed by a man who could not even earn an Honorable Discharge from the Army; which is like obtaining a GED. Whether or not the “person of interest”, who is being sought at present, is related to this crime, there is surely a problem in America today. There is no longer any tolerance for anyone who looks different, acts different, or believes in something you do not. The man being sought; and who filmed the events; wore the same 9-11 tattoo as the shooter did, which points to some possible connection.

This is the same crowd that brought you the Oklahoma bombing several years ago at the Murrah Federal Building. That tragedy was at first blamed on the Islamic community. But the big secret is this; when it comes to killing in the name of ignorance; it’s a tie score between our side and “theirs”. With neither side willing to tolerate the other, there is likely to never be peace.

To educate yourself further on the Sikh religion; or just to reinforce what you already may know; hit up Wikipedia at this link and then pass it on. Communication is the only answer to the ignorance which prevails in today’s society. Here is the link; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs

Please excuse any inaccuracies in my brief overview of the religion. I was writing from my own memory of the religion as I have encountered it in my travels. The only assistance I drew upon was the spelling, and identification, of several, well, all of the names except Nanka.

Tenders Fresh Food Winner

Well, it’s taken a long time, but I have finally won something larger than a free $1 lottery ticket. Well, that’s not quite true, I did once win $10 on Keno in Maryland, but that was so long ago that I almost forgot about it. So, you can imagine my surprise when I won the 1^st prize at Tender’s Chicken in Cornelius the other night.  That's $500 worth of my favorite food.

I eat there 6 out of 7 nights a week; or I should say, I get my food to go, and then I eat it on the side of one of the most beautiful roads in the state, Westmoreland Road, between Route 73 and Mayes Road. There, among the rows of corn and other various crops, I eat my dinner each night, except on weekends.

Tenders Fresh Foods is a growing chain. They currently have establishments in Tampa, Florida as well as here in North Carolina. They have big plans for the future, and you should look for their brand to spread in the coming years. Currently, I believe they are planning an opening in Raleigh this year.

What makes Tenders different than other medium priced restaurants is the fresh food. There is nothing frozen; everything is fresh and cooked to perfection. Even the potatoes are piled in sacks, waiting to be cut and fried. While that may seem sad for the potatoes, it’s great for the customers.

When you walk in, you are greeted by name, and that alone makes you feel special. My favorite order is the Grilled Salad, which contains cran raisins and sliced almonds over a bed of fresh lettuce and red cabbage with sliced carrots. There are at least 6 different dressings to choose from for the salads.


Quick riddle: What’s better than Tenders Chicken?

Quick Answer: Tenders Chicken for free!

Thanks to everyone at Tenders for making me a winner! And you can visit them at; http://tendersfreshfood.com/

A Day in the Life

We began the afternoon, Sue and I, with nothing to do. So we went to the hardware store, where I got the most beautifully landscaped parking space that I have ever seen. As a matter of fact, until I saw this spot at Ace Hardware; in Corneilus, North Carolina; I had no idea that there was such a thing as a landscaped parking spot. It made the old station wagon look like a young girl on her first date. She glowed.

From there we went across the street to take a look at Legion Park, where some sort of festival was said to be going on. We were pretty late, it was about 3:30 or so, but we did find this group of Sue's family who were holding their annual family reunion. We marveled at the co-incidence. Sue is, of course, a Daughter of the American Revolution, her great grandfather, several times removed, having served in the Continental Army. Obtaining any news of his current whereabouts was especially gratifying. I should mention that there were still several Redcoat stragglers in the area.

Generally, things went so well; meeting as were all were for the first time; that the family kind of got carried away and decided to blow off a cannon to celebrate this chance meeting of two generations, so far removed from one another. With thunder rolling in the distance; coming off the lake in the background, and under the threat of imminent rain; the cannon was set off twice, its roar seeming to dwarf the thunder of the God's themselves. And that was also the last we saw of the Redcoat stragglers!

And what better way to end such a day but to grab some quick Italian food at Romanello's, in Huntersville, where we were joined for part of our meal by the owner's daughter Pari. We were kind of reluctant to let her go home with her father. All in all, it was a perfect day; considering we set out with nothing to do.

Snow - The Next Day

This is the street in front of my home this morning. The 6" of snow from yesterday has been replaced by a coating of ice, which will melt later, but in the meantime has everybody slowing down a bit, taking time for that extra cup of coffee while the cars warm up.


This is the backyard at 8 AM this morning. The second wave of freezing rain came through late yesterday night and covered everything with a sheen of ice. It's pretty if you can stay inside and enjoy it.