Fathers

Today we celebrate the first man in our lives: Our Dads. Whether you're a son or daughter, your father - the man who raised you - greatly impacted your life. He's your first role model: showing you what a man should be.

In western society, 1970s feminism and society norms turned the tables on men and our fathers. Bad economy (ie. Rust Belt & Oil Bust) plus robust welfare state forced men out of work and out of their homes. Welfare rules excluded men, especially in poor and minority neighborhoods where Dad's were most needed.

When dads got layoff notices, unable to earn a decent living and provide for their families, the welfare state came to the rescue. But only for households without men. So moms and women pushed men and dads out of their homes to satisfy their lifestyle and children's needs. In today's American society, that still applies in most cases.

Men feel most fulfilled in life when they can provide and protect their mate and offspring. It's an innate trait in all men. No matter where they live, their culture or upbringing. In this, we're the same as all other mammals on the planet. Us humans are meant to mate-up and bear children.

There's a stark difference between a man who has children and a man who doesn't. Childless adult men, like childless adult women, walk Earth feeling an unspoken, unconscious emptiness. An empty space in their souls and hearts unfilled. A man with children walks Earth feeling more grounded and secure in himself. Even if he's a bad dad. Children ground him. Giving him hope, pride and promise. Giving him a reason for living and succeeding.

Even the most masculine man is inspired by his kids - helping them grow into strong adults who will also have children. Furthering the man's legacy on Earth. Grounding his primal male masculine duties: provide and protect.

Western society started removing a man's primal duties and instincts in the 1970s. Propaganda influenced women to work outside the home. While industries' "shareholders" forced men out of the workplace. For most men, it rattled them emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Their souls felt it but their minds couldn't define it. Some things are true, whether we believe them or not.

What we do on Earth, how we manage outside influences and obstacles, affects our soul. Soul growth (courage & expansion) or soul death (depression & suicide). We choose soul growth or death - every day of our lives once we become adults.

I was raised in the 1970s-80s. Saw the initial mistreatment of men and dads. Raised with Catholic teaching: couples "don't divorce no matter what". I noticed half my fellow students in junior high (6-8th grade) were from divorced broken homes. 1976-1978. These kids seemed untethered without a moral or life compass. They lived with their moms, who worked full-time jobs. Their dads rarely saw them. Maybe once a week, which wasn't enough. For the kids or dads. Moms worked full-time and resented their husbands for that. Angry that their husbands couldn't support them or the kids. Angst between husband and wife landed squarely on the kids. Divorced kids carried tons of weight and guilt that didn't belong to them. I saw all this. At a very young age.

My Dad broke that mold. He was a mix between Ward Cleaver, Rhett Butler and Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood). Wise, charming, handsome, self-determined, tough, protective and an amazing provider who lived and thought "outside the box." Dad (Jim Kelley), was born and raised poor in Llano, TX - Texas Hill Country - to sharecropper parents. His mom was Czech who spoke very broken English. His dad was Irish who spent more hours at the "beer joint" (bar) than working a job or being home.

Dad was the youngest of 4 kids: 2 brothers and 1 sister. Yet Dad was the one who walked the bars in town, from age 8 thru age 20, looking for his dad and bringing him home. His dad was consistently balls-to-the-walls drunk by 6p every day. Whether his dad worked that day or not. His dad was also a notorious gambler. Typical Irish Catholic Texan.

Growing up with a deadbeat dad, Dad learned about life and people quickly. He picked up tons of wisdom. He also made a promise to himself: "I will raise strong, wise, productive kids. I will show them how the world works." He kept that promise until the day he died.

When my brother, sister and I were growing up, we asked Dad "real world" questions.

What's money? How does it work? Dad taught us by opening personal bank accounts for us at age 10. Every week, he took us to the bank to deposit our "chores" money. Bank managers knew Dad. We got to sit in the manager's office like big shots. Mom dressed us nicely for our weekly bank visits. She stayed home while Dad took us to the bank. Bank Manager explained money, interest rates, different types of bank accounts. How to earn money on money you have. When and how to borrow money. At age 12, Dad taught us about the stock market. He showed us the Stock-Investment page in the newspaper. I got hooked on that. When our local newspaper and Wall Street Journal paper arrived every morning, I was first to grab it and turn to Stock Listings. I circled our stocks in blue pen, folded page open, and placed paper near coffee maker before Dad woke up. Dad taught us all how to play Futures markets (puts & holds) and Commodities Market too. My brother and I made tons of money on silver and gold from 1977-1981. We were kids. Dad had to sign off on everything, of course. It was fun. My first job out of college (post-graduation): Wall Street! Working there and living in New York City was a dream-come-true.

MGM Grand - Reno-Tahoe. 1986

Dad taught us "Everything is Energy. Especially money. Stay happy and unworried and you'll do well. Play when it feels good. Walk away from table, or do nothing, when it feels wrong. Always sense the energy. No matter what situation you're faced with." Dad was a High Stakes Poker Player in Vegas. He knew Steve Wynn personally. His favorite casinos: MGM Grand & Golden Nugget. Dad held the most popular Poker Game in Houston: Monday Night Poker. At his shop. Sometimes they got raided by police. Sometimes they didn't. Depended if cops' "palms got greased" or not.

Dad was self-made. No one loaned him money or helped him get his start. He owned 6 businesses, 2 commercial properties (apartment complex and business strip-center) and 5 residential rentals. We owned 4 racehorses and 3 pleasure horses. We had a big, custom-built home and a condo on the lake. Dad knew how to create wealth, provide and protect us. He also knew how to make Mom happy. And us kids happy. We earned everything we got. "Set a goal. Achieve it. You'll get rewarded." He often said. He delivered. Growing our bank accounts, my brother and I were able to buy cars in high school. Get exactly what we wanted. My sister's love was horses. She earned the best horses.

When I noticed divorce trend and my school friends dropped at daycare centers instead of their homes, I asked Dad about it. "Invisible Hand wants to destroy families," he said. "It's bad, what's going on. Bad for the human soul and heart. It's intentional and most people don't see it." It was 1976. His words still apply today, 50 years later.

"Don't get caught up in the herd-trap," he taught us. "Don't follow the herd. Like a pack of sheep or cows, you'll fall off a cliff. Stand out. Walk to your own beat. Stay solid with your soul and heart."

Everyone in Houston knew and admired Dad. Dad didn't cheat at Poker or Craps. He was an amazing strategist and businessman. His integrity and values stayed consistent. You could count on him. If he promised to do something, he did it. Even if it was hard.

Jim Kelley quotes.

• "If life is constantly hard, you're living it wrong. Stop what you're doing. Re-assess. Do something different."

• "We're all gypsies. Souls walking Earth, belonging nowhere and everywhere at same time."

• "When dealer gets hot, walk away from the table. Wait for energy to change. It always changes."

• "Invisible World is more powerful than Physical World. Most people don't understand that yet. They will."

• "Crooks, bad guys, and Evil exist. When you recognize them, either face them or walk away. If you're not strong enough to face them, stare them down, call their bluff and they run away - then slowly walk away. Don't show fear. Know evil and bad people exist. Stay away from them."

• "If you roll around in the dirt, you're gonna get dirty." Translation: You are the company you keep. If you run around with low-vibration people, your vibration lowers to their level. Be careful about the people you choose. Spouses, friends, or colleagues.

• "We're all vulnerable sometimes. We're not on Earth to be perfect. We're here to be what & who we want to be, while keeping our souls intact."

• "When you do something wrong, it's not about what you did. It's how you fix it."

• "Worrying is a waste of good energy. Action and activity defends against anxiety, worry, depression."

• "Take care of your physical body. It will take care of you. Our bodies are meant to move! Not sit still. Feed and treat it right. Exercise or sports: best way to elevate your energy. Can't concentrate? Eat liver."

In the mid '80s, Dad owned a bail bonding business. One of his 6 businesses. Other businesses: Sporting Goods, Post Office Uniforms, 2 Pawn Shops, 1 Jewelry store. He co-owned the Kelley Sporting Goods with his two brothers. The other businesses were 100% his.

Someone jumped bail and left USA for Central America. A drug dealer "$60,000 bond". If bail-jumper not captured, Dad would owe State of Texas $60k cash. Dad sent a bounty hunter down south to capture the jumper. Bounty Hunter almost found jumper. Called Dad and said, "It's a sh-tstorm down here. I'm out. Find someone else to help you." DEA, Bush family, CIA and other government groups and US paramilitary were running drugs and guns into US. Hard drugs: cocaine, heroin, crack, pills (downers & uppers), ecstasy. Bush family worked with other Texas families and people (incl Houston's Mattress Mac and John Osteen -Joel Osteen's dad) to create drug distribution ring. Dad also discovered worse stuff. Bush Family human sacrifices on Buffalo Bayou.

All this happened around 1984-1986. Bush "drug cartel" discovered Dad knew stuff he shouldn't know. Dad told us and our family priest what was going on at dinner one night. The other people who knew: Dad's Operations Manager Vernon Bass, an ex-Bandido bad-ass; and our Harris County DA Johnny Holmes. No one else could be trusted. We swore secrecy to Dad: "If anyone finds out that you know stuff, you'll be in danger. Don't tell anyone else, OK? Bad people exist. Taught you that. Now - keep your mouth shut." Dad said. We swore secrecy.

Two break-ins happened at our safest pawn-shop. First break-in: they stole tools and some jewelry. Second break-in: they poisoned our Doberman Rocky and took nothing. Dad suspected the worse. "Poisoning Rocky is a signal," Dad said. "They could come for family next." Solution: my brother Mark and his wife move to Phoenix, AZ. Safe from cartel. Dad knew people in Phoenix. Vern and Mark traveled to Phoenix, checked it out. Perfect place! Mark loved it. Unfortunately, Mark's wife didn't want to move. 15 months later, Mark (26) and my sister (20) were killed at that pawnshop.

My dad was the strongest, most heroic, intelligent, wise man I ever knew. I watched his soul turn to dust - on day of murders and next 9 months. Lived with my parents back then. Dad's soul died on that day. He was an empty shell of a man for 8 straight years. Then his soul came back! After watching execution of main shooter.

They don't build men like that anymore. Men like my Dad. He created jobs for people. He gave to impoverished families in Houston - anonymously so those families didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed. He helped people live in homes, when they were homeless. He helped his renters stay in their homes, when they lost their jobs. "You'll find another job. Stay in the house. We'll figure out the details of your rent later. Tell me how I can help you."

Dad knew and saw how society was changing - in 1970s - against men and fathers. When I asked him about it back then, his answers were quick. I didn't know then - just a kid - Dad was helping fathers stay in their homes after a layoff. Dad helped fathers stay off welfare. Sometimes Dad used his Houston connections to help find work for the dad who lost his job (Houston was like a small town back then). Dad saw society changes and bucked them - personally. He owned residential properties to help people stay centered, balanced, confident. To help couples raise their children. To help men feel appreciated while still holding their pride. Dad wasn't a slum-lord. He was a soul-activator.

Dad & Me - Grand Canyon, North Rim -2010

Most parents don't recover after a child dies. It's unnatural - your children dying before you. I seriously felt I lost Dad and Mom on that murder day in 1988. I did. Took 8 long years for Dad to return. I'm glad he kept his body "clean" and exercised. So when his soul finally returned, his body was ready to live again! That was in 1996. Dad stayed on Earth until March 2016 - age 76. I didn't know then and wish I had: Dad stuck around those 20 years (1996-2016) to ensure I was on my soul path and safe.

Maybe you have/had a Dad like mine. If you do, comment below or email me. I'd love to hear your Dad's story.

Dad's are vital to our Earth experience. Sometimes, I think they're more important than Moms. Who knows. That's just my opinion. Because I had an amazing Dad. Maybe my experience is uncommon. Like most of my life is!

Your heart, mind soul choose how to respond to bad stuff and bad people. My dad took his "bad drunken dad" experience and flipped it. Instead of letting that "bad dad" energy settle like a brick inside Dad's heart and soul, Dad changed the brick into a sword. Dad chose "better". He chose soul growth, not soul death.

I think of Dad every day. And my entire family and closest friends, all now in "Heaven" (Spirit Realm). Love never dies. It's an invisible thread woven through our hearts and souls to each person we love. That thread never disappears. It simply changes form. Physical Earth is just another dimension connected to All That Is (God). All dimensions connect with each other. Love is the thread that binds it all together.

Happy Father's Day! Thank you, DADS!!!!

Robin, Your Sedona Spirit

Contact Robin

Book Appointment (SAVE $50. USE CODE "MEMBER26" AT CHECKOUT)