Today, I went from "Why does this keep happening to me?" to "What can I do about it?". From the musician who accused me of being afraid to work with people of his race when I turned down his offer to collaborate to the dental assistant who assumed I would share her view of "blacks" as a race of people prone to violence, the past week has been a doozy. I understand that stereotypes are based on experience. But here is the thing, they are based on LIMITED experience and very little understanding.
I'm not denying that we are culturally pre-disposed to some behaviors. I'm hispanic and I can identify with some of the stereotypes but don't reduce me to them. I'm more than that . I am a human being capable of making decisions and taking actions outside of a group. So we come from different backgrounds. So what? As our environment changes so does our behavior in that environment if we allow it. It's a choice. It's an individual choice. And I'm not saying that we all have to conform to the same behaviors but we do have to share space on this planet and either we do it together or we destroy one another. Which do you choose?
Whether you are allowing yourself to be who other people make you out to be or you are allowing yourself to dismiss the humanity of another human being because they are black, white, asian, arab, hispanic, gay, lesbian, transgender, conservative, liberal, libertarian, athiest, christian, buddist, agnostic, american or otherwise...whatever. Your statements about others are more of a reflection on you than they are on them. You can not possibly fully understand another human being unless you are that human being so why don't you just give people a break? As far as I'm concerned, the only choice we have is to act with love or not. For the rest of my life I will do my best to choose love. I don't expect to be perfect but I'm certainly going to try.
- LM
Blindside
Bone dry, inside my mouth but let my words fly
My hands were shaking, made my fist tight
‘cause I was about to start a war
it was a good day, the blue sky blazing with the suns rays
then I saw nothing but your cold hate
In words I wish I could ignore
Yeah, it seems like you were patiently waiting on my
blindside, just walking the pavement and the
worst sign was that I couldn’t take it
No, I can’t go there ‘cause you don’t play fair sometimes
You know that nothing’s right just because you paint it on a
big sign. Just because you care to take your piece of mind
and cast your fear into the world
I thought I knew this,
but my anger built beneath my surface
and before I knew it, it unfurled
Yeah, it seems like you were patiently waiting on my
blindside, just walking the pavement and the
worst sign was that I couldn’t take it
No, I can’t go there ‘cause I don’t play fair sometimes
I wish I could take and make the world right
Just so I see you in the best light
Maybe, if I can let it go….let it go…..let it go
But it seems like we are patiently waiting on the
blindside, just walking the pavement and the
worst sign is that we never make it
when we take it there ‘cause we don’t play fair ………
we can’t take it there ‘cause we won’t play fair……sometimes
I want to take and make the world right
If only I can let it go…
- Laura Marie ©2010
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