We look up to our superheroes because they have lessons to teach us. Some good and some bad, but all of it necessary. It’s amazing that we would have to look at an image drawn by the comic artist Wayne Boring back in the 1950’s to be reminded that little has changed since then. Probably because we humans need a lot of time to learn the important lessons – more time than we’d like when we want things to change.
Remember Tolerance
We really need to keep this in mind as we descend into the madness that is the world of politics. And this is what it all has in common no matter where you look around the world: INTOLERANCE and the ugliness that goes with it. Whether they are words or actions, the results leave a lasting mark on all that come in contact with it. If you question that observation, then ask anyone who has been the target of intolerance:
- The family that hurts one of their own because that person acted against the family beliefs.
- The kids who have been teased and abused because they look or act differently than us.
- The fear that makes us say and do things that others consider inhumane.
- The laws that are passed in order to “protect” the majority (read this as status quo) against change and the future.
- The ignorant labels and caricatures that box all of us in, instead of allowing us the freedom to learn.
- The actions by those with power who only believe in the rule of law at the cost of everyone’s rights and freedoms.
- and on and on and on…
It took a conversation with one of my family to understand that time does indeed have a positive effect on how society progresses. When I was a teenager who had recently returned to the US after being away for so many years, I had to figure out ways to fit into a society that didn’t respect the breadth of my background (read this as race if you must). Years of answering the question, “What are you?” from people, questionnaires, check boxes, and officials without understanding why this is so important to them. And to this day, I still have not come up with any answer that left me in peace.
Yesterday, I found out that someone important to me had a very different experience from my own. It was so much more promising than mine, made possible because others saw the world in a much more open-minded way. As I looked at her, I could see a more positive outlook than mine simply because she did not have to fight against the intolerance that I’d experienced. It also showed in the shock that I saw on her face as she heard me tell my stories. Wow, what a different a decade can make.
So, why are we moving backwards today around the world? Why is bigotry and every ugly “ism” ever created winning a war that continues to drag the soul of humanity down a black hole? Why are our leaders allowed to have time in the presses to spread words of intolerance simply because they want to stay on top in a world that has given them all they desire? And why do we have to listen to any of them simply because they won the luck of the draw, which had nothing to do with pulling themselves up by their bootstraps (as they keep telling us)?
Take a look again at that public message created by a man who saw the world much like those who understand that it is our differences that make us strong as a species. It is a really important viewpoint that affects how we behave towards one another. Go find others who have a similar message in our world today and help them spread it so that we can put a stop to all of the ugliness that is created by continued intolerance by so many around us.
This is why I despise the labels that we continue to press upon others, without getting to know them first. Not one of us is as one-dimensional as our image portrays – which can be easily manipulated to affect other views of us. We are made up of pages and pages of our own history that creates the person we are today, and who we are working to become. So why would we accept whatever one-dimensional label some person or institution forces on us? It only matters if we choose let it happen.
We don’t have to be the world that our news and history books think we are. The change is in each and every one of our hands. This year being an election year is an important reminder, not because of your vote but because of your motivation to WANT something more positive for us all. Don’t let petty squabbles of individual topics force you to pick a side! Nothing in our world is just black and white, because there are also many shades of gray. All of these topics are issues that have connections to one another when we take the time to view the world with a wider vision. We are not simply living under rules of law, because we now see just how broken the rules have become. Listen to the protests around the world, and you’ll see that more people are no longer accepting life that only takes rules into account. The leaders are not the only ones with wise words. Look around you and see what their words have created to see the obvious.
Our lives will never be only about jobs, money, and power. Your position in life cannot and should not define you, unless you let it. Those who place such importance on the shallow do not see the depth of the world. And if all you see and hear are what can be versus what is possible, then you’ve given up on dreams. Dreams become real when we choose to accept the challenge that life offers us, while ignoring the naysayers that tell you that what you want is impossible. As much as that phrase “Never give up, never surrender” annoys me, it is absolutely evident each time I’ve picked myself up off the ground and kept going. So, thank you (I think) Galaxy Quest for advice that my hubby tells me all of the time.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that all of the conversations that we are FINALLY having today are very important to the future of humanity. It’s obvious how important they are because status quo and the system are trying to quiet down the discussions before they can take place, simply because they don’t want anything to change. Rules are not what is important, but questioning the rules is absolutely imperative if we want to learn, grow, and change all that is wrong. THAT is what makes history – everything else is just window dressing. Just remember that it’ll take more time than you expect, but all good things seems to require a lot of time and effort before they come to life. I for one think that the effort is worth it when you imagine the possibilities our future can hold.
…just saying
and thanks to Thurdbase for finding this important and oh so timely reminder!
