Man, oh man, does this piece stir up strong friction in me.
I get the message. I agree with the message..
.I have for a long time in human time.
The amount of animosity and dare I say pure naked rage is an experience I am new to…
Even after 10 years, the levels continue to outperform their previous degrees.…
I’m not proud of this. Not for one nanosecond. But there it is. So now what?
I am allergic to language of winning and losing.
Who gets to call those shots? Apologies for the violent language.
However much I’d like to be the kind of person
who takes all the factors into consideration and finds grace,
understanding, mercy and forgiveness for someone whose behavior I loathe;
I am still deep in the tunnel of the opposites.
I’m not opposed to people clinging to their morals. I
’d prefer to call it self-respect, mutual regard and human values.
It’s not about being better than...it’s about the insistence for decency,
fairness, honesty and truthful justice for all. The last two words are pivotal.
When one person minus any morals that I can detect other than seeing to his own comfort,
enrichment in worldly standards and doing so at grave cost to others and our planet?
I think we have to be honest enough to confess and own something
that does not fit under the definition of the word “love”.
Perhaps Ram Dass can go into a little more depth … share the secret ingredients…
reveal the method as to how an ordinary human being who has lived her life,
dedicated to striving for equity and true justice for all can accomplish it?
This entire situation has shaken the foundations of my life.
It’s hard to even say those words much less feel the shaking in my bones…
It’s not shaking from fear. It’s shuddering from the display on a public stage for the world to witness…
for our children to witness...the exact opposite of everything I’ve spent a lifetime upholding.
My insides reverberate and echo with a giant, heartfelt, grief-stricken NO.
Now that I have said my deeply felt, unfiltered piece…
I want to see if I can recalibrate and self regulate so that I am not consumed and
overtaken by these wretched feelings. I will not relinquish my allegiance
to decency in response to disgraceful behavior. I must find ways to maintain
the values I stake my life on in real, living, breathing, human terms.
There is goodness...much, much goodness flowing strong and clear beneath the slimy surface.
I’m placing my macro lens focus there. I suggest that keeping myself sane is a realistic goal.
It’s said that living into joy in the face of cruelty and disdain for decency is an act of rebellion. I hoist that mantle.
PS: This poet had to flee his country in order to be true to himself. Being from Lebanon, we can
only imagine what suffering he has endured for himself and his family.
I bow to his dedication to kindness and love.
