It's been quite a month and quite honestly, it's been an incredibly humbling time... Wait, did I say humbling? No, I really meant HUMBLING!
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| YES! |
It began with a discussion between five Interfaith Seminary students about cultural and religious sensitivities as we sketched out our Worship Experience for class. I voiced my opinion and as I talked I could hear all those statements from a "privileged" class.
That isn't too ______. I don't think that they'll be bothered by it.
Well, some of my best friends are "____________". (They are, but did you really just say that to justify your point?)
Really? We're studying Interfaith Spirituality, they can get over themselves. (Yup, I did say that.)
And, do you know what? During that meeting, I believed everything that came out of my mouth. There was a deliciousness in the self righteousness of those words. "They need to get over themselves."
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| Waking up is hard to do! |
Did I say HUMBLING?
Then those glorious, scary, exhilarating days before the election. I was going to see the first woman President and I never truly understood, until those days before, how important that was to me. HRC was the most qualified, had been vilified by the GOP for years and finally, as luck would have it, she was running against a racist, misogynistic, narcissistic liar. Of course, this was going to happen. DT's lies were more than numerous, were in writing and on TV, the American people could not and would not vote this man in... Finally...
Did I say HUMBLING?
Did you watch the Saturday Night Live skit with Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock? If not, I would encourage you to do so... best 5 minute wrap up to Election Night ever.
I was those people every step of the way. You see, I live in a Blue State surrounded by mostly Blue State mentality. It's a comfortable place to live with little worry, a good job, food on the table, doing things that make me happy. I had no idea what was going on outside of my bubble.
Did I say HUMBLING?
Folks fight the idea that they are privileged. If you said that I was in a privileged class, I would go on about my upbringing, my fight for education, career, what it was like to be a woman in business and how hard I worked to get to where I'm at today. I would tell you that I know what its like to be poor, to want things that everyone else seems to have.
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| Running away is easy! |
Privilege... I can not deny it. When I'm stopped for a traffic violation, I have the confidence to defend myself if I feel wrongfully detained. If I'm a little short this week, I know that another paycheck is coming. I can be heard because I do not threaten.
Did I say HUMBLING?
We elected a President who is a racist, a misogynistic, narcissistic liar. We did not ask him the important questions because we were entertained by his craziness and we did not really believe that he could win. We did not demand more of him, like we have done for so many years? What are your business dealings? Release your tax returns so we as a Society can truly understand the man you claim to be. We allowed the lying - the bald face abusive lies - in ways we would never allow in the past. And we asked nothing. We did not demand clarity.
Did I say HUMBLING?
And I did not do enough. I stayed in my bubble and let others do my work. It was safe here. I let others do the work, risk their reputations and in some cases, deal with threats and harm. I stayed in my little privileged bubble.
Another tidbit from comedy as life...
After the election, someone in my class said that she will still be herself but the fire has been lit and the heat is on... For me, I will not allow us to normalize the abnormal. I will not stand quietly aside and let others do my work. I pray for guidance to know what my work is and that I stay balanced as I move forward.
Be it the incoming Presidency, fighting for humanitarian rights, giving money to organizations that support the environment and putting myself out there... the fire has been lit. And, I am not alone!
#not normal
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