One of my best friends sent me an article about “the end of race”.
The end of race.
Whew……finally.
I get so sick of all this race stuff.
If it’s not me noticing something, it’s me noticing somebody else noticing something, and then it gets me started noticing something….and then they start questioning why I’m noticing something….and then the race is off….and all we can see is that we’re really pretty different after all.
That stinks.
I don’t think we’re any different than the way we act….when we decide we’re pretty different.
In reality….”reality”….I wonder if we aren’t all just a bunch of “spirit wrappers”….angels in waiting….souls with different physical labels and “appearances”….molecules swimming through space at a rapid pace….
Maybe we’re just a collection of electrical impulses (in a body that helps us stand erect) that tell us to smile at each other every once in a while?
Spirit wrappers.
I don’t really know. It’s too easy to adopt this thought that with all the different “wrappers” out there, that we’re really the same stuff inside…..beyond all the regular inside stuff….the intestines….the bladder….the kidneys…..all the stuff inside.
We’re all the same.
There’s no power in “all the same”, though.
There’s no “identity” in “all the same”.
I’m proud to have some Norwegian ancestry.
That’s about as white as you get….pale and white.
I wish that I tanned better.
But put me up against a Swede….or somebody from Denmark….or….I don’t know all the countries with really white people….pale people…..and you couldn’t pick me out of a lineup.
I’m just another guy with a really pale skin wrapper.
In some neighborhoods, if I went in with my wimpy philosophical “guns” blazing, and talked about touchy feelgood thoughts like “spirit wrapper”, I’d be KILLED.
K-I-L-L-E-D.
And that’s just the redneck neighborhoods around here.
“Redneck”?
See?….the labels.
The labels.
Nobody’s neck is red…..not really “red”.
I’m comfortable with the people who are comfortable with me.
Sometimes it takes awhile for us to get to know each other….and that’s not a “race” thing….but when we do, I hope that we’re comfortable with each other.
It makes it easy.
When’s this race stuff going to end?
Can’t we all just get along?
Our time on earth is so short…..we’re wasting it with all this wacky “race stuff”.
We’re wasting our short time here.
Here’s the good article my friend linked to…..
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/10/6943461/race-social-construct-origins-census
and here’s a good song….
“spirit wind” David Wilcox
Peter!
I’m honored you shared and commented on my post. Thank you.
I am living this life that makes it so I cannot NOT speak about RACE. I need to speak about it Constantly. With anyone at anytime. With those whose thoughts are aligned with me and those who are not (maybe especially the latter). And I must talk about race in all the different ways it comes up: about issues that have to do with current controversies, as well as issues that have to do with the long arc of human history, as well as issues that have to do with what “Why can’t we just all get along???” looks like on a daily, person-to-person level.
For over thirty years, I’ve had the feeling that when it comes to that 3rd level of discussion, you are one of the people I trust and admire the most. No lie. I was talking to Emmy (Marianna’s mom) last night about you and I told her your desire and ability to connect with people of all sorts on a genuine level is amazing. I admired it 30 years ago traveling through small towns in North Carolina or Nebraska or Idaho, and I still do, even I don’t see you very often.
And I’ve also felt that you were not as comfortable or as interested in having those conversations about Race (or other thorny subjects) when they involved the first level. Things that right now involve law and order, crime and punishment, justice and injustice, police practices and societal biases, agendas of the Left and the Right, etc. These are things that matter deeply to me, on a life-and-death level, not just in some philosophical college bull session way. I don’t know: maybe I’m being too critical from too far away of what you would or would not care to discuss. I am also ignorant of what you want to share or not share on your blog; so feel free to delete this post if it is just too “weird” or doesn’t fit. I will not take offense.
I guess what I am doing is “sending up a signal flag” to you, one of my oldest and best friends, that I would love to talk with YOU about RACE, anytime, anyplace. Publicly or privately. By text or voice or (hopefully again someday soon) face-to-face. Let me know.
All the Best,
Joel
Joel….”approve” with great enthusiasm….respect….and affection.
Your involvement with this topic goes a lot deeper than mine. I wish that it didn’t have to….that things in the world were different…but it does and I understand why.
My way of dealing with the world in general is…as much as possible…with humor. Maybe it’s a way of distancing myself a little bit….I don’t really know…..but I ponder things and give things more thought than most of my comments would indicate.
I am always excited about talking about anything with you….and value your thoughts on anything…deep or “college bull session way”.
Always….always….always…..ready and excited to talk to you about anything….or everything.
Did I say “excited to talk to you” more than once?
I believe that I did.
Call me about this “race” thing…I’ll listen and try not to be a smartypants.
From me….too….all the best…to you… and your great family, Peter