Sometimes it isn’t easy to look closely at oneself. It is much easier to get annoyed by others and their shortcomings. Some people are more obvious and more blunt. It is much easier to point fingers at the obvious but I, for one, admit that I have my own shadow side.
Even the most “evolved” folks have metabolized their own misguided teachings learned from a young age.
I work on being open and affirming despite differences in style and beliefs that I may have with others. It isn’t always easy to silence the react button especially when I think I am “right.” Our lives can often be a narrative that we have convinced ourself of which may not actually reflect “reality.”
In the three situations below, I have learned about a lot about what is underneath with racism in our culture.
1. I learned of someone near my age who moved to a white neighborhood in the 60s as the only family of color in town. As an adolescent weighing less than 100 lbs, this person experienced grown women muttering about watching their purse in ear shot of them.
2. I learned of a group of women, 60 and up, who locked their doors and windows when they saw 2 African American men near their car. The gentlemen didn’t get mad. They just found it funny and laughed. The women then laughed too.
3. I remember distinctly clutching my purse as an adolescent when I saw someone of color on the escalator at the mall. I had heard to do this by a relative who was born over 113 years ago. The person I was clutching my purse from looked at me like I was nuts. I realized it, was mortified by what I had done, and learned a huge lesson.
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