Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Elitism
One of my pet peeves/blatant dislikes is elitism. Since I have worked so many years in positions of service, I have seen a lot of it. Job positions to me are superficial. I don't think most people enjoy the work they do. I think most people work and tolerate the job or learn to love it. Of course, there are many exceptions, but the bottom line is that your job does not define who you are. We are human beings, and we need to treat each other as such, and connect on a human level. I tend to disconnect my personal life and professional life, and I prefer it that way at least for now. There is no doubt that my personal values have come in to play at work, or that those values have influenced others, but I create a barrier so that I do not take work home with me. Some people really believe that their job titles or the amount of money they make means they should be treated better than others. Regardless of your rank or whatever, whenever we are all stripped to our cores, aren't we all the same?
Friday, March 16, 2007
Fast for Thought
Today is my fifth day fasting. It is an interesting experience - almost like meditating. One can be in a seated meditation when thoughts try to work their way in. You have to let them come and go instead of fighting them. As I fast, thoughts of food come and go, but I know continuing to do this will benefit me greatly. I am already half-way through! Just meditation helps to clear the mind, I am looking clear my body of waste and food addictions (I have a wicked sweet tooth). You come out of both more peaceful than when you began.
As I've researched ancient African history, especially Kemet, I've wondered how we can get past the illusion of race. We've all become so divided. The human race is one, but because we've been categorized by races, we have become divided and don't trust one another. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reason for the distrust - fact being distorted by one race to appear more superior than another, genocide/ethnic cleansing, etc. It still goes on today. Eventually though, we need to get past all of this - we need to come together and stop the bullshit (excuse my English). I understand that people are trying protect their traditions, especially the ones stolen from them. I am one of those people who wants learn her history and keep (good) traditions alive. However, we all need to heal. We shouldn't ignore our currently reality; racism, classism, castes, even speciesism exists, but we can change our thinking. We don't have to participate in the ignorance.
As I've researched ancient African history, especially Kemet, I've wondered how we can get past the illusion of race. We've all become so divided. The human race is one, but because we've been categorized by races, we have become divided and don't trust one another. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reason for the distrust - fact being distorted by one race to appear more superior than another, genocide/ethnic cleansing, etc. It still goes on today. Eventually though, we need to get past all of this - we need to come together and stop the bullshit (excuse my English). I understand that people are trying protect their traditions, especially the ones stolen from them. I am one of those people who wants learn her history and keep (good) traditions alive. However, we all need to heal. We shouldn't ignore our currently reality; racism, classism, castes, even speciesism exists, but we can change our thinking. We don't have to participate in the ignorance.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
A Splinter in My Mind
Do you ever get the feeling that something is terribly wrong with the world? I do. I've been getting that feeling for most, if not all of my life.
A lot has gone through my mind this morning. It started with listening to a Sistah Vegan podcast. There was mention of a rehabilitation program for troubled youth that placed the children on a vegan diet for six weeks. The children's grades improved, they were calmer, and less tired. It makes sense to me that a program like that should be funded if it benefits the health and well-being of young people, so why wasn't it? Why is it that our "educated" society is so illogical?
I want talk about education for a minute. When people talk about getting an education, they mean an institutional education. They mean going to place that trains you in particular subjects then gives you a piece of paper that says you know what you've studied. However, that does not mean that you have common sense. It doesn't even know that you know what you've studied. How many people with a high school diploma remember everything from high school? Some people just get through it. Also, where does this education come from? Are we truly learning facts, or are we learning regurgitated BS? Who decided that there were four food groups and the meat and dairy had to be a part of it? Why wasn't TRUE American history taught? Why do some black people believe that our history began with slavery? I have spent a lot my adult life re-learning. I will spend the rest of my life as a student of life. A lot of so-called educated people are just now learning what the "uneducated" have been tell them for years.
Our "educated" society is not smart enough to realize the breast feeding is natural, that testing harmful chemicals on animals is not necessary to know that it will hurt humans (I could go on about that), and that harming our planet harms us all.
A lot has gone through my mind this morning. It started with listening to a Sistah Vegan podcast. There was mention of a rehabilitation program for troubled youth that placed the children on a vegan diet for six weeks. The children's grades improved, they were calmer, and less tired. It makes sense to me that a program like that should be funded if it benefits the health and well-being of young people, so why wasn't it? Why is it that our "educated" society is so illogical?
I want talk about education for a minute. When people talk about getting an education, they mean an institutional education. They mean going to place that trains you in particular subjects then gives you a piece of paper that says you know what you've studied. However, that does not mean that you have common sense. It doesn't even know that you know what you've studied. How many people with a high school diploma remember everything from high school? Some people just get through it. Also, where does this education come from? Are we truly learning facts, or are we learning regurgitated BS? Who decided that there were four food groups and the meat and dairy had to be a part of it? Why wasn't TRUE American history taught? Why do some black people believe that our history began with slavery? I have spent a lot my adult life re-learning. I will spend the rest of my life as a student of life. A lot of so-called educated people are just now learning what the "uneducated" have been tell them for years.
Our "educated" society is not smart enough to realize the breast feeding is natural, that testing harmful chemicals on animals is not necessary to know that it will hurt humans (I could go on about that), and that harming our planet harms us all.
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