“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong directions; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” ~ J.K. Rowling
“This is your life. You are responsible for it. You will not live forever. Don’t wait.” ~ Natalie Goldberg
Do you remember that time when you realized that the hurtful situation that you blamed on someone else, was either partly, or all your fault? Remember that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach? You knew you had to take responsibility for it and when you did, you grew up a little bit more. The process wasn’t easy but it was worth it.
I think that individuals are not the only ones who go through this kind of situation, groups, corporations, nations, and humanity as a whole go through it. I think we’re going through a time like that right now. Humanity as a whole is having to face up to some really hard truths. We can be cruel beyond belief. Sometimes we turn away and fail to do something for someone in need. We don’t want to share what we have with others. We don’t want change.
Barry and I finished watching the latest Ken Burns documentary series, The U.S. and the Holocaust last night. And even though I wasn’t alive during the Second World War, I’m feeling that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. The problem of discounting a whole group of people has not gone away. We’re still dealing with it. We still have that us and them mentality because we’re so afraid. I can’t really understand what we’re afraid of? To me, people are people. We may worship differently, or speak different languages, have different customs, but we all want the same things. We want to be heard and understood, we want to be loved and appreciated for who we are. Ken Burns told Stephen Colbert he hoped people understood after watching this documentary, that “We are one human race,” He’s right. I love what Morgan Freeman’s character says in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. An English child asks him, “Did God paint you?” To which Freeman replies, “For sure, because Allah loves infinite variety.”
I’m asking myself hard questions, why don’t we love infinite variety? Why do white people think they are superior to other “races”? What makes us think we have more of God’s favor? What makes us so hard hearted?
I know, not all white people are hard hearted, not all people of color are blameless. But I just wonder what makes us want to hurt others and what can I do to help us grow up and accept each other as wondrous beings? I’m not sure what I can do. But I’m going to continue to “Sit with the question,” as Owen Wilson’s character says in Marry Me, “until I get an answer.”
Maybe Story-Power, this blog, and the course I’m creating about using stories as a personal growth tool, are part of the answer. I certainly hope humanity is waking up. I hope we’re letting go of fear and becoming more open minded and open hearted. I guess we’ll see.
I hope things are going well in your world. Welcome to my new followers. Please feel free to make a comment or a like.
Blessings,
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2022
The Space Between Time
Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.
Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.
The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version is published.
Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.
Patreon
I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast and Patreon communities so I’d have an excuse to talk story. You may have seen my Story-Power posts here. If you’re passionate about stories too, and want to talk about your favorite stories, come join me at either SageWoman.life, or patreon.com/StoryPower.
PodMatch
If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.
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