Peace In an Unquiet World...

Namaste...

Though the media hoped, postured and I'm sure, salivated at the prospect of lurid riots, burnings, attacks on Hispanics (remember...George Zimmerman is Hispanic, at least half. If memory serves, his mother is from Peru) and even whites (George's dad is white) I'm happy to say that, at least as far as I can tell, they are going to have to sniff for their garbage, elsewhere.

Being of mixed race myself, I am well aware of racial tensions, being profiled, singled out, made fun of harassed, whatever you want to call it, so I speak from experience. I refuse to identify with one race over another (how can you determine which parent or heritage is more important than another? How is that fair to you or them?) and I don't and won't allow "society" to choose a label, stick it on me and be happy with it.

No thanks. So, this is my opinion...and my observations...

I'm very well acquainted with Sanford. I'm originally from Apopka and when I was growing up, Sanford and Apopka had an - almost - dueling banjos rivalry for who was more redneck.

I'm pleased to say that - with the passage of time- each town has progressed into a city. While personally, I'm disappointed with Apopka (too much history either destroyed or trivialized to the point that it no longer has an identity) Sanford, on the other hand, appears to be a lovely area; for both cities now, the ghosts of rednecks past, seemingly laid to rest.

I no longer live in the Orlando area (haven't for almost 20 years) so I wasn't sure how much of the backlash from the Zimmerman trial, we'd feel.

This morning, the husband and myself decided to visit a flea market we don't get to very often. No longer quaint, it's more of a bazaar than a flea market. While I like bazaars, I love flea markets, but we wanted to go.

We stopped for gas and while I shopped for drinks, a young black man (he could have been mixed. Like many people can't do so with me, I too, can't always distinguish which race/what races, someone might be) walked in front of me and uttered a very clear, "Excuse me."

I stood for just a moment...taken aback. I hate to say it...but far too many people are snobbish, cliquish and entitled. Anyway...my point is, "Excuse me," is not something that you readily hear in gas stations, as you certainly don't hear it many other places, either, unless you get out of my immediate area.

When I regained my senses, I looked over at him and said, "Thank you for saying, 'excuse me.' It's nice to hear that. I try to do the same, but most people don't."

He laughed and said, "No, they don't." When he walked back by me, he said, "Take care." I answered with, "You too and you have a good one."

I went out to the bike and passed the young man's well-kept, clean, white truck on my way out. There was a passenger in the vehicle that looked sort of like him and I need glasses, so I smiled and waved. When I got around to the other side of the vehicle, I saw the man I'd actually spoken with in the store, pumping gas. I smiled and waved to him and he waved back.

Then the husband and I began our journey.

We stopped at a red light and standing on the side of the road, was a tall, thin, black man selling copies of the newspaper. I know that can't be an easy job - standing in the boiling sun all day at busy intersections, when we have far too many drivers who don't exercise the proper care...I can't imagine doing such a job, wondering if you're going to get plowed down - and when he turned our way, he held up a newspaper, prominently displaying the front...a picture of George Zimmerman and the huge words, NOT GUILTY in such large print, that sitting one lane over and on the back of a bike, I could see them.

No one was in the turn lane next to us, so I yelled over, "How you doing?"
He answered, "Good, good."
I said, "Us too."
He said, "Out for some fun" 
I said, "We sure are, headed to a flea market to spend money we don't have."
He laughed and said, "Well, ya'll be careful."
I said, "You too and don't work too hard."
He put his hand up in the air, said the actual words, "Ha, ha, ha ha," and laughed

Granted, these were only two black/possibly mixed people, out of all the millions in America and probably the few thousand in my area, but my point is this...and it hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Not all of us care to buy into media hysteria, the "herd" mentality or blindly follow media suggested courses of daily action.

I'm an advocate for peace. I don't sugar coat my words and I WILL tell you like it is, but I (in my old age - ha ha) have changed...A LOT. I have mellowed, I take more care in how I speak to people (though...remember...I'm the type of person you don't want to ask an opinion of if you don't want the truth... because the unvarnished truth is what you'll get!) and I have completely changed my outlook on life...mine and the one around me. I spend a lot of time meditating and doing YoMediChi. My days of loving a good fight, arguing and wanting to "take on" people, have faded into oblivion.

That's not for me any longer, so if you come looking for a fight from me, whether it's visiting a blog of mine and leaving nasty comments, saying nasty things to me in public, whatever, prepare to be disappointed because...I won't play your game. While an online attack MIGHT get you a private response (most of the time, I will ignore you...even if you call me out, publicly) and I may block you after I've said my peace, that's as far as it will go...at least on my end. I don't argue. Have an opinion, great! Express it in a mature way and we can talk. Maybe we'll learn something from each other and grow. Maybe you were wrong about me (I am abrupt...so I don't come off all sweet and light) and maybe we can even be friends.

Come to pick a fight and you'll leave empty-handed.

As I said...I won't play. At my age, I am not in High School any longer...haven't been for 25 years, and have no plans to go back. I no longer have the time (nor will I make it just for anyone who needs attention) nor the energy to devote to such negativity.

The media must be feeling like those who still like to fight, start trouble and cause drama...as I once did. After all their pot-stirring, predictions and fear-mongering, those of us in decent society have decided not to play.

We aren't going to further your hopes of violence, your hopes of continued racial division and your need for more graphic news. As a culture, as a race of humans...as people...we have and will continue to evolve and the lack of aftermath after the George Zimmerman case is proof positive of just how far we have come and how far we can continue to go, if we simply give peace and love, despite color, creed, sexual orientation or any other "labels" that continue to divide us...a chance.

Namaste...