Here are some things I’ve read this week that made me think, and I’ve added a few of those thoughts below each.
In many of the incidents of violence against people of color by police that we read about, I hear a lot of, “Well, he shouldn’t have been…” and “Didn’t she know better than to…” And I almost never agree with these, because for every “If only he/she had…” there are endless accounts of white people who didn’t do those things and didn’t end up dead. In this case in particular, a woman was killed for sleeping in her own home while Black. And still nothing has been done toward justice for her.
It is madness to me that one of the simplest ways of protecting ourselves and others has been politicized. Wearing a mask is “uncomfortable?” I challenge anyone to think of times they’ve been physically uncomfortable by choice and no one really benefitted. For example, that time you sat in a football stadium for hours in the freezing cold to watch a ballgame. Wearing a mask curtails your freedom and it’s wrong to mandate it? Do y’all know how tired I get of red lights? Should I be hindered as a driver by laws just so I don’t kill anyone by running a light? I could come up with these examples all day…
By all means, please do meditate and do yoga! It’s self-care and we all need it. Especially when we allow ourselves to grow, to feel uncomfortable, to do the hard work of living a just and honest life. It’s challenging to grow and change, but ultimately, stretching your heart and soul and mind are as important as the comfort and growth found in stillness.
You know I believe in education, but I also believe that children are resilient and learn so many things in so many different ways. We are in an extraordinary time and one thing I know about humans is that we find solutions. Parents and teachers, to use a couple of song titles: Help one another in finding creative ways to teach your children well. The kids are all right. Even when they go back to school, things may never be the “same.” As a larger community, it will be more important than ever to support educators and students.
Coming back to the case of Breonna Taylor and the two different worlds we live in… I can’t say more than what the original post points out.
