Tim, 26, Rocky Mountains, USA
Let me start by quoting Brazilian author Paulo Coelho who wrote, "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path." Think about that while you read this.
I design outdoor recreation and education programs for youth of low-income families who live in public housing in a small, yet elitist town. Despite being populated by thousands of professional climbers, bikers, runners, triathlets, etc., there are still plenty of low-income families who are predominantly Latino. While with a group of my kids at a local outdoor pool, I overheard a woman say, "WOW, I all of a sudden feel like I am in San Diego!" Clearly a reference to skin that was of darker color than hers, and the fact that San Diego has many residing Mexicans. I was pretty irritated (to be understated) and not sure how to physically react becuase my brain was all of a sudden stumbling over numerous thoughts and questions... "Who is this woman." "How could she say that." "What mader her think she could say that in public in front of 15 Latino kids." "What a whore." So, my immediate reaction was to address her with, "Oh, really, I love San Diego!" She says, "That's NOT what I meant." I say, "Well, what did you mean? She then realizes her political incorrectness (actually rude and malicious), retracts her statements and asks who we are and what type of program it is. I explained it to her and she was all of a sudden very receptive and became "so grateful" for what we do. Unreal.
I realized that I have no idea who this woman is, her life/previous experiences, ideals, values...whatever. This leads to the purpose of this narrative... Judging others is a very naive, pathetic trait. This woman may have had a negative experience in San Diego with a person of hispanic heritage (or at least dark skin). Mexican, Spanish, Bolivian, Agentinian, who knows, but she judged a whole group of young children based on their skin color. She labeled a collection of innocent children unworthy of sharing the same swimming pool as her own children. Some things to consider: Why do we judge others? How does race, religion, ethnicity, hair color, etc. make us so much different than others? Why do we, as Americans, think we are more important than any other human, flora or fauna? I stared with a quote, so I will end with one... "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." - Maya Angelou
Let me start by quoting Brazilian author Paulo Coelho who wrote, "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path." Think about that while you read this.
I design outdoor recreation and education programs for youth of low-income families who live in public housing in a small, yet elitist town. Despite being populated by thousands of professional climbers, bikers, runners, triathlets, etc., there are still plenty of low-income families who are predominantly Latino. While with a group of my kids at a local outdoor pool, I overheard a woman say, "WOW, I all of a sudden feel like I am in San Diego!" Clearly a reference to skin that was of darker color than hers, and the fact that San Diego has many residing Mexicans. I was pretty irritated (to be understated) and not sure how to physically react becuase my brain was all of a sudden stumbling over numerous thoughts and questions... "Who is this woman." "How could she say that." "What mader her think she could say that in public in front of 15 Latino kids." "What a whore." So, my immediate reaction was to address her with, "Oh, really, I love San Diego!" She says, "That's NOT what I meant." I say, "Well, what did you mean? She then realizes her political incorrectness (actually rude and malicious), retracts her statements and asks who we are and what type of program it is. I explained it to her and she was all of a sudden very receptive and became "so grateful" for what we do. Unreal.
I realized that I have no idea who this woman is, her life/previous experiences, ideals, values...whatever. This leads to the purpose of this narrative... Judging others is a very naive, pathetic trait. This woman may have had a negative experience in San Diego with a person of hispanic heritage (or at least dark skin). Mexican, Spanish, Bolivian, Agentinian, who knows, but she judged a whole group of young children based on their skin color. She labeled a collection of innocent children unworthy of sharing the same swimming pool as her own children. Some things to consider: Why do we judge others? How does race, religion, ethnicity, hair color, etc. make us so much different than others? Why do we, as Americans, think we are more important than any other human, flora or fauna? I stared with a quote, so I will end with one... "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." - Maya Angelou
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