Thursday, July 17, 2008

Living in a world of change can be painful.

On a recent favorite talk show of mine, it was lovely to see ladies hashing out a discussion about what racial terms mean in different contexts; it led to a very moving moment between two women of different races and ages, one young, white, and with athletic appeal; the other, black, older, heavier, and worked all her life to get to where she is now as a famous actress.

What could look like a divide between one generation and another, one race and another, is truly a mark of the transition we are in as a country and as people of the earth when these folks get together around a table and talk (or argue). In this case, the younger one melted when confronted about the "different world" she lives in compared with that of the older one.

Words are like vehicles, imbued with the style and meaning of the driver. If it's road rage or resentment that is being felt or expressed, make no mistake that it was actually meant as a term of endearment.Then there is the case of say one thing, but really do another, turning the meaning into an unconscious statement. For instance, my friends and I say we aren't prejudice, but how many of us have companions or friends of different color? Everywhere I've lived, except New York of course, it's been a hard fact of waking up and realizing that I could count the number of black people I saw that day on my hand.

There's no doubt the world needs the idealism of the younger woman, as a dose of hope for the future. On the other hand, as the older one pointed out, one needs to acknowledge the past and the present, make it conscious, so we can better understand each other now and know what it is we are trying to forgive.