It starts ever so innocently, when you mother tells you not to talk to strangers. But, as you grow older, you begin to decide if you will allow your world to become shaped by the beliefs of everyone around you, or, if you will venture out and form you own.
There’s this myth that what has been done before, is the only way to do things, that the beliefs of those before us are “right”, simply because it is how things have always been done. Right now, somewhere, countless children are being taught either outright, or subtly that people who do not look like, or think like them are somehow not as good, or as intelligent, or as entitled to life as much as they, that the stranger they weren’t allowed to speak to, is somehow not human, and therefore does not deserve to be treated as such.
Whether you want to call the prejudice, racism, sexism, ageism, religious dogma, or anything else; any belief system that separates humans from recognizing the human in one another, has division at its roots. Period. The reason for this is simple: control. The most effect way to keep people divided is to teach them that because they are not like you, you must fear them. You must fear they will hunt, hurt, or try an destroy you. And, it is the job of the parent, community, church, or government to protect you from these inhumane strangers that want to harm you. Thus, you must abide by the rules of your protectors, so that they will continue to protect you from these alien beings that are now considered your enemies. One seed of fear, grows a forest of confusion and terror, that feeds on itself.
But, what if, they were all wrong? What if the definition of human goes beyond whom you pray to, what they look like, and whom they call their romantic partner? What then? How do you justify the hording of food, while others die of starvation? How do you justify the hording of money while others die of poverty? How do you justify killing in the name of God, when others protest peacefully praying to their version of God? And, how do those protectors benefit, or, suffer from your views of the other humans outside of you? And, where does it end? Is there an end? Is peace possible, when the myriad of enemies seem to only grow more in number? Or, is it that the humans we do not care to call such–is it that they are growing as they attempt to do the same thing as you–have a life worth living?
Land: its something that we as humans, have deluded ourselves into thinking that we can truly own. Yet, land, is immortal. It was here before us, it will be so afterward. The world has been carved up into little pieces that range from property to countries. What was once held sacred to some, now becomes the factory to others, while the natives starve. Land that once fed villages, feeds nations, while the villagers live on next to nothing. What once was grown from necessity, is now manipulated, pumped with inorganic chemicals to be grown for profit. And, yet, we say we have a food shortage. Really?? Hmm…
Water: A mysterious world in which life beyond our knowing dwells deep. 80% of our physical bodies is made of this miraculous combination of hydrogen and oxygen. And, again, we think we can own it. Fishing used to be for feeding some. Now…its now not only for feeding, but, for sport. The ocean once used for travel, gets violated over and over for what it can do for the profit margin of humans. And, when the water is poisoned, what does that mean for those customers–the customers made of 80% water? The customers, who must maintain a certain intake of water in order to live?
Air: Human life cannot exist without it. Breathing was something we all took for granted, prior to the increase of pollution. And, now, breathing without asthma, or allergies, or radiation are experiences some of us can no longer fathom. Now, we have our protectors there to tell us, how much poison in the air, is just under enough to murder us with each inhale. But, at least, they keep our “enemies” away from us. So, it’s okay, that we no longer breathe so well. Right? Is it? Is it okay?
Fire: One of our greatest discoveries. An element so beautiful to behold. It made food easier to digest without spreading virus or disease. It made it easier for us to keep warm, build homes, create art and bowls from which we could eat, carry our water. And, then…it was decided that somehow this beautiful element was needed to create weapons. Sure, weapons are needed when you have “enemies”, right? Forest must be burned with all the innocent animal lives in it, so that you can create a farm for profit, because…hello…the world starves? Or…does it? Those whose main intent is profit, rather than people, do not seem to thinks so–yet, those who are unaware of the assault on their very selves, are living that reality.
Today, living in a metropolis, I witness the consistent abuse of what it means to be human. Whether its someone is such a rush to catch a train, that they can justify pushing, shoving, stomping or leaning on other people; To some so inconsiderate of others, that they can justify slowing down the entire world, because they gave birth to one child, that must be pushed in the largest stroller known to man. But, it’s okay, because that’s “those people”, and “they don’t know me, and I don’t know them.” Sad, isn’t it?
It’s amazing that in all the spreading and perpetuation of fear, a mother of one country at war, doesn’t recognize that a mother of her enemy may also lose a child, or husband in war. And, somehow one mother has lost the ability to have compassion for another mother’s loss, as they claim to be the victim of violence. How can we deal in death and vengeance, when, while we are equipped to bring forth physical form, we cannot give it the divine spark? In all our brilliance, there are somethings that are still beyond our capacity–creating life is one of them. Thus, why do we allow ourselves to be so easily shepparded into having so little regard for it in one another, and the living world around us at all times?
Consciousness…it asks you to consider, to feel, to reevaluate, to relate and then finally act, in the best interest, of not just yourself, but, everyone around you, because in the essense of consciousness, no one is a stranger, no one is beneath you, and no one is entitled to more than rest. If there is to be peace–this is the reality that we must choose to create–the reality we must choose to teach our children, the reality that we must live.
Love Peace Happiness N One,
Monica
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