**This is original writing – meaning I did not proof read and say “hmm.. I should take this out just in case someone doesn’t like it”.. Enjoy :)**

 

For those of you that know me, know that when I’m passionate about something – everyone knows it. Everyone knows that I can’t keep quiet when something or someone is unfair, unethical, or inhumane…

Keeping quiet is something I am battling with right now – these past few months honestly. I won’t go too much into detail about what this all entails, but have faith in me that I’m not quiet towards important occurrences and/or situations.. my voice is heard when shits not right – I promise. I’m learning to speak, when it matters.. when my voice will initiate change and hold substance, but most importantly – speaking when people at the table will listen.

Part of my frustration comes from the following: I don’t understand how people are so ignorant, continue to live everyday as if nothing wrong is happening in our backyard, comfortable with tolerance, and the biggest of them all that I can’t wrap my head around – I don’t understand hate.. I can’t.. I’ve tried to sympathize (even empathize) where such heaviness can come from..

These thoughts, frustrations, and feelings keep me up at night thinking of ways to be an advocate. I want to continue to benefit my community and helping in the many small ways.. but I’m ready for shit to pop off and create change in the larger picture.

This is the best time for anyone that still has a conscience, to be alive.

Speak 

How is it that OUR VERY OWN LANGUAGE becomes this way TO NOT HAVE THE CONVERSATION WE NEED SO DESPERATELY. We have all of these labels; republican, democrat, pro-choice, pro-life, feminist, etc, etc, fucking etc., etc. It’s not the labels themselves that is whats wrong – it’s YOU who have these perceived assumptions about WHO I AM just by the labels I affiliate with.

People – without the right narratives, we will continue to make the wrong judgements. This continuation will trickle down to our children, their children, and so on. The right narratives obviously will never happen across the country (especially the USA), but it’s important to start now. When we see something, we have to have the courage to say something. So yes, that means when grandma is acting like a bigot or a racist asshole, you have to put a stop to that. Because who else is sitting at that table? Your siblings? Nieces and nephews? CHILDREN. Start the change at the table – whether thats the kitchen table (if you’re like me, you don’t have that luxury yet aka it’s your couch), your table at work, or the table where you sit across a bunch of ignorant people.

Privilege

Surround yourself with people who are different from you.. no, not different in she wears high heels and I only wear sneaks.. surround yourself with people who don’t look like you, speak like you, practice the same religion as you, just all encompassing – DIFFERENT.

I am a white woman who was born with unearned privileges. Did you even know that there is such a thing as white privilege? If not, you’re ignorant and this is part of the problem we have in America. Educate yourself – it’s important to know, because only then will we be able to have the conversations to move this country forward. I used to be that person who said “I don’t notice color, because everyone is equal in my eyes.”… how naive of me. It was at that moment that I began to educate and expose myself to the harsh realities. We have to see the difference, but people don’t want their “worlds” to be altered or crumbled.. they want to live in their perfect bubble, keeping it sealed.. well this shit is happening whether you’re living it or not. We cannot shelter our children from race, color, or religion.

I hope you took the two minutes to watch that. If you’re like me, you watched it over and over again.

No matter what color you are, you have to face your own biases – we have to walk towards our own discomfort. A lot like knowing the right narratives before judging someone, biases are the stories we make up about people, before we even know who they are… we’re all guilty of it. But, you preach to everyone and yourself that you’re a “good” person, amiright? SCREW THAT.. I’m sick of hearing this.. be REAL PERSON. For fuck sake, Trump said he was a good person.. the only thing he hasn’t been is REAL. So lets step up and be something that our President and his counterparts aren’t being. I have faith in our society that we haven’t lost the art of being human..

Contact 

Coexist yourself people, because it all begins with contact. Expand your social and professional circle; think to yourself whose missing?

How many authentic relationships do you have? It’s okay if not many or none, but start going deeper and closer to those around you – because it’s the empathy and passion that comes from relationships with people who are different from you.. as you continue to delve, you realize that they are just like you.. becoming allies instead of judgmental narrators who title themselves as “good people”.

 

Don’t tolerate the important matters that need an ideological voice. Don’t tolerate half ass responses to your “why?”. Don’t tolerate the response of “our country has made progress” – because we are nowhere done. Don’t fall for intolerance – because thats how Trump became President of the United States. Lets move beyond tolerance by being smart, tactful, passionate, and ambiguous.

 

Carry on – but do so in a way that’ll make history.

Amanda

xx