Emotions, Diversity and New Beginnings

I tried six times this morning to write this blog. After many years of a daily blog, I rarely have problems writing something down, but I'm really trying to not post political/situational posts all of the time, especially these days. Things are so fraught with emotions for everyone right now, I'm trying to stay away from the worst of it. We're all getting bombarded from all sides on the events of the past days. It's been less than two weeks since the death of George Floyd, and it has taken over the thoughts of a world. It's quite amazing how quickly the spark caught fire. The tinder must have been extremely dry. 

Sometimes just a single spark can cause a flame if the tinder
is dry enough. American's history is a lot of spoken promises
that often take decades before fulfillment. It's time for some
more promises to be kept. 

And it was. The tinder has been drying for decades as people of color strove to find acceptance in a society that seems to reward the pale skin of Scarlett O'Hara while turning their backs on the wonderful range of people we have in this nation. It's been a wake-up call in the middle of a pandemic, demonstrations carried out with social distancing and protesters wearing masks - not to hide their identities, but for personal protection against a killing virus that doesn't care about racial identities. 

I have been reassured by the large variety of races in the various
protest marches. I'm also heartened that most of those protesting
are young enough to actually make a difference in the futures of
their peers. I love the diversity, and hope this stance can be
continued into the future. 

A lot of people have jumped onto the bandwagon this time, and I'm really hoping they'll stick with their glib words and phrases, and that true change for the better might come about through the tragedy of the death of a single black man on the streets of Minneapolis. Every shiver that has been taken over the decades has resulted in lasting change, but it's always seemed as it if was not enough. Jobs were created, but there weren't enough jobs and opportunities to advance in a good career. Banking opened their doors, but it's hard to take advantage of such things if you're living from paycheck to paycheck. Where were those opportunities? 

We all need the opportunity for another chance because we still haven't
managed to get everything right. I'm not sure we are capable of that, to
be quite honest.

I loved this image. If you like it too, it is
available on Etsy and designed by DoodleStation. 

We've got another chance now, and maybe we won't mess things up again. It would be really nice to look down any suburban street to see a variety of guys out (and some gals too, of course) with their lawnmowers on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It would be wonderful to glance down the line at any pick-up restaurant and see a variety of skin colors and hear a variety of accents. That's the American Dream - those huddled masses yearning to break free. That's my American Dream, and I'm hoping in the last few decades of my life, that maybe, this time, the dream can be achieved and all people will be welcomed based on their abilities, talents and skills, not the color of their skin or eyes. Have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow.