Finding a positive…

For almost three years, I have been strongly and adamantly searching for positives from negative situations. Sometimes, it takes hours. Sometimes, it takes days. This time, weeks.

Several months ago, we were hit with a pandemic. A corona virus my son would have nicknamed the “beer flu.” At first, when they closed schools, I thought ‘knee jerk’ reaction. Then, things started seeming more and more serious. I thought to myself, maybe it wasn’t a knee jerk reaction. Granted, I am probably not considered someone of high risk. As days, weeks, and months went on and restrictions were mandated months after the onset, I am back to knee jerk. Putting on a mask three months after the virus started seemed like going on birth control when you were three months pregnant.

Then, the chaos started after a man was killed by a police officer during an arrest. The world came unglued. In many ways, I totally understand the uproar. Police brutality in this situation. Unnecessary force by all accounts. It was a white cop and a black man. This has been seen before and that has to stop. This does not mean all cops are bad either, just as all blacks are not bad!The protests were done, and for many, were done peacefully. But, then there were riots. The riots that followed instilled a lot of fear in a lot of people and took away from the point at hand. How did looting a store and hurting, if not killing the owner, prove this ‘cause’?

I have described situations as a ‘cause’ or a ‘bandwagon.’ A cause is something that will benefit a lot of people. A bandwagon is something people jump on without thinking or knowing what outcome will happen and not thinking of the cause and effect of their actions will have. For the above situations, it involved both.

I have always tried to be a peacemaker in situations. I have never looked at anyone for the color of their skin. Yet, during all this, I have been accused of being unsympathetic to the virus; instigating hatred from a shared Facebook post, and called on about what was thought to be a white supremacy attitude. That’s a lot to take in for a peacemaker! Hard to spin the positive, but I am going to try.

First off, I cannot apologize for the color of my skin. I was born that way. My point was not the color, but that we all bleed red. Personally, I think everyone should embrace their heritage!! I also believe we should all be treated with kindness and respect until we are faced with a reason not to, such as someone endangering you. The thought or implication of danger due to the color of their skin is not ok!! Second, I am sympathetic to those who have contracted this illness and suffered or died. I just happen to not be afraid of it. I have been out and about and have not tried to make anyone uncomfortable. I also sat in a salon chair with no one around knowing it was part of the non-essential businesses and then went to the grocery store that was packed and wondered how a grocery store was safer. To follow up with instigating anger, my only comment to what I shared was how it resembled a movie! Now, I ask you, where was the original problem in any of this and why did I have to defend myself or my actions? We all have actions, but lately every move is viewed as “with” or “against” a situation! So why did I feel the need to clarify? Because I am a peacemaker!

Now, to find the positive in any of this… one thing I am grateful for now is my son is not alive to witness this. He would have gone full redneck on society and I would not have been able to contain him! I imagine he would have done a ‘Tony Stark’ and given out his address to have them come to him! He also wanted what was right, but did not like feeling like his liberties were at risk. Strange way to come up with a positive, but there you go.

There are many more positives here. I have learned a lot about politics, the law, the human race, and survival. I learned I have a voice and I might make a difference, though however small it is. I have found compassion still exists!! A positive I do not want to overlook is that I have never seen myself through the eyes of someone else, and for whatever I do going forward, I can now visualize that perception. I hope it is always positive from their side and mine!!

From this point forward, take nothing for granted and live! Follow ten simple rules and all will be good! For those that need reminded of those ten rules, open a Bible!! They are in there! I pray God continues to watch over all of us, even though there are many times I feel I have failed Him! He is a forgiving God! I pray peace is found soon and will continue to seek the positives!

Peace be with all of you in these trying times!!

#peaceandjustice #stopthehate #thedashinthemiddle