Filed under: personal
“I’ve been busy” that’s been a common phrase for me for a while. What a terrible cliché and excuse. You should never be too busy to blog… or whatever it is you aren’t doing… Life is just so full of so much to keep us busy!! Who is creating all this stuff for us to do?? My list of things I need to do is a constant stream that seems to be cresting, but… there’s plenty of time for it all. Sometimes it takes us a bit longer than we would hope – so I guess that’s why it’s about the journey NOT the destination. At least that’s what someone wiser than my-self said.
Recently my journey has taken me in a southwestwardly direction. Back to where it all began over 30 years ago. The Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix is a bright and beautiful spot in the middle of the Sonoran desert. My return coincides with the heat of the summer and the heat of an important issue for people here and around the globe. The issue of undocumented citizens.
Today more than ever I believe the success of human kind will hinge on people finding a middle ground with each other when our views or cultures don’t necessarily match up. The question or should I say the goal is accomplishing that middle ground. In the little bit I’ve learned so far I think both people or sides need to back off some. Backing off gives us the opportunity to step back and take in the view. Which in most cases give us a chance to look at a different perspective. Think of it like this: You want to take a picture of a very wide and very tall building. You’re right up next to it and you’re set to snap the shot but as you look through the viewfinder all you can see is a small limited perspective of the building. Hmmmmm… In theory this photo was going to be great!! But now that I’m standing next to the building it’s not doing justice to my vision. If you back off some and stand across the yard or even across the street now you’re able to see the whole building through the viewfinder and viola, you see the big picture. Pun intended. I attended a boycott today in order to get some footage for a documentary I’m working on. There were hundreds of Hispanic people lining the sidewalk chanting phrases of unity and belonging proudly waving their American flags (LISTEN Click Here). One man walks through all the demonstrators yelling at them saying, “This is my street, this is my America, you don’t belong!!!” A news cameraman said to me, “There’s a happy guy”. Obviously a sarcastic remark I just laughed and gave a nod. I said, “He definitely has some balls, you wouldn’t catch me doing something like that.” And then it hit me. Of course I wouldn’t be doing something like that because of the person that I am. So why am I this way and he’s that way and how do we come to a middle ground? I came close to approaching him twice to get his viewpoint on camera and just to try to understand a little better where he was coming from. I didn’t however, I kept my distance which is what he seemed to want as he bulldozed up and down the line of demonstrators. He moved so quickly you could barley put together a sentence from what he was yelling. It’s my opinion this isn’t a great way to make your point. Now like I said I wouldn’t be out there doing what he was doing – I would be much more likely to take up a spot and shout with the people who are standing up for something they believe in. What is it they believe in? It seems to me they believe in our country. The United States of America. They believe in our country so much they go to incredible lengths to have a chance to “live the dream”. If I could narrow it down to one reason why I’m glad to be living in the United States that little story above illustrates why. We all have the option to choose where we stand and furthermore we can shout our position for everyone to hear no matter what it is or who can hear it. This is a freedom we all have here whether you are “legal” or “illegal” you can make yourself heard. Next step: find middle ground. Oh and by the way my forwarding address is Phoenix, AZ. The beautiful, sometimes hot Sonoran desert. CRB
www.thepeopleproject.org (still under construction … but it’s coming soon)
