if i'd been reacting in an age-appropriate manner to destruction all my life, maybe i'd know how to feel now.
if i'd been honest voicing my frustration with destruction all my life, maybe i'd know how to speak now.
but maybe i can learn. but maybe i don't have to.
i can only feel what rocks my boat. i can only speak of what i know. i know corruption. i know injustice. i know tears. i know frustration. but when they come packaged in a wrapping i've never seen, i'm silent.
katrina is a foreign wrapping. i look at her and have minimal emotions. but i look at what she's unearthed and i stare as a million thoughts run without order through my veins, the thoughts that have kept my blood running, have kept my hands writing.
why must it take us so long to love each other? why do we choose to fight instead of to love?
Sunday, September 4
Friday, September 2
katrina = reality check
we're americans and we're used to winning -- lou dobbs
sorry lou; that's probably why you're losing now.
i don't mean to sound flippant regarding what's been going down down south but man, it's hard. and all this discussion about who's at fault, who was slow, who has been inefficient, etc., isn't getting anything done except adding to the hot air supply. let's deal with the "who" later, when everyone's been adequately housed and fed. and even though i'd love to slam the president, i'd rather talk about this:
readiness. if a hurricane can be tracked and categorized before it hits and yet thousands are left, due to their poverty (and/or race), to suffer and die, how prepared are we for anything? and who are we most willing to service, to love? when will we decide that spending billions on actual people we can find is more important than spending on a man we can't? what drives our priorities?
and yes, part of this is racial. now listen. how relief efforts work right now may not be racial. BUT. how long has new orleans had such a high rate of poverty among it's african american population? and how much of a desire has the local to federal government had to change that all these years? and how much of that desire has been funded and actualized .......................................... yeah, that's what i thought. not good enough. so now, when all these black folks can't afford to leave home, it's racial. suffering has to begin somewhere. we'd rather go to africa and teach women and children how to read, than educate black folks. yes. it's the truth. and yes, we all reach an age of accountability and should be held accountable for every wrong action we commit to, but when we can't drive black, can't shop black, can't eat black, can't go to a decent school (though no child should be left behind), can't date anyone we like, can't get recognition unless we sing, dance or dunk, can't live anywhere we like, can't, can't, can't...how can we be expected to pack our bags, hop in our toyota and head to higher ground?
step by step. that's often how things grow. that's often how things are torn apart.
am i ready to die? do i have the knowledge and have i lived a godly life that will permit me a quick and safe trip out of this mess one day? and what about others? have i payed them enough active attention to help them leave? will they be ready? yeah, this is a sign of the time and no, we don't have much time.
if i have one, i'm going to name my daughter Katrina. it actually means "pure" but (to me) it now means "reality check" -- my child will walk around with her head high making sure folks know what's what. she'll have a presence that's unprecedented. she'll shake up the status quo causing all sorts of disasters and she'll do it all in the name of love. and in a way, that's the purest thing i know.
sorry lou; that's probably why you're losing now.
i don't mean to sound flippant regarding what's been going down down south but man, it's hard. and all this discussion about who's at fault, who was slow, who has been inefficient, etc., isn't getting anything done except adding to the hot air supply. let's deal with the "who" later, when everyone's been adequately housed and fed. and even though i'd love to slam the president, i'd rather talk about this:
readiness. if a hurricane can be tracked and categorized before it hits and yet thousands are left, due to their poverty (and/or race), to suffer and die, how prepared are we for anything? and who are we most willing to service, to love? when will we decide that spending billions on actual people we can find is more important than spending on a man we can't? what drives our priorities?
and yes, part of this is racial. now listen. how relief efforts work right now may not be racial. BUT. how long has new orleans had such a high rate of poverty among it's african american population? and how much of a desire has the local to federal government had to change that all these years? and how much of that desire has been funded and actualized .......................................... yeah, that's what i thought. not good enough. so now, when all these black folks can't afford to leave home, it's racial. suffering has to begin somewhere. we'd rather go to africa and teach women and children how to read, than educate black folks. yes. it's the truth. and yes, we all reach an age of accountability and should be held accountable for every wrong action we commit to, but when we can't drive black, can't shop black, can't eat black, can't go to a decent school (though no child should be left behind), can't date anyone we like, can't get recognition unless we sing, dance or dunk, can't live anywhere we like, can't, can't, can't...how can we be expected to pack our bags, hop in our toyota and head to higher ground?
step by step. that's often how things grow. that's often how things are torn apart.
am i ready to die? do i have the knowledge and have i lived a godly life that will permit me a quick and safe trip out of this mess one day? and what about others? have i payed them enough active attention to help them leave? will they be ready? yeah, this is a sign of the time and no, we don't have much time.
if i have one, i'm going to name my daughter Katrina. it actually means "pure" but (to me) it now means "reality check" -- my child will walk around with her head high making sure folks know what's what. she'll have a presence that's unprecedented. she'll shake up the status quo causing all sorts of disasters and she'll do it all in the name of love. and in a way, that's the purest thing i know.
what can i say
deeply saddened?
outraged?
grieved?
at a loss for words?
no, honestly, it's hard for me to use any of those when i think about my gut reaction to what's going down in Louisiana.
are you serious?
yes. i've said it before and i'll say it again. it's hard for me to think about a bad situation that isn't affecting me personally, and get very emotional about it. it's not how i react naturally. and it may be the result of years of not reacting to a lot of things. i'm sure i can find a way to blame it on my childhood. but that's not quite what i'm about.
you see, i'm one of those people who, while fully aware that a situation stinks (to say the least), more often than not will say, this is just another sign of the mess we're in and how much closer we are to getting out. i consider myself an optimistic realist. that's up for debate perhaps but instead of pondering the awful nature of life, i'd rather look at the big picture and concoct a way to make things better. no, i don't want to send money to relief efforts. i don't even have money to send. and as far as i'm concerned, Oprah, Bill G, Donald, and a few others need to open their banks along side the U.S. government and there will be enough money. Bush II needs to feed the people by any means necessary, etc, etc.
yes, my role has nothing to do with money. it has everything to do with where i am. the context for my work has nothing to do with Louisiana though my prayers should have everything to do with Louisiana. my context is Lacombe, Alberta (Canada) where thousands of people may not have the understanding of God they should have. and where hundreds aren't getting the kind of food they need. and others aren't getting the kind of clean entertainment they should be. some know nothing of contentment or grace. others have skewed notions of love, etc, etc.
this is where my eyes look, my strength goes. i'm not here to save...i don't have that kind of power. i'm here to use what God's given me every single day.
outraged?
grieved?
at a loss for words?
no, honestly, it's hard for me to use any of those when i think about my gut reaction to what's going down in Louisiana.
are you serious?
yes. i've said it before and i'll say it again. it's hard for me to think about a bad situation that isn't affecting me personally, and get very emotional about it. it's not how i react naturally. and it may be the result of years of not reacting to a lot of things. i'm sure i can find a way to blame it on my childhood. but that's not quite what i'm about.
you see, i'm one of those people who, while fully aware that a situation stinks (to say the least), more often than not will say, this is just another sign of the mess we're in and how much closer we are to getting out. i consider myself an optimistic realist. that's up for debate perhaps but instead of pondering the awful nature of life, i'd rather look at the big picture and concoct a way to make things better. no, i don't want to send money to relief efforts. i don't even have money to send. and as far as i'm concerned, Oprah, Bill G, Donald, and a few others need to open their banks along side the U.S. government and there will be enough money. Bush II needs to feed the people by any means necessary, etc, etc.
yes, my role has nothing to do with money. it has everything to do with where i am. the context for my work has nothing to do with Louisiana though my prayers should have everything to do with Louisiana. my context is Lacombe, Alberta (Canada) where thousands of people may not have the understanding of God they should have. and where hundreds aren't getting the kind of food they need. and others aren't getting the kind of clean entertainment they should be. some know nothing of contentment or grace. others have skewed notions of love, etc, etc.
this is where my eyes look, my strength goes. i'm not here to save...i don't have that kind of power. i'm here to use what God's given me every single day.
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