A simple shift has turned America upside-down and pitted Americans against one another. We have somehow lost sight of the opportunities of abundance, replacing them with the fears of scarcity. Our political arena has stopped hosting democratic and intelligent debates and has been taken over by greed, exclusion, and tyranny. Give and take on matters of policy is a workable problem; it is completely unacceptable in matters of human decency, environmental protection, and manipulation of information.
We are experiencing a collision of ideals resulting in We the People against Me the Person.
We are aiming to become what early Americans came here to break away from in the first place. Suddenly, we have no room for immigrants, no openness to world religions, no unconditional kindness for our fellows regardless of gender, sexual preference, race, or any other quality we choose to pick on. What is it that we are so afraid to lose that we are willing to stomp on anyone we can make an enemy of in order to get? When will we ever truly coexist without demanding that our way is the one and only right way?
In my deepest hopes for the future of our country I pray that this is merely a wave a resistance to the greater growth of love and inclusion that have marked the nearly four decades of my life on this planet. As witnessed in the sheer turnout of the Women’s Marches across the globe and considering the many more who were there in spirit, I know that we must continue to foster solidarity in the We, lest we divide into Me’s ourselves.
If this is your aim, have heart. Take time for breaths and giggles between clobbers of bad news. Realize that we can’t all be on the frontline of every battle in this struggle. Keep yourself energized for the causes that you are most prepared to undertake, and realize that in our numbers we will have coverage for the areas you can’t quite participate in or donate to. We must remain United.
There will be a time when some of those feeding the scarcity will collapse back into the We, when suddenly they will find themselves outside the bubble of exclusivity in which they once felt a member. There will be an issue that takes it too far, or a lack of return on their emotional investment, and they will be forced to reevaluate their positions. Perhaps having their own experiences of discrimination will expand their empathy for those who have suffered more than they could ever know. Let these folks in. Seize this opportunity to show your goodness and make an impression so lasting that they will never look back. Some will cling on until the death, but others will have not completely lost their ability to grow, and may need help returning to it.
It is time to stop thinking about looking out for number one, and realizing that there is no number one. We number many.
If it takes feeling superior to someone else to give yourself a (false) sense of self-worth, then ask yourself what’s really missing there. Find compassion for those who were dealt a very different hand in life than you were. Seek beyond the confines of all you’ve ever known to exercise your curiosity with an open mind and an open heart. Speak up when you know someone else is being wronged, even if it’s regarding a trait or matter that will never apply to you. There is where you will find your connection to the We.