May We Do What We Each Need to Do
Originally, I had a different topic in mind for May, but that can wait, because now is a time for self reflection and the role we want to play in creating a better world.
In response to the ongoing brutal taking of black lives, awareness is not only increasing, individuals and businesses are speaking up for the first time and more action is being taken to strive to create the change that is needed. I believe whole heartedly that we all have a part to play, that we need to do our part and take action, and that change will come about by us coming together vs. separating further in an ‘us against them’ mentality.
I shared my story in the following post on my social media account on Friday, May 30:
Pacifist-a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable; using peaceful means rather than force, especially to bring about political or social change.
Passivist-the state or quality of being inactive, of not participating.
I’ve spent the last few days in reflection, taking care of my mental and emotional health, and praying for the world and our nation. It’s become a life long practice that I’ve had to amp up within the past 5 years, so I’m good at it now…that and balancing it with being aware of what’s going on, and taking action.
So here’s spiel Friends: I am a half hispanic, half black woman married to a white male, living in a state where Minorities are the Majority, and I spent nearly the first half of my life, my formative years, living on a Native American reservation, where my parents served the community through teaching and coaching. I have friends of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual preferences, gender identities, food preferences/intolerances/allergies and backgrounds. My world is pretty damn colorful, diverse, fun and abundant. I am the second generation in my family to attend college and have earned my doctorate degree and was one of eight students nation wide who was awarded the American Physical Therapy Association Minority Student award upon graduating. I graduated top ten in my high school class, was one of three black students in my high school class, was nominated and won the title of ‘Prom Queen’ and achieved summa cum laude for my undergraduate degree. Trust me when I say I am an empowered human being. I was raised to never see myself as a victim or oppressed, but my parents did teach me that I already had 2 strikes against me in society: that I was black and that I was a female, and to always be aware of my surroundings, and never put myself in a risky situations.
They taught me that life can change in a second.
So throughout my life, I’ve strived, strived, strived. And that served me yes, but it’s only be recently that I’ve detached that striving from my worth as a human being.
No matter the accomplishments, I deserve to be treated as a human, with love, compassion, and kindness, in all my interactions, regardless of who they are with. We all do.
Despite all the above, my friends, it was only 2 weeks ago that I was at work, at one of our hospital’s ERs, where a patient yelled “Black Bitch” to me from a distance because he was angry that he was in the wrong spot for his appointment, and I gave him directions on where to go. That’s all that happened to elicit this response.
A few coworkers who were nearby stepped in.
Every single time I have a physical therapy eval set up and I enter the room and see it’s an older white male, I have to quickly gauge what this person may think of me based on the color of my skin and being a female. This isn’t being paranoid, my friends, this is an automatic survival response.
I love who I am, I love all my family and friends, I love this nation,
and I love the world.
I’d never choose to be anyone different, even if I had the choice.
I acknowledge the privilege I have within my own life, and know the responsibility I have to help others, and I do.
So if you’re looking for a way to help, not sure what to do, or want to understand more, please reach out and know that I am here and open to talk.
We don’t understand what others go through until we communicate, and change doesn’t happen unless we take action. So please, choose to do something.
