It Is Harder Then I Thought

It is harder then I thought to have an opinion about something that is not mainstream. Well, honestly, in terms of a subject White Privilege is mainstream, you would think it would be at least. It is important enough to be. I hear people talk about it. I have been part of conversations - heck, many conversations - where it is talked about. Maybe they don't say "white privilege this" or "white privilege that", but I do hear people talking about things that occur that are exactly "this" and "that" - they just haven't given it the Title of White Privilege.

Kinda like this picture. It is there - but the person who has it (me) doesn't really want to bring it out in the open. Why not bring this picture out in the open? Well..........because it ain't the greatest. Kinda downright dorky really. Very few pictures of oneself - taken by oneself is attractive. At least when held at arms length. Can you see the metaphor? I didn't. Weird - I knew that this was the picture to go with this post - and I knew I hated this picture (although secretly I love being seen as a Queen) - I didn't see the metaphor until Just Now!!

No One Wants To Look Too Closely At Themselves In The Area Of White Privilege and other Race Driven Topics - Because They Rarely Look As Good As They Thought They Did.

And that is the primary reason that talking about this topic through the month of February is much harder then I thought it would be. My plan was to have people help me out - to write little dealies about things they have gone through. Like I said - I have been part of the conversations - I know the stories - but I felt if I Wrote Them I would be stealing their stories. Now I am finding that the stories change a bit - because people want them to be more specific - their picture changes a bit. Makes the white person look better. One friend - who has a Wonderful Voice and Perspective about this topic has given me permission to write the story, but it needs to erase things that would tie back to her. She stopped blogging because she didn't want her views to be brought back and reflected negatively upon her children. I was shocked. She is a wonderful voice and we have lost it. Not completely - she still voices it I am sure - but selectively. Other friends, like Chaos & Connections, are happy to speak out. My cousin, When Elvis Died, is another great voice. And if you look - there are so many more. Yet, I am finding that for every 1 great voice talking about how to overcome the negative side of our countries diversity - there are probably 20 who are quiet.

That makes me sad.

For a moment it made me scared. Should I worry about a negative reflection being brought back to my family? Then I giggled at myself - shoot, that ship probably sailed a number of years ago. Still..........it is much harder to talk about all this then I had anticipated.

Wonder Why?

Did you attend a 4th of July Celebration this year? Did you celebrate Christmas? Easter? Halloween? Go to a SuperBowl Party? Watch the Baseball Playoff's last Fall? Will you celebrate Fat Tuesday?

Today is February 12th - we are almost half way through Black History Month. Have you read a book to your children about a great black citizen of the US? Have you attended any events that celebrated Black History? What are you teaching your children?