Year Two, Day 60: Smiling into the Eyes of Strangers. This is How I Begin

I was going to continue with my narration about my son's head injury.

But then yesterday happened.

First the videos of the two men shot by the police.

Then the shooting of 11 police officers in Dallas at a Black Lives Matter peaceful protest.

My stomach is churning. My head is throbbing.  I didn't know I had any more tears.

So much to pray about and process.

My son is continuing to recover, but I am scarred emotionally.

Some families are not so lucky. Their loved ones are not returning. 

Our society is fractured.  And we each need to do our part to begin the healing.

This is what I posted on Facebook last night:

"We must not judge a whole group of people, by the actions of a few. If humanity is to survive, we must rise above. Choose love over hate, consider the needs of others before our own. Stop the insanity. This came from my heart, but was inspired by Jesus and Martin Luther King Junior and many other beautiful souls."

After watching many accounts of the Dallas massacre on the news, and reading about it on the internet, I began reading opinions.  From radio talk show hosts, to journalists, to priests, to mothers, to protestors.

Then I found an article on a blog. The title was "I, Racist".  It was a painful read. Because I have always prided myself on accepting all people regardless of skin color, religious believes, sexual orientation, etc.

But I recognized myself in parts of this blog. I say I am not racist, and think releases me from any responsibility. 

But I have been trying to eliminate my habit of describing a person's race if they are not white, when I mention them. For instance, my "African American friend, Sue".  

I don't say my "white friend, Sue". My daughter called me out on this a few years ago.  But I still do it.  Or perhaps "my gay friend Joe".  

Or the homeless young man I met at the bus stop.

I am changing that now.  No more stereotypical references. Just my friend Sue. My friend Joe. The man at the bus stop. 

If we are to seek change, we need to begin with ourselves.

Here is the article: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-metta/i-racist_b_7770652.html

I am also acknowledging every person I can with eye contact and a smile. This is sometimes difficult in SE Portland. I walk, bus and ride my bike.  Some people I am honestly afraid to look in the eye. Will they reject me? Will they ask for money? Will they think I am looking down on them? Will they think I am strange?

But the more I do it the easier it is. I look straight into their eyes, ignoring their exterior. I nod and smile. And most often they smile back.  

This is a beginning.

I support Black Lives Matter. But I also believe all lives matter.  You matter. I matter. We matter. We are all children of God.

Happy Friday

“The older I get, the more I meet people, the more convinced I am that we must only work on ourselves, to grow in grace. The only thing we can do about people is to love them.”
― Dorothy Day, All the Way to Heaven: The Selected Letters of Dorothy Day