Can You Imagine...

"...imagine me..."

A time and place when love is all. Where we all agreed to respect our differences without imposition. A season when politics took a backseat to the truth and peace was seeded in logical determinative symbiosis. Where change was neither shamed or coerced and debate came to a conclusion that was meant to be actionable. Where folk took the time to see the heart before taking political positions into account towards the determination of their characters. Imagine a place like that...now take the next step into your imagination. What would it take? Yeah that's where it gets tricky. Sadly, so long as there are people on this earth that desire power above all...there will always be people forced to follow. So long as tribalistic attitudes exist...there will always be factions. So long as those in power stoke the fires of anger between the faction for even more power...there will always be unrest. What then can be done?

Folks, the collective mindset will never work without stifling freedom so it behooves us to find this utopia on an individual basis. Perspectives must change and vantage points have to expand past tribalistic myopia. Character must take back its place in how we see another beyond the meaningless externals bias has us prioritizing. As to the voices that choose to divide us into labels, we cannot nor should we silence them but we can decide to tune them out. Above all, we must learn to tune out the bias and preconceived notions in ourselves...determining instead to find the better in every soul we meet. Sounds easier than it is...but it's worth every ounce of effort we could muster towards a better world.

Consider any relationship you've had. Your man keeps leaving the toilet seat up and you've decided that such action means he has a character flaw. You tell your friends and they reinforce the conclusion enraging you even more. You find a study online that confirms your conclusion and the next time you see him...you're ready to give him hell and bounce. Stop...think. What just happened? All the good you know, all the love you have...is it gone? No...it's now buried. Buried in an anger meant to feed a bitterness that ends in destruction. You entertained a thought process that could have easily been handled through brutal introspection. Asking yourself: How important is this adherence to your rules? Is it worth your relationship? Is it worth you throwing away a human being over? Does it bother you that much to check the seat before you sit? I know this sounds trivial but the truth is...most things are. If it aint happening to you personally, it may be serious but when you really analyze the issue, rarely does it ever rise to the level of hating another. Nor can consequence be laid at the feet of someone that didn't personally wrong you by some indirect extension. Take stock people. Carrying that much hate doesn't hurt anyone but the one carrying it. Let.it.go...

My friends run the gamut of politics but I know their hearts and I despise those that have made it their job to cause them to question my character simply because I disagree on an issue. Now you may think I blame the media or an external source but no. They contribute to the problem but the brutal truth is...the choice is always ours. We allow them to affect us. We give them the power to reach us. I can tell you to jump off a bridge but it's up to you to decide if you're going to jump or not. Folk blame the devil way too much when it's really them. You decide what carries weight and what doesn't. You decide what stirs your heart and you decide what you will ultimately do with that stirring.

My sister was going through the toilet seat issue with her man. Instead of kicking his ass (yes, it was an option for her) or calling him all sorts of names, she decided to take a different tact. She decided it wasn't worth all that drama, waited till he fell asleep, got up and removed the toilet seat. She was awakened by an "AYE!!!". Turns out he went to take a dump in the middle of the night and his narrow behind fell in. He sure enough started thinkin about that experience every time he hit that bathroom and she kept right on loving him after having a good laugh. There's always a better way...find it.

Folks, I'm a dreamer and a fool when it counts. I know this post won't change the world as we see it universally but if it helps to change one persons smaller world then it's worth writing about. Try to imagine if that one changed world...decided to help change another? Small things remain small if you decide to keep them small. Turn it around. Keep the small grievances and irritants small. Let's start exaggerating the things that bring us joy in others instead. Who knows...maybe we can change the world after all. It all begins with you...me too ;-) Much love...

~Moses