The Myth of Race

For a long time now, maybe even my whole life, I've had a very hard time intellectualizing the term race. Frankly I just don't believe in it and I don't think the term should be used in relation to people. I had this conversation with a couple of my friends and found that they feel the same way.

So I'm sending out this message into the abyss so if you happen upon my blog do me a favor and think about it in a heartfelt way.

I just did a Google search for the definition of race and here is some of what I found:

The term race distinguishes one population of an animal species from another of the same species. The most widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits especially skin color, facial features and hair texture, genes and self identification. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings vary by culture and over time, and are often controversial for scientific reasons as well as their impact on social identity and identity politics. Some scientists regard race as a social construct.

Charles Darwin in his famous book "On the Origin of the Species" made it very clear that it is an arbitrary number of categories used to divide up the human species. Some authorities will claim two races, some three, some four, and so on. In addition, Darwin points out the problem of degrees or gradations between the arbitrary number of categories used.

Since the 1940s, some evolutionary scientists have rejected the view of race according to which any number of finite lists of essential characteristics could be used to determine a like number of races. For example, the convention of categorizing the human population based on human skin colors has been used, but hair colors, eye colors, nose sizes, lip sizes, and heights have not. Many social scientists think common race definitions, or any race definitions pertaining to humans, lack taxonomic rigour and validity. They argue that race definitions are imprecise, arbitrary, derived from custom, have many exceptions, have many gradations, and that the numbers of races observed vary according to the culture examined. They further maintain that "race" as such is best understood as a social construct, and they prefer to conceptualize and analyze human genotype and phenotype variation in terms of populations instead.

What I got from the above is that race in fact isn't based on biological differences as much as it is based on social and cultural labels that are self imposed and/or imposed by the dominant or ruling groups.

We as humans certainly have differences- that is fact. If we choose to concentrate on those differences instead of our similarities then why have we chosen the way we look and more specifically our skin color to be the primary determinant? It troubles me that even Black people hold tight to the concept of race. I would think this group who has suffered so much discrimination based on the concept of race would want to reject it and dispel the myth of race instead of lending support of it's use.

I often wonder how much longer we will continue to separate ourselves by skin color. When I see the children of "interracial" relationships I like to think the concept of race will eventual become obsolete by shear force of nature.

What would that be like?

The circle finally complete- beginning with one man and one woman procreating all the children of the world ---if you believe in Adam & Eve then why wouldn't you believe in the true brotherhood of man. Through time and circumstance the descendants of Adam & Eve were separated geographically and grew apart and separate taking on distinct languages and physical characteristics that suited their immediate environment. Those differences have been manipulated and abused instead of celebrated. Maybe one day we'll blend again and reunite as one people.

People want to reunite so badly that they are manipulating their own appearance. I see it as a wanting to be the same- wanting to be accepted-- wanting to be in a position where the doors are open to them equally. Their perceived obstacle- their appearance being the problem. It begins on one side of the spectrum with women bleaching their hair to the more extreme of bleaching of the skin and getting nose jobs. I've even heard in news reports to my dismay about a popular plastic surgery procedure for Asian women that changes the shape of their eyes to what they perceive as a more attractive Anglo shape. Isn't this all just a form of self loathing? Don't get me wrong I've bleached my hair-- I've also colored it blue, green, purple and red. That is not the type of thing I am talking about here.

So I invite you to really think about it and think about the type of world you want to live in. If we all decided to do something together it would change the world. Do you believe that's true?

I believe!

I believe that if we all decided on Tuesday everyone would turn off all their lights. The world would be lit by the sun and moonlight and the stars from the heavens above and wouldn't that be lovely? Wouldn't it be the most beautiful site there was? Not only because of the shear natural beauty of the heavens, but because we would feel in unison with one another- an accomplishment all in itself. Even if some rebel were to go ahead and turn on his lights it would be dwarfed by the enormity of a beautiful shadow.

So consider the above and if you want please join me in my non-belief in race. John Lennon's lyrics for his song "Imagine" speaks volumes"You may say I'm a dreamer.....but I'm not the only one......I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one"

Goodbye My Lover

Sometimes I am haunted by my thoughts- unable to shake them. This was the case last night as my Ipod shuffled onto James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover".

"You touched my heart you touched my soul. You changed my life and all my goals. And love is blind and that I knew when, My heart was blinded by you. I've kissed your lips and held your hand. Shared your dreams and shared your bed. I know you well, I know your smell. I've been addicted to you. Goodbye my lover. Goodbye my friend. You have been the one. You have been the one for me."

Instantly I was back in that moment years ago & I thought I had resolved it.

Damn You James Blunt!

We met a few weeks after I had begun counseling at college. I was having a rough time and needed to get some feelings worked out, but soon I couldn't bare my counseling sessions. I didn't want to talk about the negative- I just wanted to feel what I was feeling.... so I quit going and maybe I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it - I liked how I felt so elated and happy!

Over the next year our lives intertwined. I had never before felt what it was like to be so a part of someone else's existence. To the extent that it was our life together - seamless. I had loved before, but in retrospect I did eventually figure out I wasn't loved in return. When he said he just wasn't ready to have a wife I knew I had truly been loved and that it was over. It's hard to say that and know it's true. We had never talked about marriage, but apparently he had thought about it. I had no say and no choice in the matter.

Why do men think that it makes it any better to say how much you've meant to them, how much you've changed their life and how much a better person they've become because of you? Is it a line...... like in those movies "It's not you, it's me"? I thought for so long that it might be.

He said he learned how to truly love someone because of me, but I find no comfort in that. I think it's torturous to know that his profoundly improved self will eventually go on to love another woman and be the father to her children- be her husband. I didn't know the extent of what I had until it was over. It's a beautifully tragic thing to experience- tragic only because it did end.

Who said "It's better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all"? I think this is so profoundly a heap of crap. I don't feel better off. I felt and am reminded again that my heart is forever stained and any future love- if I am so lucky- will receive this stained heart of mine. Who would want that?

"I'm so hallow baby, I'm so hallow" another line that rings so true for me today.

Jan. 22nd Most depressing day of the year?

I woke up this morning and I did not want to go to work. Frankly I just wanted to stay in bed and go about my morning leisurely. I literally had to fight with myself not to call in sick - I sometimes struggle with self motivation.

As I made my way out of my parking space and on to the road to my office the news breaks: Jan. 22nd has been determined to be the most depressing day of the year. Dr. Cliff Arnall of the University of Cardiff, Wales created a formula that takes into account numerous feelings to devise peoples' lowest point and the calculations show that misery peaks this very day- Monday, January 22nd!

So it's not my fault??? Should everyone just take Jan. 22nd off and stay in their PJ's all day? Sounds good for a moment and then I wonder what people would do if they did have the most depressing day of the year off? My guess is probably nothing special. I for one would probably take in my morning leisurely and then maybe go see a movie. Clean a little, cook a little and more than likely just waste the day away until the day after the most depressing day of the year when I’ll still have to go back to work.

It's the mundane-ness of life that has caught up with me today, so I listen on as the man from NPR interviews this Dr. Arnall.

Apparently there is an equation that is broken down into seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take action.

Well I live in California and as luck would have it today will be mainly sunny and warm, I essentially have no debt-- I HATE to be in debt and avoid it at all costs! My monthly salary-- well who wouldn't want more money in their pocketbook? All things considered I don't struggle to pay for the things I need in life. Time since Christmas.....this one throws me.....I know the intent of this is that people generally take time off to spend with family and there are lots of parties and so on, but I mostly see it as a money-centric time of the year instead of focused on it's true origins (The birth of Christ). Time since failed quit attempt is another throw away since I long ago decided New Years resolutions just don't work! One year I thought I’d make one that would....... by resolving never to make another New Years resolution again and that one has worked for me! Low motivation levels- well yes that brings me back to my morning dilemma. The need to take action--- well that maybe the solution right there.

One of the things that I believe in most is that we all have the ability to change our lives. We can quit our jobs, go back to school, sell our cars, and break up with those people who really aren't right for us. We can, if we wanted to, completely change our lives. So with that in mind it can be said we also have the key to our own happiness. Inevitably things will happen to us along the way that are unexpected and unwelcome, but that's life and it happens to everyone. You deal with your bends in the road and try to stay on course.

What troubles me is that I’ve been caught up in the mundane. I've allowed myself to fall into a routine that is now so unacceptable to me that I don't want to participate in it. The routine of my life is boring me. I am bored essentially and the only way to find myself out of this one is to create some change. Where does that begin? How do you break from the usual and create excitement in your life when you look around and nothing's really wrong?

If there are any thoughts on this and/or the most depressing day of the year- please send them on.

First Blog

It's the end of my work day and i am attempting to create this blog and hope that those of us who have more to talk about than what they saw on TV last night or who their favorite band is will find ourselves here in thought. I want to talk and hear about passions, dreams, and real life. I won't shy away from writing about tabu social subjects like God, religion and politics and your thoughts are welcome here. Be honest and say anything, but say what you mean and please be respectful. We've found ourselves in this exact place and time coming from different directions with seperate experiences on our journey that molds a continum of developing thoughts- We are who we were when.......and i'm a mess of that I am certain. I've lost my way to many times to count, but i'm not going to waste this time searching for a perfection that will never come. I think the best one can hope for is that feeling when everything's coming together- a suspended time set in forward motion ebbing and flowing- as for me i'm hoping it's coming around again.