My childhood best friend told me in June that she had found the perfect birthday gift for me. She was also very upset that it wouldn't arrive until the end of this month. Naturally, I feel so uncomfortable and bad that she even took the trouble to spend her hard earned money (mind you after being let go from her job) on something for me when I never got the chance to get her son or her proper birthday gifts. Tonight she informed me that she had left it on the hood of my car...and man oh man did this fucking hit me hard. I don't want to get speculative or presumptuous about the shirt, its simply that...its a shirt that captured one of my favorite moments from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. When Fred Rogers wanted the world to see that being a neighbor means anyone can share the same space as me, anyone can come over and try to cool themselves down on a hot day, anyone and everyone is welcome in my neighborhood. To me this was symbolic of a future I hope we reach. More importantly I think it spoke to our deep rooted friendship. She, an adopted Korean woman and myself a white male who in the strangest of times have found refuge, solace, and comfort in not just our history as friends but that continued friendship during some very scary and polarizing times.
Kindness, empathy, and the hope that eventually we will stop being so afraid of one another. Its fitting I had finished some work last night and stumbled across a video that I think sums up the zeitgeist so perfectly (and quite frankly, so sadly).
The need for community is SO important right now. Trust me, I don't write these words feeling that I am now or have ever been a saint by any stretch of the imagination. I had my troubles, my addictions, my shortcomings, my faults....at the end of the day I just hope that I have learned from these things, managed to cultivate better lives for my children than I personally had, and at the same time became or will become a better neighbor, friend, family member, or total stranger to those who are desperate for humanity or god forbid an ear.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2021
Categories |