I understand why some of this is happening in the world today. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, Google is free to use but of course, mind your sources and for the love of all that is good-watch the entire clip. Thank you. Enough with the misappropriation of context. Defund the media? That might be my next topic.
Anyway, back to history, which cannot literally be done. We can’t go back and that is the very point I am attempting to make. Yes, it’s true that previous leaders in America owned slaves and it has been relatively well-known for years that Columbus, the guy who showed up on this land and claimed it as his own even though Native Americans were already here was in fact a major eggplant emoji. However, and this is not a justification for horrible things that have happened in our history but it is an explanation and a simple one at that, that is how they did things in 1776. Men conquered land and they did it by being major eggplant emojis and whoever had better weapons won. They didn’t do it because it was right. They conquered because they could. Now here we are, centuries later, showcasing similar eggplant tendencies.
I’m not writing to address the behavior of the angry, the self-indulgent, or the ignorant, those actions will meet their consequences. I do want to write about history. Personal history. That is the only way I can bring myself to sympathetically understand what would make uncivilized groups of people deface property and knockdown statues. History is not fair and some of those monuments are a reminder of that unfairness. Other monuments, are reminders of wrongs being made right and yet the anarchists have destroyed those too. Nevertheless, that unfairness despite recent generations not being directly affected by it is still the truth of where we have come from as a nation. It might be a painful reminder but at least it is honest. What is it that Lizzo sang? Truth hurts. Yes, Lizzo, sometimes it does. The simplest way I can somewhat understand the misguided actions of the reckless is by reflecting on my own personal history.
I have this friend, we’ll call him Joe. I met Joe years ago at a vulnerable time in my life. Joe was a great friend, one of my favorites actually and he was easy to love. Joe is everything I am not and I think our contrasting personalizes and consistent core values are what made us such good friends. I loved Joe and I thought Joe loved me but there was a time when he disappeared and I didn’t really know why. He vanished like a ghost and I was left wondering where my friend had gone. I had some idea but none of our other friends would give me any straight answers. Not knowing why it is a heavy burden to bear. I thought maybe I had done or said something to insult him but he would have told me. We were shockingly honest with each other. Still, left with no explanation, I felt like it was my fault. Whatever the reason, I just wanted my friend back. Even when there’s so much going on in life that focus can’t really be given to friends, it’s hard not to miss the great ones. They are rare. Joe was a great one, he was rare and then he was gone. He did come back after I had made the choice to move on. I’m a fixer. I like to fix things and if something had happened between us I wanted to fix it but a relationship of any kind takes two people.
If I could rewrite it, I would but I can’t.
Genevieve Rose
Joe had disappeared so I chose to move on. When he showed up again and explained, no reason would have justified the pain he had put me through, leaving me with nothing, thinking I was to blame, and the worst part, not having a great friend to do life with. He explained why he left and after I had agreed to show up and listen, really listen to all that he had to say, I told him, “you’re an idiot.”
“I know,” he said. I forgave him because forgiveness is easier than bitterness. We didn’t have an easy relationship after that. Things did not really improve and after some time they got worse but by this point, I knew that none of my actions were the cause. This was how he was and I couldn’t change him. We can’t change people. We can only change ourselves. We are responsible for our perspective and our response. This drama took place years ago and where I stand with Joe now is on much sturdier ground. Although, I do feel the occasional tremor beneath my feet. I said all that to say this, I didn’t want things between Joe and I to go the way they did.
I didn’t ask for it. Most of the time I didn’t even know why it was happening but despite my feelings, it is what happened. It’s the truth. If I could rewrite my history, I would. I would spare myself and others pain. I would make better choices. If I could rewrite it, I would but I can’t. Like it or not, I can only accept what happened and move forward. That’s all each of us can actually do. That is our power.
People out there are defying authority in vain. Making messes and throwing violent tantrums are not how wholesome change is made. All that’s being created in this country right now is an unprecedented level of embarrassment. I mean honestly, what’s the end game here? How will these present days be reflected in our history? I do not believe it will be a peaceful portrayal. How could it be? Peaceful protests or not, the actions we have seen are millennials and younger stealing, killing, and destroying. Although I am vehemently displeased by my generation currently, in the beginning, I was hopeful. I felt that I could see our future changing for the better. Sadly, that did not happen. Our selfish attitudes have changed things for the worse and it is only a matter of time before the mess the Misguided Millennials have made gets cleaned up by those who know better. We, even those of us staying out of the chaos, should be ashamed. I am ashamed. I am deeply embarrassed by the events that have occurred since May 25th, 2020. We had the chance to make real change. We had the chance not to try and abolish authority but reform the police in ways that our grandchildren would have likely studied. That is not what we have done. All we have done is embarrass our parents and our peers. We have insulted those who literally fought for equality in the past. We missed our chance to heal the world. The very best we could do now is grovel at the feet of our leaders and stop dividing people based on race while insisting it is a step toward equality. Don’t you see that any kind of separatist movement only serves to divide? That’s exactly what they want. They don’t really care about us. Dig to the root of the issue. The media won’t help but we can help ourselves. Dig. Focus on the truth. United we stand, divided for whatever the reason may be, we will still fall.
We missed our chance to heal the world. The very best we could do now is grovel at the feet of our leaders and stop dividing people based on race while insisting it is a step toward equality.
Genevieve Rose
I am not saying that I agree with the history of my country and I am not saying that I disagree because history is not a matter of personal opinion. It is what it is. As Rafiki once said, “the past can hurt but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” What we cannot do despite how much indignance we might feel towards the past, is go back in time. History is not always admirable, history is not always right but some history is and now even the good parts of history are being tarnished. I for one, am saying that no matter what I want to know the truth, whether it is pretty or not. Don’t tell me what I want to hear, tell me the truth. Where is the truth in all this?
Mindless Peace 
Great read 👍