All Lives Matter
All Lives Matter. Some people might be hiding. Some people might be seeking attention. Some people may need to be heard. Some people may feel repressed, rejected, and unloved. You will never know if that person is in your day if you live with your eyes glued to your cell phone. So look up and be aware of all humanity whom you cross paths with every day.
I must share with you a great interaction I had with an African American janitor at Bed Bath and Beyond on September 10th, 2016. He looked up at me in the eyes, as he was cleaning the garbage from the tasting section, as if to want to speak. So I responded with, “How are you?” His response was, “I’m alright.” I asked him, “Well what would make you feel GREAT?” So he thought and thought and thought and then replied with, “I would feel great if there weren’t so many killings in this world.”
I was very interested to hear that this was his thought process. Being that it is the day before 9/11, I always reflect back on that day as if it were yesterday. Unanswered questions as to why that ever happened will remain unknown. But 15 years later, this man was obviously bothered by all the violence that continues to rumble our nation and in the world. I decided to converse about it with him.
I asked him why he thinks there is so much violence? He didn’t know. I asked him about why living in 2016 where there’s equal opportunity and an immense movement towards self actualization why people are full of hate rather than love? I then asked him, “Do you think that the celebrities are perpetuating this hate and increasing segregation by forming social groups and supporting protests against national incidences?” And he said, “Yes!” I then asked, “Why can’t these same celebrities promote love and light and find a deeper connection to those who feel disconnected from society and offer them a voice; A platform to be heard so that these same people can feel like a part of our society?” The gentleman then said to me, “You know, maybe you ought to do that since you are doing just that with me?” He stated, “I am just the janitor here, but you took an interest in speaking with me and for that I feel great now, so thank you!” And just like that, we both felt that warm exchange of common ground-we are both the children of G-d. He is just a different color than me. But at the end of the day, we are both grateful for life, we both love people, we both appreciate the small things in life, we both want to be healthy, we both want to experience love and light, we both want a lot of the same things at the end of the day.
We must figure out how to break up the wars created on our homeland. We live in a America. The land of opportunity where all dreams can become reality. If you are reading this please…make it your business to be the change. Here is a list of what you can start doing TODAY:
- Say hello and smile at someone
- Help someone lift a heavy box from their shopping cart into their car
- Thank a customer service rep for servicing you
- Tip a server well at a restaurant
- Acknowledge an employee who has exceeded your expectations by writing a commendation later to their boss.
- Hold the door for someone
- Say thank you when someone holds the door for you
- Give a dollar to a vet if you see one walking the streets and is asking for help
- Let someone in on the highway or on the street. Share the dang road.
- Add prayer to your day; life is a gift; be grateful
Being a good person is something that must happen every day. Be a good person to everyone you come in contact with whether they are Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, old, young, short, tall, lean or overweight. No matter how different someone might act or look, BE THE CHANGE. Lead by example by loving yourself and exactly where you are in life today. When you love yourself, then you can share the love. The more love that is shared, the less hate there will be. Don’t be the neighbor who doesn’t say hello. Don’t be the person who argues with people. Let’s change this all around because as the children of America, we truly need to become ONE with one another. The only way to do that, is to start with you! And once you do it, people will follow your lead! Please enjoy this lovely clip of Alicia Keyes who is talking about self empowerment. It all starts with self love, and then that love spreads to the world around you. Check it out and thank you for reading:
