Why can't we just get along?

Institutionalized rejection of DIFFERENCE is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people.

As members of such an economy, we have all been programmed to respond to the human differences between us with fear and loathing and to handle that difference in one of three ways: ignore it, and if that is not possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinate.

But we have no patterns for relating across our human differences as EQUALS. As a result, those differences have been misnamed and misused in the service of separation and confusion.

AUDRE LORDE
Author, Sister Outsider

*****

I've been in this self-searching and self-understanding mode for quite sometime now. It has been a painful, funny, scary and mind altering walk so far. You could say I'm Neo in The Matrix who after taking a lot of beating from Mr. Anderson decides in his frustration to take the red pill...

and voila! ... Reality Sucks.

Don't get me wrong. I have no regrets. I highly recommend this to everyone. I think for anyone who is genuinely out to understand himself or herself relative to people and life - this incomprehensible mess we call life - that person should be ready for the TRUTH.

Ready for the untainted, uncensored, unblemished Truth. At naku nga naman ang Truth... sakit sa ulo talaga. Makes sense why the other guy couldn't wait to take the blue pill instead.

But it's the only way.

I also realized that I should not only be ready for it but I should seek it even if it does not want to be found, look for it in the deepest darkest crevices of my past...ugh, want it as much as I want all the good and pleasurable in this world, swallow it even if it is the bitterest of the bitterest ever! Because it is only then my mind, heart, soul and stomach can digest it and nourish me with it. Parang gumawa ka ng ampalaya puree at sinabi mo sa sarili mo - nguyain mo girl. :-)

Neutralize, energize and release!... the Truth. It's called purging yourself of your demons.

I think it is necessary to engage this exercise because for one I don't want to lie to myself or allow people to lie to me and two it is the only way I can truly reach understanding.

I have this theory that when people are self-aware they will know what to do with the things life throw their way and that knowing is winning half the battle.

A good example is this story about Gandhi.

A woman once came to Gandhi and asked him to please tell her son to give up eating sugar. Gandhi asked the woman to bring the boy back in a week. Exactly one week later the woman returned, and Gandhi said to the boy, "Please give up eating sugar." The woman thanked the Mahatma, and, as she turned to go, asked him why he had not said those words a week ago."

Gandhi replied, "Because a week ago, I had not given up eating sugar."

It will be hard to stay true to people if I am not going to be true to myself.

Truth...you are such a pain! :-)