Let me ask a question, why do so many things in this country go unquestioned with our supposed freedoms of speech? How do so many things go unchallenged and remain lop-sided within a system supposedly governed and legislated by checks and balances? We have so many “movements” that do the trick of keeping us excited and attentive within the moment, but grasping no understanding of what laid before and what’s to come beyond that moment. As if those questions or thoughts are too inconveniencing to get more involved in, so in a sense, we rather run around ignorant with as little information and as much outrage or empathy as possible. No wonder what we seek doesn’t last, because we have no staying power in our own convictions, especially if it doesn’t directly or immediately affect us.
We have so many organizations working to advocate for the human condition and other disadvantages, but they barely gain traction or get enough recognition because they don’t come together and acknowledge each other, offering resources. They stay with ideological differences that serve more to prolong their wanted impact, as if it’ll only get done under their umbrella their way. There is more talk of unity than there is collective work for inclusivity in all forms of it. I mean inclusivity of culture, color, and creed, believing that you share a common goal and outcome. A government works together to work, so shouldn’t humanitarian organizations? I read this quote that I’ll butcher in this book called “The Theory Of Everything”, that said if we merely stay at the stage of celebrating diversity, then all we’ll continue to do is passively endorse a culture of separation.” This went on to mean that tribalism, racism, xenophobia, classism etc are more enforced when we speak so much more of our differences than speaking of and searching for our similarities.
We do that by accepting one another, by being inclusive, by diving in for more than a dip, but a swim…back stroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and all that stuff. I can’t swim, but I rather drown in our similarities and inclusivity than in the shallowness of differences. I hate always having to speak of how my life was much different or tougher than yours and how we differ, I’ve been this black sheep, black swan, black man and whatever other black mythological creature than person. I rather you remember that I am just like you, a person, because then if maybe you begin to see me as you, maybe you’ll care more. Even if unconsciously, I’ll take that, we don’t all have to be woke, being woke takes real empathy, that isn’t easy. You know I saw on TV that what was trending was videos of throwing cheese at your baby’s face. It seemed cute and funny, but I feel like that baby at times. This little unknowing social experiment, powerless, but still someone’s entertainment, unable to do anything but be observed, directed, judged, and laughed at yet made to believe that those around me care and want the best for me. Being a baby is a prison of its own, there’s no independence, with a lot of shock, confusion, and fear almost at every moment with seconds of joy that you’d go mad if you didn’t experience it.
Which has more value, a person or a prison??? Privilege or punishment??? Pain is the most remembered and forgotten part of life. We remember ours so quickly, regardless of what joy comes before or after it, yet just as quickly forget the possibilities of someone else’s pain. So how can we start creating a real wave of change, instead of just responding for pop culture or outrage as our compass? Easy, ask. Just ask. To ask, is to care, to care is to get involved. Getting involved at any level is better than commenting as if it doesn’t involve us, yet it involves us enough to involve our opinion. If we can speak about something, than we should be about something even more. Law of the jungle, don’t tell me, show me, anyone can roar, but in here, I’ve heard every type of roar from inside and out, claiming so much while doing so little. That type of work gets no play in prison in terms of respect, just like it doesn’t in terms of politics, and yet, people are re-elected! Maybe that’s what it is, we vote for what actions resemble our own…damn.
After we ask, and then get involved, the last thing to do is to include others. It takes a village. Yea, there’s a lot of issues going on right now, but if we keep addressing the symptoms and not the root, then, well shit you know, that’s nursing 101. Don’t just accept things and turn a blind eye. Ask a question. Get involved. Include others aka BYOF-bring your own friend, then energy is created, energy creates a wave, a wave becomes a movement and a movement becomes a party, and then we get drunk off change! What we believe matters a lot when we decide to get involved, we can have fun doing hard things, it’s not all doom and gloom, relationships are formed, other aspects of life and ourselves get discovered, because there’s always Good in the Bad! ProseOfACon!
We have to live like life isn’t just aimless practice everyday with no purpose to it, no, the thing about life is, that everyday we get to practice our purpose, the difference is if you practice on purpose versus without purpose. We find true value and purpose by doing for others, not ourselves. There’s a lot of hidden gems in prison, just like you yourself hold hidden gems within you, there’s no difference besides the fact of us being in prison. Struggles highlight the greatness to come if we embrace it, pressure emboldens the diamond at our core to shine outwardly so everyone else can see. But sometimes these pressures get the best of us, the only thing that can ail that is people getting involved. Care reflects and projects value…Prison is just full of people that lost or forget their value, so I’m asking for help in getting that value re-established. Help me, so I can help others, or help others so they can help me…it takes a village and an idea, not an ideology…Just ask