2014
Upon awakening at 6AM, this morning
Intuition prodded me to open my eyes and
Reach for my iPad on my nightstand in hopes of
Clarifying a train of thought which kept
Cycling round inside my mind ...
Historically, women and men have been taught to suppress personal needs, which prove natural to one and all. While 'good' little girls were taught to suppress assertiveness and sexuality, rough and tumble little boys were programmed to desensitize reactiveness to displays of emotion unless the subject of their passion involved politics, sports or sex—as in 'boys will be boys'.
When, over time, emotion suppressed is repressed, our minds are programmed to believe we harbor no need of that which the human heart desires most.
For the most part, boys and girls grow up brainwashed in that we tend to accept whatever decree authority drums into our heads, suggesting its common to have no clue as to when societal dictate stops us from thinking clearly for ourselves. (Think Patty Hearst). One look at fashion offers a clear view of that fact:
Though whale bone corsets made women feel faint, many years had to pass before blushing maidens in hooped petticoats, covering high button shoes, transitioned, decade by decade, to plunging necklines brazenly exposing cleavage clear down to our navels while cheeky mini skirts balance precariously on six inch CFM pumps. Men, considered warriors, during revolutionary times, were seen dancing in ballrooms wearing white, poofed up, curly wigs, ruffles, heels and tights. Today, it's cool for over-sized, knee length shorts to hang so loosely around a guy's hips that boxers are half exposed. See what I mean? Do you ever wonder how often the herding instinct casts a spell on your mind, causing you to function like a robot when an authority figure, holding the remote control, pushes your buttons?
If we stop our time machine long enough to consider that which is widely accepted, today, compared with that which would have blown Grandma Ella's proper mindsets, you and I would laugh though she most certainly would not.
Hindsight makes our family laugh at fashion deemed 'right on' in photos taken during the seventies, showing Will sporting a natural Afro in full bloom. In addition to laughing, hindsight highlights reason to feel regret unless insights we'd missed serve to pinpoint current mindsets in need of change—I mean, seriously—deeper truth suggests, time and time again, that change is the only constant in life.
In every generation, societal dictate blinds us to how easily independent trains of thought are brain washed out right out of impressionable young minds. And along with denying independent thought, we banish our personal needs. Thus does the existential thinker stand alone until he or she assumes leadership's most vital role—that being to brainstorm until insight into a solution seeking plan is so clearly laid out on the table that others feel inspired to look inside and seek change for the better, as well.
Last night, while watching THE SIXTIES on TV, I felt mesmerized and horrified, anew, to witness law makers directing state militia to beat, hose and arrest peaceful protestors, marching to help innocent children to register for public school in cities where laws of 'equal (?) but separate' were upheld until President Kennedy had no choice but to go over the governor's head by declaring Marshal law, thus transforming the state militia into our president's national guard.
Historically, adjusting a mindset, which is deeply imprinted into the brain, to honor each person's personal need for freedom is no easy task. That's why it's easier to offer our offspring roots rather than wings..
Though recently, the concept of unisex has changed our historical view of character traits deemed womanly or manly, hard core die hards may struggle against change-for-the-better for decades before heartfelt compassion uproots traditional mindsets based in beliefs passed down as sacred for centuries. And compassion is not the only trait repressed by society dictate. Authority figures must subliminally brainwash a child's sense of logic if one race (or gender) is to believe itself superior to another. Bottom line, it takes conscious work to free our brains of inner conflict when mindsets are transitioning toward change that considers everyone's personal needs.
Let's imagine the heartfelt connection, which proves natural when preschoolers, free of prejudicial beliefs, express feelings of friendship for both genders inclusive of every nationality, religion and color until negatively focused judgments are drummed into their heads, thus numbing many to feelings of compassion when freedom fighters are beaten before their brainwashed eyes.
Imagine children raised in prejudicial environments, who'd secretly felt appalled but fearfully closed their eyes while atrocities, committed openly—sans white-cone headed sheets—paraded snarling guard dogs through the streets. Imagine compassion numbing, over time. Imagine the silent majority of our 'great' society hanging their heads in shame at having felt too fearful to open their mouths. Retrospectively, I see Nazism, not just in the south but from sea to shining sea.
If you ask why it takes tons of courage to be true to the person you prove to be at your core, I'd reply; It takes humility for each of us to actually see ourselves as vulnerable human beings.
If some day, fate offers you reason to freely choose to embark upon a soul searching adventure into self discovery of your own, thus necessitating penetrating through layers of your defensive wall, guess what you'll find staring back at you from deep within your core? You'll find a silo stuffed with natural emotion, some of which proves to be prejudicial, hiding from your conscious mind. And once that which you truly feel vs that which you've been taught to feel is exposed in 3D, emotion, which your conscious mind had denied as your own will never agree to be ignored, dismissed or repressed, again.
Speaking from personal experience, deeper truth suggests that every emotion, which remains subconsciously suppressed, will itch for release as did mine …
We can't repair prejudice that we don't know we harbor.
And that includes prejudice against oneself.
PS
While rereading today's train of thought, I came to understand what compelled me to pen this post:
Having watched the sixties unfold before my eyes, I awakened with a need to release impassioned emotion concerning the universality of generosity of spirit, which will prove wholesome, connective and healing once a heartfelt need to soul search grows so global that, one day in the distant future, both genders will feel at ease embracing a wide spectrum of personal needs, which emerge intuitively (naturally) once the adult mind, feeling liberated of undeserved guilt, recognizes sensitivity as a strength.
You and I were once fully expressive boys and girls until
You were trained to suppress sensitivity to 'this' while
I was trained to desensitize my mind to embracing 'that'
Then we grew up and came together, not really by chance
If you ask: Annie, what do you mean 'not by chance', I'd reply:
Everything happens for a reason, and if you ask
Why I believe intuition continues to draw us together, repeatedly, I'd reply:
I believe your think tank has been readying itself to embark upon
A personal adventure into self discovery just as
I'd felt inspired to embark upon mine, and
With that thought in mind, perhaps, one day
You'll see your way clear to freeing your mind to
Celebrate our soulful connection as joyously and wholeheartedly as
My heart mind and spirit embrace your presence in my life
Your friend,
Annie
PS … There are worse things to be addicted to than hope, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment