I don't know how some people can write every day.Maybe they are real writers.The creative,poetic part of my soul has been crusted over by burnt creme brulee and nothing is stirring.The field lies fallow with brown stalks instead of rich yellowing corn.The crows don't even come by because they know there is no seed.Dormant,stagnant water and the rocks that usually shine underwater with green and cooper colors are dried in the sun and grey.
My elderly soul has experienced these times before.I flail looking for a reason: am I staying up too late,watching the Olympic Games?Has the hiking in 95 degrees drained me ?Has the terrible rancor that I see in this country where different views are greeted with name-calling finally done me in? Always,always comes a light bringer, so I am patient and wait....
Late last night,Bob Costas said something that really made me wince.The All Around Gold Medal in Women's Gymnastics went to Gabby Douglas who left her family in Virginia at the age of 14 to go to Iowa to get the best training for her sport.In that state, a family with a passel of kids, took her in,sat her at their table and made her their own.Both families were watching her excel last night.
As the show was winding down,Bob made this observation; that she was the first African-American to win that title and now other little African-American girls could strive to do the same.Really?Any American girl could strive after what she had done.I thought we were beyond this.It never occured to me that she might be the first anything.
Maybe I'm too sensitive.Maybe that bothered no other person watching.Sue me.
Perhaps Bob could have talked about this:when Gabby was interviewed after her win she said:"When I honor God ,the blessings fall down on me."Thank you,sixteen year old for shining the light to lead me home.
3 comments:
Your feelings strike a chord in me. Costas probably meant well, maybe trying to encourage young black girls to try for the difficult, expensive field of gymnastics.
However, un-Godly small opinions still exist everywhere. Look at the furor over Kennedy,the first Catholic president; Obama, the first black president; and now Romney, the first Mormon to run.
A few narrow minded members of a church somewhere here in FL just refused to allow a black couple (longstanding attenders but not members) to marry in 'their' Baptist church "It had never been done before" and they didn't want to "set a precedent." I winced when I read that.
Proud to say that, of my 8 first and second grade Bible students, five are beautiful black children from friendly black families and very welcome in our Baptist church. But this has been a long time coming in the deep South.
America belongs to everyone who lives here. God protect us from possessive, exclusionist attitudes!
God placed everything exactly where it is, when it is, for His purpose. I do not want to understand it. I want the strength to glorify His Name when His Will is revealed. Thanks be to God for giving Gabby the humilityat such a tender age. Please, Lord, keep my thoughts pure so that I ,too, may honor You as she has.
CMJ
I feel that same way too-tired over all. The whole Chickfila stire just wore me out. I don't understand why we can't all have our own opinions and be ok with that. It's also August and hot out. Bleh.
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