All my life I have sought understanding and reasoning of my perception of the world I live in. Now in my sixty sixth year the foggy veil of what I have determined is indoctrination may be lifting. Standing beside the river this morning watching the action in the fog I thought perhaps things are clearing in my mind. Wildlife must accept the circumstances of each new day. Fighting at times to maintain their lives a given.
Struggle, turmoil, mistakes, are a part of learning. Part of what forces an individual to become better. That is the case if one has an open mind allowing the concept of change. Growing up taught by my parents, grandparents, and in school to believe without questioning. This was always a hard pill for me to swallow. Stubbornness evidently inherent in my genetic makeup.
Forced attempts to make me eat lima beans as a child over a period of years made me doubt my mother. One bite and I was ready to throw up. If I swallowed I would. My Mom who evidently loved lima’s remained undeterred. Even bringing it up to a doctor, who told her perhaps his throat opening is to small. It was not to small to devour any type of sweets she new. I received my stubbornness honestly and by her exemplary example.
I did not think at the time however that it was just stubbornness on my part. I did try to please mom but could not as my system rejected the slimmy, green, foul tasting substance. Hell, even ketchup would not make them consumable. This is how hard I tried to keep an open mind and comply. I still loved Mom even as she cussed me on her deathbed. Understanding at my age that her upbringing was so much tougher than my struggle against swallowing a damn lima bean. Fighting for what she had and believed was what made here what she was. A strong and willful, proud mother of five who grew up in tougher times, the youngest of eleven.
We all despite are race, religion, place of birth are given some type of indoctrination as children. The effects of which remain with us throughout our lives. The turbulent times we find ourselves in at the present time brings to the front how each of us has allowed that indoctrination to reside in our present beliefs. If we have not learned to open our minds as we matured there can be no give and take, no acceptance to change our perception and understanding.
I got a good whoopin’ once from Mom for calling my brother a faggot. A word I had overheard at school. I was really confused when I looked it up in the dictionary and found out it was a bundle of sticks. A good lesson in learning to keep my mouth shut if I did not know what I was talking about. Thank You, Mom.
A fallible man I remain to date. I read and read to try and hear the voices of all sides. Knowing that the truth will not always be plain to see.
I admire how peaceful the majority of the black lives matter protests are, even though I doubt I will ever be in the vicinity of one. I know that there will be looting, theft, and shootings to some extent. Human nature is as fallible as I. Statues from our past destroyed. Statues that mean nothing to me, never admired a statue even of a baseball player.
Reading I gained a little understanding this morning when it was stated that the German people do not have statues of Nazi heroes. Think about that for a while, American history lovers, they do have remnants of Jewish internment camps for others to view.
This is getting too long my old mind tires easily. Need to get out and work on finishing up a chicken coop we are building. Then maybe plant some lima beans. Don’t hold your breath on that happening folks. But, please try to keep an open mind on how the strife and effects of a global virus can bring out indoctrination’s from our youth. We are a nation that come from basically good people and will remain so I believe whole heartedly…
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Note: Notice all the trash on this fishing pier. The heron were fighting over a fishing spot on it. Covered in trash two days ago. Today the water rose after heavy rains the fishing pier covered by water now, the human trash left by human trash washed out to the Ohio, then Mississippi then to the Gulf of Mexico. Shame on us as I did not take the time to pick up the trash !
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