run. pray. - Tupac Preached to Me
Last night, my cousin sent me a link to a song that helped her push through an eight mile run. My husband and I were listening to it, and he made the comment, "She just likes that song because of the lyrics. I can't listen to the lyrics when I'm exercising." He's more of a music kind of person. I replied, "Really? When I'm exercising, the lyrics are more clear to me. I really hear them. When I listen to music in the car or other places, I'm really good at blocking everything out." I'm more of a lyrics kind of person. Lyrics move my soul. They speak to me spiritually in a way.
This morning, I went for a run. It was a hilly run but relatively short. Around mile two, I started to feel a little uneasy. Heartburn started creeping in and a little nausea. So, of course, I decided to throw in three uphill sprints. Each sprint was about 150 meters. Yea, that made it way worse, and I thought I was going to vomit. The nausea didn't go away, but I finished my run without throwing up and followed it with some yoga. Every month it's a cycle, and this week is the nausea week - thanks, endometriosis.
Anyway, I tell you that story because during this awful run the music I was listening to really rang clear. It took my mind away from the physical pain I was feeling and got my mind thinking about other things. I really like old school rap when I run. Outkast, Tupac, and Biggie are my three favorites. As I was struggling to keep down my insides while sprinting up those hills, Tupac started spitting some real truth in my ears. And, it got me thinking about how his lyrics are nearly 20 years old (that realization made me feel a bit older than I really am), and yet, they ring so loud and true nearly 20 years later.
Just a few Tupac tidbits for ya (lyrics taken from Changes and Keep Ya Head Up):
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
They got money for wars but can't feed the poor
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up
But please, you got to keep ya head up
So, have we progressed very much as a country? Or, have we started going backwards? We have seen a black President. But, I'm beginning to think we'll never see a woman President (and don't go getting all bent out of shape-that is not a statement in defense of Hilary Clinton-I'm just stating an observation). Racial tension is at an all time high, if you ask me, as well as gender tension and religious tension and sexuality tension and the list could go on forever. It's depressing times if we look through the lens of a news outlet or the lens of a social media outlet or the lens of any media outlet. But, I'm going to stand against all of that and choose to look through a local lens, a neighbor lens, a community lens, and less biased lens, because I'm not trying to make money off my take on current events in this country. I'm trying to find love and make more peace.
Recently, I took a second to think about my closest circle of friends. I pictured in my head the circle of friends that I spend the most time with or communicate with the most. And, it was an unfortunate reality. First, that circle of friends is extremely small. Second, it's extremely white. It's full of people who LOOK like me. Now, we all have different political views and religious backgrounds. But, if you look at the surface, skin layer surface, that circle is variations of white. And, it stings a little to realize.
Back in college, my circle of friends was pretty diverse. It consisted of an array of colors, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations, religious practices, and equal gender distribution. Today, my circle looks very different. Why?
In college, maybe it's easier to surround yourself with diversity, because we're surrounded by it more often. It's less work. But, as we all get older and graduate and start working and get married and start families, our lives start to separate. It takes more work to maintain that circle, and over time, we just maintain by what's most convenient and what's the easiest. And, as harsh as it is, society and neighborhoods are very culturally segregated. So, if you don't live in the same zip code, you end up with a circle that looks a lot like you, and that's depressing, because on the inside, I'm very unlike most of the neighbors that surround me.
So, today I want to make a change. I want to reach out of my comfort zone, my zip code, and put more effort into the relationships with those who can teach me more about cultural differences. I want to build a bridge between the segregated communities, so that we can travel between them to build secure, substantial, and trusting relationships, so we may start dialogue and start asking each other the hard questions.
My heart is weary, and it can't keep absorbing this much hurt. It isn't about me or you anymore. We've got to stop being so selfish and self-absorbed. We were born out of love. We were born to love. We've learned hate by evil and foolish example. God did not make us in his image for us to tear each other down.
I do believe in the power of love. I do believe there is unity in diversity. And, I will do my best to be the change I want to see in this world.
This morning, I went for a run. It was a hilly run but relatively short. Around mile two, I started to feel a little uneasy. Heartburn started creeping in and a little nausea. So, of course, I decided to throw in three uphill sprints. Each sprint was about 150 meters. Yea, that made it way worse, and I thought I was going to vomit. The nausea didn't go away, but I finished my run without throwing up and followed it with some yoga. Every month it's a cycle, and this week is the nausea week - thanks, endometriosis.
Anyway, I tell you that story because during this awful run the music I was listening to really rang clear. It took my mind away from the physical pain I was feeling and got my mind thinking about other things. I really like old school rap when I run. Outkast, Tupac, and Biggie are my three favorites. As I was struggling to keep down my insides while sprinting up those hills, Tupac started spitting some real truth in my ears. And, it got me thinking about how his lyrics are nearly 20 years old (that realization made me feel a bit older than I really am), and yet, they ring so loud and true nearly 20 years later.
Just a few Tupac tidbits for ya (lyrics taken from Changes and Keep Ya Head Up):
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
It takes skill to be real
We gotta make a change
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes
Let's change the way we eat
Let's change the way we live
And let's change the way we treat each other
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
They got money for wars but can't feed the poor
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up
But please, you got to keep ya head up
So, have we progressed very much as a country? Or, have we started going backwards? We have seen a black President. But, I'm beginning to think we'll never see a woman President (and don't go getting all bent out of shape-that is not a statement in defense of Hilary Clinton-I'm just stating an observation). Racial tension is at an all time high, if you ask me, as well as gender tension and religious tension and sexuality tension and the list could go on forever. It's depressing times if we look through the lens of a news outlet or the lens of a social media outlet or the lens of any media outlet. But, I'm going to stand against all of that and choose to look through a local lens, a neighbor lens, a community lens, and less biased lens, because I'm not trying to make money off my take on current events in this country. I'm trying to find love and make more peace.
Recently, I took a second to think about my closest circle of friends. I pictured in my head the circle of friends that I spend the most time with or communicate with the most. And, it was an unfortunate reality. First, that circle of friends is extremely small. Second, it's extremely white. It's full of people who LOOK like me. Now, we all have different political views and religious backgrounds. But, if you look at the surface, skin layer surface, that circle is variations of white. And, it stings a little to realize.
Back in college, my circle of friends was pretty diverse. It consisted of an array of colors, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations, religious practices, and equal gender distribution. Today, my circle looks very different. Why?
In college, maybe it's easier to surround yourself with diversity, because we're surrounded by it more often. It's less work. But, as we all get older and graduate and start working and get married and start families, our lives start to separate. It takes more work to maintain that circle, and over time, we just maintain by what's most convenient and what's the easiest. And, as harsh as it is, society and neighborhoods are very culturally segregated. So, if you don't live in the same zip code, you end up with a circle that looks a lot like you, and that's depressing, because on the inside, I'm very unlike most of the neighbors that surround me.
So, today I want to make a change. I want to reach out of my comfort zone, my zip code, and put more effort into the relationships with those who can teach me more about cultural differences. I want to build a bridge between the segregated communities, so that we can travel between them to build secure, substantial, and trusting relationships, so we may start dialogue and start asking each other the hard questions.
My heart is weary, and it can't keep absorbing this much hurt. It isn't about me or you anymore. We've got to stop being so selfish and self-absorbed. We were born out of love. We were born to love. We've learned hate by evil and foolish example. God did not make us in his image for us to tear each other down.
I do believe in the power of love. I do believe there is unity in diversity. And, I will do my best to be the change I want to see in this world.
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