Identity

  Identity. That is a big social issue at this time in American history. It isn't something most people think about, this living during history, but that is exactly what you are doing. You are creating history every day. History isn't simply about events, it is also about emotion. Nationally it swings from being apologetic to being proud. I see us in the apologetic phase, the trying to make amends for what we didn't do. It's like acknowledging a debt with the understanding you won't ever have to pay it. You will claim that readily enough. That is why we are being urged to just accept everything and anything proposed. By acceptance you grant permission, thereby exonerating yourself of any blame in the future. You are picking your side in history.

 The thing about that is in the future histories judgements will change across that entire spectrum. Personally I can remember a time when it was considered, no expected, that a man would be respectful towards the ladies. They opened doors and tipped their hats. Those behaviors are now considered, old fashioned, out of date and a bit misogynistic. I do recall when a handshake was as iron clad as a legal document, that certainly isn't the case today. Thomas Jefferson has certainly fallen from his higher status in public opinion. History is always a matter of opinion. Consider the civil war and how many opinions there are regarding that conflict. History has recorded the actions but the emotions remain in a state of constant flux. We are still picking a side.

 Are you a person of the times? I am not. My opinion is not not easily swayed one way or another. I'm thinking it is the concern for the immediate that drives many people. Whereas I agree that immediate needs should be addressed first and foremost, the consequence of the future also has to be considered. There are always consequences. History is the result of consequence. We are having an identity crisis here in America today. That's my opinion. Anxious to please, to be everyone's friend, we are discarding common sense. Many have embarked upon a fools errand. Their only goal is in gaining popularity. We now have professional "influencers" what we once called salesmen. Today they are "selling" an opinion. Sadly, millions are buying into that. 

 I have never been what you would call a popular personality. I have been that way my entire life and am quite happy with that. I do not require your acceptance or approval. Those that extend that to me are those that I will extend that too in return. In short, people I like. I don't like everyone and shockingly enough, there are those that just don't like me. That isn't some big revelation, some awakening, I've always known that. And I've always felt that it wasn't any problem, it is just what it is. Self identity shouldn't be a mystery. "When you die, others who think they know you, will concoct things about you... Better pick up a pen and write it yourself, for you know yourself best.(Sholom Aleichem") I started doing that long before reading that passage. I guess I'm secretly hoping for popularity in the future. Hey, it happens with artists, why not me? 

 Individual history and individual identity. That is what each of us create. What influences us? It begins with your parents. Traditionally two parents, one male and one female. Each are equally important to the development of a child, regardless of the gender of that child. It's a balance. Without that balance the influence will be different. The establishment of a "standard" is essential in that balance.

 At this time in American history it is the removal of balance that is creating great unrest. All the "norms" are being questioned and indeed being rewritten. That has been true throughout history. But it's important to understand, that in and of itself, hasn't proven those actions were always correct. Indeed much evidence exists to prove quite the opposite. Throughout all of human history, on average, an empire lasts 250 years. The collapse comes as the societal norms that created that empire get changed. It's true it took empires like the Roman or Chinese much longer but they collapsed for the same reason, the removal of balance. 

 America, the great melting pot. Founded upon the principle that all men are created equal. That is a balance. The objective in coming to America was to become an American. It isn't abandoning your past, your heritage or lineage, it is in becoming an American. That balance is being lost, questioned at every turn. "and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” That is an excerpt from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt. I'm certain you are familiar with that. That is my identity, an American. I embrace that whole heartedly, proudly and without apology. A great deal of what I read, hear and see today in America just isn't normal! Period, that's my opinion. What a silly time in American history this is. There is an adage that says, silence is consent. I'd like to go on record as saying, screaming at the top of your lungs doesn't make something right. "The truth is heard in whispers, lies are heard as screams"   A whole lot of screaming going on right now. A search for identity? All you need to do is listen, it whispers inside you. If you don't like what you hear, don't attempt to shout it down. That's my advice.