For a Moment.

This week, Occupy News posted the following picture. What do you see? People bending down as a few men hold hands.

What it is: Tahrir Square, Cairo: Christians protecting Muslims at prayer.

When I first saw this picture and read the caption, I was so moved that my eyes began to tear. I've always believed that our differences in beliefs have caused the most tragedy in this world. When we reject what we don't understand or fear, we lose out in the biggest opportunity to look into a different perspective. Egypt has a history of tension between their Muslim and Christian communities. In this picture, the citizens of Egypt are united in acting against their government and police force. It's the first time in many years that common people have revolted as a mass against their government. What is so moving to me is that people were able to put away their differences and protect one another. For a moment, no one was better than anyone else, no one's belief or religion was stronger. For a moment, people protected people.

Could you imagine the power we'd have if we'd commonly practice respect and appreciation for other human beings? Power. When I think of that word, I think of money, status, and greed. It's rare that I think of "good power.” What does "good power” look like?

It looks like this picture.

This post is a commentary to: Arielle Hall's post: http://liberatedbythewords.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-much-can-you-or-i-change.html

I think that as a country, we hope to not be controlled by our past, so we record everything, hoping we'd never let history repeat itself. Yet, we are sitting in a continouse black hole in space that looks the same on every angle.

I think that we've become immune to seeing problems and never drawing more than one solution. We go with the only solution that we believe is good enough. War, is a good example of that.

I agree with you, Arielle, when you say "The problem I am still grappling with my relationship with the world." For, I too am grappling with that relationship;especially since we both hope to mark the world with change. It's hard to go about doing it because we're never taught how. I hope that being a teacher will open the most important door for change in the world.

Do you have U.D.S?

U.D.S: Ugly Duckling Syndrome. Yeah, I had no idea what this was until I heard it from a comedian. According to Urban Dictionary, it’s:

Ugly Duckling Syndrome:

“A Girl who grew up all her life unattractive until High School or College when she then "Blossomed" into a really hot girl. Unlike naturally pretty girls though, her self-esteem is pretty low (As it'll almost permanently be for life) but, she has a good heart, personality, and soul because that's all she could afford to have when she was unattractive. Also, any girl with UDS, will go out with any guy cause to her "Looks Doesn't Matter. As long as they have a good Sense of Humor." As long as they never realize that they're a Ten, they'll always be humbled and down to earth.
A girl with the Ugly Duckling Syndrome or UDS, is The Perfect Catch! She's a Perfect 10 both in and out and she'll do whatever you want her to do! She'll date anybody and could never do anything wrong to you because to her, she's lucky just to have you!”
–Urbandictionary.com

Based on other websites where I searched for the definition, I noticed that this UDS seems to be common in females than male. This obviously made me think of the story, “The Ugly Duckling”, in fact, in the original story, the duckling was a male. It’s interesting how self-conscious and self-esteem issues are more often portrayed in women when men feel the same way. Men may not display their feeling the same or deal with them in the same way, but they do have their days/moments when they’re not feeling their best.

I’m not sure I even like the term “U.D.S.” because it denounces a transformation that someone makes. In fact, what makes someone feel ugly before they feel beautiful is the fact that everyone else thought they were ugly. They seemed “different” because they did not have similar traits like everyone else. This is where being different as an adolescent is rejected and then accepted as an adult. We can’t seem to win with “difference,” either you’re rejected or admired. It is society that is labeling the word “different” and not the individual person.

If we change in looks or personality, media/society should not have the right to label that too. Our change is our work, our sweat, our time, how dare we “diagnose” that! Mad rude.

To anyone who has transformed in any positive way, congrats to you! No, you don’t have UDS, you’ve always been beautiful. I’m sorry people have made you feel otherwise. I’m sorry you let yourself feel otherwise.

"A Place Where Two Rivers Meet..."

“ A Place Where Two Rivers Meet…”
In a small village in Gujarat, India called Kadod, two rivers meet to create a passageway, still enough to still your heart. I was able to see the beauty these two rivers created from the back of Principal Mahida sir’s backyard. A tall, deeply rooted, old-aged tree sat pleasantly before this river as if it was there when the rivers met in matrimony. The tree was their witness.

A man on a boat caressed the water lightly with his fishing net hoping to catch enough fish to sell at the market. He was the only soul in the river that day as the sun set. The river help him afloat to the upmost esteem.

A young girl sat restlessly next to her grandfather wondering why he was staring at the river so wondrously.

“Grandfather,” she said “why are you staring at the river in that way?”

He smirked, letting out a small laugh. “Have I ever told you the story of how this river came into existence?” He watched as his granddaughter perked up in her posture awaiting for him to start his story.
_________
King Raj stood looking out of his balcony as he watched the sun disappear out of the sky, leaving rays of color upon little water that still belonged to the river that once lay greatly amongst his presence. He had great respect for the sun, but once it began to steal from his river, he only awoke every morning with the worry that the sun would take his river from him, and indeed it did. Now, what use to be a great river full of commerce, children splashing at one another carelessly, and women washing clothes vigorously, was a puddle and dry earth.

“Sire?”, King Raj’s thoughts were interrupted by his assistant, Kumar.

“Yes.” King Raj folded his hands behind his back and walked gracefully towards his desk. Sitting down, he lightly massaged his temples and took a sip of his cup of chai. The smell relaxed the folds in his forehead for a moment.

“Sire, your people are wondering what is it they will do for food now that the river is gone. How will our market thrive if our main staple is gone?” Kumar asked nervously, careful not to irritate King Raj even more with his endless questions. King Raj thought for a long moment. Once more, he looked out of his balcony. I cannot let my people starve, I must comfort them with some hope, he thought to himself.

He got up determinedly and exited his palace. Once he saw the crowd of worried mothers holding their crying babies, fathers carrying burdens upon their shoulders as they sat restlessly on the palace step, the determination ran furiously out of him, and he too began to feel the brunt of his people’s pain.

“ My people”, he said greatly “ I know we are at the most troublesome time, for we have no water, no fish, --no river. We must pray that the clouds bless us with the sound of rain in the days to come. I will not let you go hungry. For I too will remain hungry with you until we are all fed.” King Raj watched as his people rose with his words, growing slightly hopeful, then began to cheer. He let out a deep breath and walked back into his palace, Kumar following quickly behind him.

“ Sire, what exactly is your plan?” Kumar asked cleverly.

“ I’m not sure as yet…but I will find one.”