joyful2beeblogs

Someone made a comment about how afraid they frequently felt because of all of the violence around them. She asked, “How can we tell, who the good guys are and who the bad guys are??”

I thought about all the people, during my more than seventy-four years, with whom I have shared eye contact; a smile over something funny that had happened; pitched in with them to help someone; or both of us shared a few words or a beautiful sight without knowing each other. Never have I felt threatened or afraid, or in danger with any of these people.

I lived in New Orleans in the mid seventies and attended several Mardi Gras parades in the mid 1970’s and never felt threatened or afraid. I have been in places that could have been dangerous but wasn’t. Granted there were not the crime rates then that there are now.

So how can we, who are just normal people with normal lives, trying to make a living and live a good life, supposed to know what to expect next. We need to have a way of thinking, which will prevent us from becoming paranoid, seclusive, or dangerous.

I made a decision not to live in fear of the people I met. I was taught to be polite and kind, a behavior which has been a part of me from childhood. I was told that when I was about four or five years old, I was watching a parade go by, I was very excited to meet another child of African American race. We became friends and hugged each other in excitement of the floats and bands going by. The color of her skin was not important to me. We had a delightful time watching the parade.

When I was in high school between 1969 and 1972, sadly there were only a few African American students in our high school. I saw them as people getting an education just like I was. I was never mean or rude to them, they are people, just from a different race and are people who are learning and growing and making their lives better through education.

We are all human beings. Yes, there are evil people who hurt, kill, injure, steal from, abuse and do horrible things to other people. Thankfully, I have never encountered someone like that. So try to see the best in people. Be polite, helpful, and kind. Let’s try to make our world better.