Are we there yet?
Anyone who has been a parent, a teacher or a chaperone on a school trip with children know that one best be prepared for the frequently repeated question, “Are we there yet?” Time moves very slowly for children especially if they are looking forward to some event or destination. As we age time often moves much differently so much so that by the time we enter the last third of this journey we finally understand why some of our elders did not bother to put away the holiday decorations or the kosher dishes. They knew that a year only took two minutes at most. On the other hand, there are times when, even then, our experience of time is similar to that of a young child. Ask any parent who is waiting for their adult child to reach bottom with their addiction to alcohol, other drugs, food or some other substance or behavior how quickly time moves. Ask a refugee or anyone else whose needs and rights are seen by the current administration of the United States or another country as a nuisance to be stamped out how quickly time moves. He or she will respond that it is difficult to remember a time when those in a position of power even pretended to care about their rights. Time is again moving very slowly. When time moves so slowly and may even have seen to stop or go backwards, it is tough to hold on to hope or to feel as if anything one does will make a difference. Yet, that is precisely the time when one needs to hold on to hope; to remember that one person can make a difference; that one plus one equals two and two plus two equals four and soon 1000 plus 1000 equals 2000 and so forth.
It is true that we in the United States as well as those in all other countries have been waiting a very long time for leaders to recognize that all of us deserve to be treated with respect and dignity; that all of us have a right to decent, affordable housing, a livable wage, health care, good education for our children and the right to not have gender, race, religion, age or other social constructs to determine our access to those rights. It is true humans have been feeding their fear that they are not enough at the expense of others since we evolved to our present state.
Here in the United States, we may loudly chant, “Make America great” again forgetting that for significant segments of our population the United States has never been great. Time has moved slowly waiting for equal access to a decent income, housing, the right to marry who one chooses, health care and other basic rights. In fact, for those who have been waiting for fair and just treatment, time now seems to be going backwards. Once again, we may feel the same as that small child asking “Are we there yet?” The answer has to be, “No we are not there yet. Yes, time is moving backwards. Yes, you are not invisible but viewed by many in power as a “damn spot” which needs to disappear. Cries of “Send her back.” Or “Send them back.” taps the depth of weariness which threatens to keep many away from the polls or far from any semblance of hope. Yet, we cannot afford to allow these feelings to swallow us. We do have time. We can make a difference. Together we can resume our journey towards freedom; freedom to claim our place in the front of the bus. There is no going back. “Mr. President we are not going away. This is our home.”
Written July 24, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
Anyone who has been a parent, a teacher or a chaperone on a school trip with children know that one best be prepared for the frequently repeated question, “Are we there yet?” Time moves very slowly for children especially if they are looking forward to some event or destination. As we age time often moves much differently so much so that by the time we enter the last third of this journey we finally understand why some of our elders did not bother to put away the holiday decorations or the kosher dishes. They knew that a year only took two minutes at most. On the other hand, there are times when, even then, our experience of time is similar to that of a young child. Ask any parent who is waiting for their adult child to reach bottom with their addiction to alcohol, other drugs, food or some other substance or behavior how quickly time moves. Ask a refugee or anyone else whose needs and rights are seen by the current administration of the United States or another country as a nuisance to be stamped out how quickly time moves. He or she will respond that it is difficult to remember a time when those in a position of power even pretended to care about their rights. Time is again moving very slowly. When time moves so slowly and may even have seen to stop or go backwards, it is tough to hold on to hope or to feel as if anything one does will make a difference. Yet, that is precisely the time when one needs to hold on to hope; to remember that one person can make a difference; that one plus one equals two and two plus two equals four and soon 1000 plus 1000 equals 2000 and so forth.
It is true that we in the United States as well as those in all other countries have been waiting a very long time for leaders to recognize that all of us deserve to be treated with respect and dignity; that all of us have a right to decent, affordable housing, a livable wage, health care, good education for our children and the right to not have gender, race, religion, age or other social constructs to determine our access to those rights. It is true humans have been feeding their fear that they are not enough at the expense of others since we evolved to our present state.
Here in the United States, we may loudly chant, “Make America great” again forgetting that for significant segments of our population the United States has never been great. Time has moved slowly waiting for equal access to a decent income, housing, the right to marry who one chooses, health care and other basic rights. In fact, for those who have been waiting for fair and just treatment, time now seems to be going backwards. Once again, we may feel the same as that small child asking “Are we there yet?” The answer has to be, “No we are not there yet. Yes, time is moving backwards. Yes, you are not invisible but viewed by many in power as a “damn spot” which needs to disappear. Cries of “Send her back.” Or “Send them back.” taps the depth of weariness which threatens to keep many away from the polls or far from any semblance of hope. Yet, we cannot afford to allow these feelings to swallow us. We do have time. We can make a difference. Together we can resume our journey towards freedom; freedom to claim our place in the front of the bus. There is no going back. “Mr. President we are not going away. This is our home.”
Written July 24, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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