“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
The Declaration of Independence
I am the son of a woman who unknowingly married an already married man; he and his wife had several older children. I am an immigrant that is of average intelligence, short stature, and mulatto skin. I speak with a funny accent, I’m too wordy, and I talk at the speed of a roadrunner. Even around my so-called demographic, people look in amazement when I speak my native tongue. Oftentimes I find myself the only person in the room that looks, talks, or even thinks as I do.
I share with you this brief synopsis about myself because it is my opinion that if we look at our lives thoroughly, we will always find characteristics of “otherness.” Some of those characteristics could be to our advantage, others to our disadvantage. These characteristics become more prevalent based on the times in which we live. There will be those that embrace us for who we are, and there will be those that repel us for the same thing.
We can always find “otherness” if we choose to look; it is not very hard. Our modern paradigm forces us to put individuals in categories to better understand the world. We demonize those of opposing beliefs and attempt to force them into our way of thinking. I have been fortunate to have experienced otherness, but also the uniqueness that is our own lives. In my case how a mother overcame a horrid betrayal to provide a better life for her son and her family. How friends encourage you to practice your new language without bullying. How strangers, from all different races, genders, and creeds, accept you for all that you offer.
I am a lover of history, in particular, the evolution of human ideas throughout time. The promise of the Declaration of Independence, although not perfect in its original implementation, is an idea that has taken us many trials and errors to continue to improve, but it shows that we all understand the need to eliminate “otherness”.
A Call to Action
Our lives are always in conflict, and our shared experiences could be the thread to help us navigate through the strife. Therefore, we would like to hear from you. Please share a time in your existence in which you experienced “OTHERNESS”. Describe the experience (feeling and thoughts), how did you confront it (positively or negatively)? and whether or not you were able to overcome it.