On a more serious note...

Of late, I have been sharply disappointed in myself for having not read any books worthy of being called 'great' since high school, and that I can't remember what most of those were even about. So yesterday I finished reading "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. The book is a beautiful, shockingly honest account of Maya's growing up years in the South, her experiences with her parents, and most especially of how she came to be who she is. It was one of those books that I couldn't get my mind off of. When I was doing other things, I wished I was reading it. I was fascinated.

I found myself of two different minds throughout the book. There were parts of the book that we all may be able to relate to. Everything from feeling like you don't belong in your own skin to desperately trying not to laugh at the crazy people in church. I was amazed that she found such important life lessons in the seemingly ordinary events of some of her days. Often, I found myself putting the book down in my lap to think about the things I had just read, and I constantly re-evaluated some of the things that I have been through, finding meaning in them when before, there was none.

And then there were the very extraordinary happenings in her young life. Rape, worry over a brother who had witnessed a dead man being pulled from a pond, and visits to her neighborhood from the KKK. Here is where I had some deep thinking to do.

I have long thought that black people ought to stop moaning about having things so rough. I tire of hearing about "the first black man to do this" and "the first black woman to do that". I see the accomplishment for what it is, not for whether they did it with white skin or black skin or any other color. I see the BET awards on TV and a look comes across my face to match the one I get when I smell a dirty diaper because I can't help but think, "Black people have heroically fought for equality, and here they are, patting themselves on the back for starring in a really good movie, while having black skin." If we had a White Entertainment Television show, can you imagine the uproar that would cause?

I am not a racist person. I believe every person of every race, gender, creed or orientation is a loved child of our Creator, and that no person is more valuable than another. But in a day where a black man is sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office, I think that all excuses go out the window. If Obama can land himself there, then there ought to be no one saying that their crummy position in life was thrust upon them by the color of their skin and that they never had a chance.

Black fathers should be responsible role models and stay in their homes, being good husbands to the mothers of their children. White men should do the same.

White boys should spend less time with their pants hanging below their butts, put their basketballs and iPods and video games away and go study, read books and make something of themselves. Black boys should do the same.

Girls of every color should start respecting themselves. Dress and act like you care more about yourself than which male prospect will validate your existence this weekend.

Not every black person is raised in a slum with a cracked out mother who didn't care if they came home at night or not.

Not every white person is born into affluence and judges people by the bottom line of their bank account.

I believe that every person's quality of life is determined by their attitude, the effort they put into making it what they want it to be, their motives for success, and their appreciation for what they have and what others contribute.

These are some of the thoughts that I had while reading "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". I also had other thoughts. I believe that segregation now only exists in the sense of perception. If you believe that you are less than or more than another person because of their heritage, then racism is given a place to thrive.

Maybe Black Entertainment Television and the awards that they give are celebrations of a culture, and not an exclusive club. Maybe President Obama was elected by our people because he embodied their same beliefs, and not just because a majority of America was thrilled at the thought of being able to assist in delivering a monumental event in history.

Sometimes I pass a black man on the street that is dressed as what I would call a "thug", so I make a point to make eye contact with him and smile to show that I do not consider him a threat, but the same as any other individual walking down the street. But, I guess the fact that I feel I need to do that says that I might actually believe him to be a potentially threatening thug. Maybe tolerance is never perfected, but should always be worked on. Consciously banishing the thoughts that subconsciously enter our minds, until they are no longer present in the foreground or the background.

I certainly cannot relate to every experience that Maya Angelou went through as a child and young adult, but after reading her book, I am appreciative of her sharing them. I better understand the feelings that come along with being discriminated against. I have an emotional picture of what it was like to grow up in the Deep South, with their customs and cultural differences, and I appreciate how hard it must have been to be planted in a place where it is expected that you will become nothing, and then turn your life into a gift to yourself and others.

I have not given voice here to every thought and opinion that I possess. As with all my blog posts, I wrote this without re-reading, wondering if people would be offended, censoring myself or fussing over the grammatical elements. I just let it out as I was prompted to by my feelings on Angelou's book. I may have opened a nasty can of worms, but I'm glad I read the book, and I can't help but tell what I felt about it. Now - on to Dickens and "A Tale of Two Cities".