Every Day Dragons
When I was a little girl I used to love Sunday nights. I could watch my favorite program on TV, Disney’s Hour. First I have to tell you that I was raised in countries that were not mine by birth, but they are in my heart. It’s been many years since I left those countries and now I’m what they call a Hispanic American, but I feel as much Caribbean as the arepas and the coqui.
In that wonderful program I learned many beautiful things but what I loved the most was that my imagination every Sunday night took off to the sky. My imagination is very fast and complex and I learned that no dream was too small and that we can get to the top of the mountain if we really try.
Every week Shirley Temple (she was the MC of the program) would talk about a place in the United States or would show us a fairy tale, and of course back in those times all girls wanted to be princesses... I was no exception to the rule… we were all waiting for our princes to come and rescue us. Such an irony though that my prince’s name was Carlota; maybe in my subconscious I already knew I was a lesbian? He he he
My favorite story was Sleeping Beauty. I was terrified when the prince was fighting the dragon and his sword would disappear in the animal’s body. (Children’s stories are not violent at all, are they? I mean, have you seen a cartoon more violent that Road Runner? beep beep NAAA)
From the first time I saw that story I started to call my fears “Dragons" and through the years I have had many dragons, some I have been able to conquer, others, well I’m still trying. Now I ask you, who doesn’t have dragons in their every day life? We have the dragon of getting old, being fat, being rejected and a thousand more, but to me the worst dragon of all is being ignorant.
What are you talking about woman? Being ignorant is not a dragon, you may say!
When we confront something that we don’t understand our first impulse is the dragon of fear.. That big and terrible dragon can dominate you. Later, the dragon of rejection may surface. Why rejection? Because we don’t know the real truth of what we are confronting. However, if we take a little time to learn, with every word, those dragons will shrink so much that they will disappear, I guarantee you that. You will stop being afraid, and knowledge will give you the power to conquer your dragons.
Every day people with AIDS are discriminated (fancy word for rejection) against by their own families thinking that they are contagious. I have been discriminated against for being a lesbian... even though I don’t go around with a big sign in my forehead, I still have been. And how many times people with dark skin have been discriminated against? Handicaps, old, women, men, Catholics, Jews? I’m even guilty of discriminating against someone for not having good table manners.
But are we discriminating because we are ignorant or are we exercising our right to choose?
If we discriminate because we are ignorant, learning about the problem, then maybe, and I say maybe, our dragons will disappear.
If we discriminate because we are exercising our right to choose then we should all remember
In that wonderful program I learned many beautiful things but what I loved the most was that my imagination every Sunday night took off to the sky. My imagination is very fast and complex and I learned that no dream was too small and that we can get to the top of the mountain if we really try.
Every week Shirley Temple (she was the MC of the program) would talk about a place in the United States or would show us a fairy tale, and of course back in those times all girls wanted to be princesses... I was no exception to the rule… we were all waiting for our princes to come and rescue us. Such an irony though that my prince’s name was Carlota; maybe in my subconscious I already knew I was a lesbian? He he he
My favorite story was Sleeping Beauty. I was terrified when the prince was fighting the dragon and his sword would disappear in the animal’s body. (Children’s stories are not violent at all, are they? I mean, have you seen a cartoon more violent that Road Runner? beep beep NAAA)
From the first time I saw that story I started to call my fears “Dragons" and through the years I have had many dragons, some I have been able to conquer, others, well I’m still trying. Now I ask you, who doesn’t have dragons in their every day life? We have the dragon of getting old, being fat, being rejected and a thousand more, but to me the worst dragon of all is being ignorant.
What are you talking about woman? Being ignorant is not a dragon, you may say!
When we confront something that we don’t understand our first impulse is the dragon of fear.. That big and terrible dragon can dominate you. Later, the dragon of rejection may surface. Why rejection? Because we don’t know the real truth of what we are confronting. However, if we take a little time to learn, with every word, those dragons will shrink so much that they will disappear, I guarantee you that. You will stop being afraid, and knowledge will give you the power to conquer your dragons.
Every day people with AIDS are discriminated (fancy word for rejection) against by their own families thinking that they are contagious. I have been discriminated against for being a lesbian... even though I don’t go around with a big sign in my forehead, I still have been. And how many times people with dark skin have been discriminated against? Handicaps, old, women, men, Catholics, Jews? I’m even guilty of discriminating against someone for not having good table manners.
But are we discriminating because we are ignorant or are we exercising our right to choose?
If we discriminate because we are ignorant, learning about the problem, then maybe, and I say maybe, our dragons will disappear.
If we discriminate because we are exercising our right to choose then we should all remember
to use soft and wise words when you are rejecting - because tomorrow you may have to swallow them
It's time that we learn from this simple word "Ignorant" = Is a toxin that affects your, kidney,liver,brain,soul,education,lack of knowledge,and much more...from being an aknowledge human being...and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic if we keep this dragon inside. Excellent topic !
ReplyDeleteAlicia