CIVIL RIGHTEOUSNESS

The day Rosa Parks decided to take a seat at the front of the bus, was the moment the Civil Rights Movement Began, her decision not to go to the back of the bus that day created a new way of life for many including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who Led this life changing movement.

However I have a question who has really benefited from the Civil Rights Movement?  In actuality neither the individual who began it or the man that led it benefited to the degree that we all would like to believe.  It was the women of the  Feminist Movement that followed, which gained the most momentum from it and eventually utilized the laws for themselves.  Yesterday I attended an American Association of University Women (AAUW) meeting at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA  and I was the only woman of color in the room, it was glaringly apparent to me particularly because the topic of discussion was about women and their struggle that something was awfully wrong.  The speaker was a historian professor and author from Evergreen University who very eloquently spoke on women's issues, was quite gender specific and I must say I was impressed however; being the only woman of color in the room, it dropped in my spirit that in the 21st Century even now today, this very moment; women of color are still challenged by lack of Civil Rights. Due to the fact that his group would not allow women of color to become members, women of color had to create their own organization for themselves, a parallel organization for the rights of women.  Being a double minority and still struggling to identify their true identity after all this time.  I was having a discussion with my niece and she is young, progressive and extremely intelligent and plans to produce films, I believe her viewpoint and perspective is very pure.  She said Aunt you should blog this.  So here we go.

Civil:  adequate in courtesy and politeness: MANNERLY , I'm going to go with this one.  What do you think?  OR what about;

Civil: of relating, or involving the general public, their activities, needs or ways, or civic affairs as distinguished from special (as military or religions) affairs.

well now how am I doing?

Rights: Righteousness Upright
             Being in accordance to what is just, good or proper
             Suitable, appropriate
             Genuine real

WOW  right up my alley, just what I wanted to see, thank you Merriam Webster. com, online dictionary, you nailed it.  See when I decided to title this blog Righteousness seemed more appropriate than rights, reason being you can LEGISLATE rights, but not  righteousness because being righteous is a personal matter however you decide to use it.  Because what the Civil Rights movement was based on is Civility, doing the right thing.  But you can legislate civility.  You can't put it in a bottle and sell it you just can't make people want to be civil nor righteous in the sense of integrity.  Although most people love being RIGHT, but Righteousness is another category the type of righteousness I am discussing it's sort of like being PIOUS (marked by hypocrisy); like getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar, you want the cookie, but don't want to pay for it. Pretension!

This may be the only place I have as an individual to say what I truly believe and share how I feel and be completely honest about it.  This is my seat on that bus, my way of saying that things haven't really changed very much.  It was the 19th Century when Rosa and Martin collaborated with a lot of other people to protest lack of Civility, and they were very effective, but do you realize that it only worked for a select few.  Pretty much the same select few that was privileged to begin with.  But it wasn't a waste, because consciousness is a significant factor in growth and moving away from circumstances, situations, people in life that don't serve us.  It requires or better said it allows us to go within and search ourselves and what we would like to see for ourselves. So Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., brought consciousness to a sleeping society, the movement awakened a consciousness in them that had just seemed right to them.  These were and still are their reasoning's and they are entitled to them, although not at the cost of others rights.  Too big a price to pay.

So the door was opened and some folks walked right through the door, however;  it only remained slightly ajar for the rest and then it was slammed shut. Some of us wiggled our way through creating genres of our own, still being classified as something else, "Outside the Box" (which is a good thing). We now find ourselves in the 21st Century, what do you see??  How do you feel about the outcomes? How do you feel regarding who walked through that open door, carved for WHOM?   How is the consciousness of our culture, how aware, what has changed, what is significantly altered or different than it was?  How are your Civil Rights? Seen them lately?  Are they okay? Are you  feelin me?  Do you feel any more acceptable than in the 19th Century if you were around, does it or does it not matter?  For those of you who were not, what do you think?

There is a saying "The more things change,  the more they stay the same".  Seems like a very true statement at this moment in time   NOW!

PURPOSE & VALUE

Something is just eating away at me today about Value and Purpose.  Not being negatively affected by what is on the outside and gaining more knowledge of who and what you are and being guided from the inside.  We as women are inundated with expectation from others and have been created to expect and accept this as our true nature and Purpose (there's that word again).  Not saying it isn't true just expanding on the concept a bit.  After all we are Mother of Humanity and Essence of the Creator of this Universe.  So what and who we are requires much of us.

There is just so much information, so much intrusion, so much of everything and it can be quite challenging to embrace one's self for self with so much propaganda.  What I am suggesting are asking is:  "DO YOU LIVE OUT FROM WHAT AND WHO YOU ARE"?

The other thing is that life is really (all)  about relationships and the people in our lives speaks volumes about, I don't want to say who we are, or even what we are but what we believe about ourselves, particularly those we've chosen. We are impressed, influenced by our relationships, no matter how subtle.

You see, we allow everything that occurs in our lives to happen and not knowing doesn't matter, life happens regardless of what you are conscious of , or lack awareness of.  The more Knowledge we have the more Power we have to determine what will and will not be a part of our lives.  Who we allow in and why, questions we ask or don't ask all of this is relative and relevant.  I probably just said the same thing with those last two words, but I like words, so look them up see what you think about it.  You're entitled.

As you may have heard we are all and one connected, as we are one with the Universe so whatever we think, do or say others are affected by as well.  Simple stuff I know, but do you know how many people don't get it.   If someone is in your immediate circle or very close to you then those individuals may be more affected than those who are just passing through your life and what you are experiencing.

John Lennon once said something like this "When you inspire someone else, you actually are motivating yourself as well, it's "Instant Karma".  My point when you "Uninspire" someone (my word), then you also "Uninspire" yourself, get my drift.

I also heard somewhere, or I read that the Moment you  think a thought, the moment you send it out, a reciprocation is framed to you, immediately.  That is still the "Instant Karma", concept.  BOOMERANG!

So don't be afraid to give away some Power, it's okay, when you can give Power away, it only means that your Personal Value is healthy. Trust me you don't lose anything by sharing.  Sharing is caring, so give with feeling; and you will expand yourself in the process.  Just know everything we do matters.  Absolutely everything even the smallest gesture, thought or action holds value and Yes Power.  All that we do, say or act upon is very, very powerful, test what I'm saying,  just try it you may be surprised at the outcomes.

So don't devalue yourself by believing that who you are and what you may have given was ever lost, it was not. And if you feel you've lost something, learn from the loss.  It was your purpose to do so, and you will be richly rewarded for your generosity at some point in your life.  Because we are  all interconnected and we all affect each other's lives.  So remember that the next time you feel Unvalued or Purposeless.  As you explore the deeper meaning of relationships, the why of them you may begin to understand how you as an individual may effect change in another because that is what relationships do. That is why you connected, why you crossed paths and the exchange that occurs would be your Purpose and Value, or Added Value to what is already exists; which is where this discourse began. 

Remember there is nothing RANDOM in our universe and there is no such thing as a COINCIDENCE, its all exactly what it should be!

You Matter, you are Worthy, where you are is exactly where you should be and everything you do is Significant, has Purpose and is Valuable, absolutely EVERYTHING!

Be where you are, Focus on what you Want in your Life and guess what It Will Happen!