I used to play cowboys and Indians as a child, and dressed up as a highlander, corporal in the Canadian Forces (went to Army Surplus Store), a Sufi in dress, and A British Gentleman with Bowlers Hat and all. Cultural appropriation, eh?
We work in social groups everywhere, whether it be a social club, a place of work, a house of worship, or the women’s or guys’ bowling team. A simple look, twist of our head, undue attention placed on something that has attracted our attention, and “Bam”, we may have upset someone, created a social frenzy, or a fist fight. I once worked with an Ad Agency that fired a fella who simply said the receptionist look great and fantastic…WoW. Yeah, compliments are now out of fashion, and we have to think in advance about what we may say to others. Big Brother is with us even if most of us do not want to admit it.
Joke (warning) How do you keep a blonde in the shower all day? You give them a shampoo that says “rinse, wash and repeat”.
When applying for a Palestinian passport, in the section that says occupation…do you just put Israeli?
Smiling yet? In a world of confusion, uncertainty, and many hurt feelings, what else can we do but learn to laugh at ourselves and hopefully do so with others? Social media has many of us by the throat, having said something seemingly alright in the past, but inappropriate today. Have people become much more sensitive? Has the media and internet empowered them? The person I mentioned, who complimented a beautiful woman at work, who was then let go, spent some time in an institution trying to deal with the massive onslaught of total strangers who heard about his “indiscretion” online. We seem to be surrounded by busybodies, or perhaps many of us have a lot of free time. Who knows?
We all want this world to be a better place, but we never find the perfect one. we face all sorts of crazy situations and characters we do not like, so we feel messed up. Wynonna Judd said, “life is about living, loving, and finding life’s worthwhile purpose”. I guess all the craziness, folly, distress, and fear we experience are speed bumps on the way to something divine, something worthy and life-giving.
Peace out Brothers and Sisters, and laugh a bit, smile a lot, and give of yourselves to others in need.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
