Does Anybody Know We're Here?

There are two desires, recognition and acceptance, that permeate the human psyche from the moment of incarnation into this realm of existence until our transition to the next. They are two very simple concepts, yet by not employing them in our interaction with one another, we become prone to judging each other from a hierarchical point of view (as better or less than ourselves). A scene from the movie 'The Color Purple' aptly illustrates these concepts, and speaks volumes for how absurd yet necessary it is that we remind one another of how important we are. Celie is about to leave Mista. Mista expresses that he is her only hope for survival because her worthlessness will not allow her to be successful or of any meaningful use to any one else. In response Celie spits my favorite and what I deem as the most important line in the whole movie... "I'm poor, black; I may even be ugly. But dear God! I'm here! I'm here!" From time to time we go to great lengths to express our desires for recognition and acceptance, but unlike Celie unfortunately, our acts of desperation can sometimes result in detriment and destruction. 

Case in point is the unwarranted violence displayed in the city of Chicago this past weekend. The following is from an article, by Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner and John Byrne, related to that situation:


"...Police Superintendent Gerry McCarthy said the department's strategy to curb gang violence throughout the city is working..."As for this weekend; I know of at least five or six shootings that were retaliatory that we didn't get in front of," McCarthy said...(Mayor Rahm) Emmanuel talked about efforts he has previously discussed to provide beat officers with better gang intelligence...toward a proactive footing in the fight against crime."


It would take too much time and space to discuss the unintended irony inherent in the foregoing passages, so I'm going to leave it up to you guys to comment on the city's means of curbing gang violence. It is my belief that curbing gang violence is not the answer. Reevaluating and changing our attitude toward it is. It is imperative that we begin addressing the desires of our children prior to them seeking to meet these desires through means that lead to the detriment of themselves and others. At some point in every child's life they feel unnoticed and unaccepted for who they are. The inability or unwillingness to express this emotional discomfort causes dissatisfaction and a burning need to somehow attain these beguiling and elusive states of recognition and acceptance, by whatever means necessary. Gang membership and other subversive behaviors not only offer the opportunity to be accepted for who one is or seeks to be, but also offers the vicarious pleasure of being deemed worthy of participation in subversive activities. This is not to say that unmet desires are the sole cause of errant behavior, but that addressing these desires at a young age will certainly have its benefits.


No one sees his or her self as being in perfect alignment with the societal concepts of good looking, having a banging body, a loving spouse of comparable physical and emotional attributes, and two wonderful children whose college expenses are being held in a tax exempt interest bearing mutual fund. All of us do not have walk-in closets displaying the latest fashions, housed in a 2500 square foot home, with a heated swimming pool in the back yard, an attached three car garage for our two high end late model automobiles, all sitting on two acres of land and supported by two separate six figure incomes. Yet most of us readily accept these conditions as desirable and worthy of striving for, while unaware that by doing so we inadvertently feed a sense of inadequacy which is based on our feeling that we are not yet where we feel we should be. We unconsciously belittle our youth for not doing what is necessary to better their chances of achieving the things we deem as accessible and attainable, and despise those, less financially fortunate than ourselves, who have the nerve to ask us for some of the money we intend to put toward the attainment of our own personal goals. If we are looking to gain an acceptable and recognizable position on the heirarchal ladder of success, we should remain ever aware that substantial material gain is a vain effort. All we need do is to consider those who have all the attributes and assets mentioned above, and realize that one day they will attend a Bill Gates or Warren Buffett soiree and inevitably, at some point, ask the same question we are all faced with from time to time...'Does anybody know I'm Here?'


Essentially, all we really want is for others to see and accept us for who we are, and recognize that we are doing the best we can with what we have. Whether rich/poor, black/white, young/old, gang banger/geek or anywhere in between; we all have a right and a reason to be here. So let's keep Celie and Chicago in mind and remain prepared to hear each other's initial and inaudible declaration of 'I'm here.' By adhering to the consciousness of presence and purpose, acceptance and recognition,  we offer the opportunity for ourselves and others to be all that we can be and to do all that we're put here to do.




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