One fine day in government class....
Teacher: "Based upon which politician you agree with, I'd like you to move to either the left or right side of the room".
I can't remember the politicians. Both were brilliant but the names are far from my mind. Anyways...
Teacher: "Umm.... Shalese. WHAT are you doing?"
Me: "Well, you see teacher... I feel like both men have valid points and if we were to apply both of their ideas we'd have a more cohesive way of thinking. Everyone would have a voice and, albeit with some compromise, we'd all be satisfied with the end result. Therefore, I am standing in the MIDDLE of the room."
Wasn't I such an eloquent high school student.....
No matter what the students or the teacher would say, I would not be moved from the middle of the classroom. Why limit myself to one way of thinking when I could encompass more beliefs and opinions by closely examining them both? Everyone has good ideas but not ALL of their ideas are going to be winners. You're going to have to look at multiple ways of thinking to be properly educated in developing your own.
ENTER SHALESE
Hi, I'm Shalese. I'm the voice of the middle ground. I wanted to formally take the time to introduce myself. The reason I chose to do this as a second entry and not the first was because I felt that my first post was the walkway with which lead you to the front door of my mind. It gave you a chance to see how I write, how I feel, and a gist of how I see things. I'd like to say that I am opinionated. I am QUITE opinionated. However, my opinions aside, an educated individual has the ability to listen to others opinions and examine them with an unbiased mind. The insight you gain from such reflection then integrates itself into your belief system. Philosophers dating back to Ancient Greece held strongly to such a way of thinking.
It goes like this.... Remember when you were a kid and you HATED (insert food of choice here--mine was mushrooms) ?? Despite what everyone told you, no way in HELL were you going to eat it. The loathing for this dish was ingrained into your every being. If mushrooms had so much as come in contact with whatever I was eating I could tell. Then, when I came to college, I became more involved with the Japanese community of Pocatello. What is a common food in Asian dishes?? MUSHROOMS. I didn't want to look like a child picking out what I didn't like and abandoning it on the side of my plate. So, despite my INTENSE hate for this fungusthatshouldnotbeeaten... I ate them. And you know what?? I LOVE MUSHROOMS. I eat them in miso soup. I eat them in my salad. I fry them up and eat them by themselves. For 20 years I was missing out on something great until my pride forced me to eat them. I was stuck in this mental rut I could not escape from.
I'm not asking you to embrace everything, everyone, and every walk of life. Your opinions make you who you are. If we all thought the same things, felt the same way, life would be boring and we would be robots. I'm just saying that, if you're stuck in a mental rut, pull your head out off the sand and eat those mushrooms. Examine every side of the story, every perspective, every reason, every fact. Do not limit yourself to one way of thinking, one politician, one type of food group. You could truly miss out on something that will change your life.
I believe the reason why I live in the middle ground is because of the things I've been through. I'm the product of a strong, faithful LDS mother and stepfather and a fabulous, flamboyant gay dad and his partner. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum, huh?? I was bound to end up in the middle growing up with something like that. Both sets of parents are excellent people and I love them to the stars and back. As I grew up, I was able to look at both of their lifestyles and determine how I wanted to live based on what I saw. I went through experiences that few people go through at the same time. I experienced the radical left and the radical right. I liked some things, didn't like others, and move towards the happy middle. I found out, however, that few people are in the happy middle.
We live in a world full of red and blue, of black and white, and of *regenbogen farbig and clear. There is no representation of the people that live in the middle. WHAT is so wrong with living in the middle? Not even living in the middle, but listening to the middle. Giving them a chance. If you truly believe in the extreme left or right, kudos to you for believing in something. Just don't let your beliefs consume you past the point of reason . Always be mindful that life is ever changing and you must do the same. New light is shed on things each day. Don't limit yourself. According to ancient philosophers, you will seem ignorant and uneducated.
I believe in compromise. I love the middle ground. My favorite color is sparkly gold. I'm pretty sure I was a peacock in my past life. I LOVE them. I want to write for a magazine or newspaper and live somewhere like Seattle or San Francisco. I have four brothers and three sisters. I love my family. LOVE my family. I'm part Japanese and part Irish and, to be honest, I think it's the coolest. I love where I come from. I love where I'm going. I'm an Aquarius and I use to think astrology was a bunch of horseshit until I read into it... it fits me to a T. There's more aquarians in the Hall of Fame than any other zodiac sign. There's also more in the insane asylums. We're crazy, inspired, and constantly consumed by everything around us. I dance everywhere I go. I like to sing loud and off-key. I enjoy people and talk A LOT. I love life. I just ..... Love. Everything. Everyone. I use the word beautiful often. I talk to myself more than anyone else.
I don't intend to change the world. I fear that such a drastic change where everyone loved everyone would end in chaos. It'd be idealistic, but realistic? I'm not sure. I just hope that we can at least get to a place where there is no hate. We can agree to disagree. We can accept people for who they are and not what they do or where they come from. Let's try and replace hate with respect. Get the wheels turning. Pick up your feet and try to make a difference. I know it's scary to stand up against such a strong movement but, if we all work on it together, I think we could get somewhere. If I see you out in the real word, I'll be sure to give you a thumbs up. And perhaps a hug.
"Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."
~Dalai Lama
*German word for rainbow colored. Probably my favorite German word. I know bits and pieces of German but mostly pickup lines. DIRTY pickup lines ;)
Perfection . . .
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