Normal

The world is so full of interesting, important, controversial topics that I am a bit overwhelmed.  A once-a-week blog is not enough to cover all I want to know about.  So, I'm going to start writing more often -- perhaps even as much as every weekday (crazy, I know).  I've already received two topic submissions from friends.  I'd love any others -- if there's anything you've been thinking about, heard in the news or would like to say, please let me know.  I'd love to add it to my cue!

I do want to mention that I'm not ignoring the biggest race story on the news today.  I'll be talking about Trayvon Martin, soon.  There's a great piece NPR did that I want to highlight.  Once I get my thoughts on paper, I'll post them.

Today's blog post is inspired by a youtube video, Normal, which my friend Kaylynn shared with me.  It's a 5 minute video of a guy named Micah speaking at a church.  His speech was inspired by an encounter he had with "shampoo for normal hair".

First, I love Micah's description of how children react to something that is "different".  Children are so honest and open: they notice when something is strange to them, make a big deal about it (as opposed to adults who hide their curiosity) and try to explore this strangeness (as opposed to adults who are afraid of anything strange to them).

I also love what this has to say about our assumptions (I have often thought how, when describing someone walking down the street I use the word "man" to describe a white man and "black man" to describe a black man) and about how those assumptions shape our identity and self-worth.  "Oh the irony when black girls cry themselves to sleep wishing they were light-skinned" Micah says, "while white girls lie for hours on the beach fabricating melanin".  This problem of self-loathing, of ignorance regarding the intentionality of our Maker is not a "normal problem" either he says.  It's a problem for us all.  I love that.  We're all weak.  We are all responsible.  And we all have power to change it.  We're in this mess of misunderstandings and assumptions together and so it will take all of us to get out of it.

I encourage you to watch Micah's video.  It's less than 5 minutes, but is very powerful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPhuYG2_gQk