Happy Ostara

That's right. I'm coming out of the broom closet. As if some of you hadn't figured it out previously. And those who have know that I like to rant occasionally but I would never act on those rants. I just don't want the karmic fallout. And today I have been thinking about the fallout of some of my rants. I do not regret any of the things I have said here in the past. They were carefully deliberated thoughts. (Remember? If I am feeling angry, I let the post marinate at least 24 hours before posting.) And over this last week I have been reading the commentary about Obama's speech on racism. And at times I got angry once more.

Although my mother has tried to tell me to let go of this anger. And when she says this, I want to let go. Because my mother, just like my father, grew up under Jim Crow. And every now and then they say things that shock me. Kind of like Reverend Wright. And I forgive them because I know where they have been. Because that's what we do in Black America -- we forgive. Why? Because I know that if I had lived through Jim Crow, Reverend Wright might just sound like a conservative compared to me. As I said back in December, I am tired of people of privilege defining who I should be. And along with this, comes the feeling that these same people should not have the audacity to tell me what is and is not racism.

Now add onto all of this that I took Jill's suggestion to read The Parable of the Sower -- the coolest book I have read in some time. But in reading this book, I couldn't help but think that we weren't that far away from that world. It was the same feeling I got from reading A Handmaid's Tale years ago.

The world has been heading toward a scary place for many years. And finally I started to think that we might get off that track. Before the latest crap. And I start to think about how change is so upsetting to many people. They'd rather maintain the status quo even if the status quo is crap. Or maybe they don't realize that it's all crap because they're benefiting from the status quo.

But today is Ostara -- the day of new life. And for the first time in years, I believe that this is truly the case. Oh. And when they told me that I could leave work early today for Good Friday, I didn't bat an eye. I wonder if they felt the gust as I headed out.