Come again, Spring
What started out as a dreary, rainy morning transformed into a brittle winter as a cold chill blew through my bones. I tucked my hands deep into the front of my hooded jacket as I made my way home after classes. Stopped by the traffic, I shivered within myself as I waited for the cross signal to light up allowing for safe passage. My attention was averted from deep in thought by the sight of an elderly man in construction gear racing across the street. I could sense tenseness in his mannerisms that were accentuated by his frantic movements. My eyes back tracked the path that he had ran from, and I watched as stillness transformed into uproar before me.
A couple individuals huddled beside a body lying in the road near a large semi-truck, beside a crane that appeared to be loading onto the truck. Suddenly men in hard hats were running to and fro, pedestrians starting pulling out cell phones, and cars slowed down to snoop. In moments this rather deserted road was filled with flashing lights, police cars, a fire truck, and an unusual amount of traffic and people. I strained to make sense a midst the chaos that had overthrown this quiet afternoon. Then I heard someone yell out, “he’s been jumped, they hit the power lines!” My eyes struggled to spot the face of the man on the ground, to see if I recognized him. Through the circle of legs I caught a glimpse.
I saw a black man.
I couldn't help but notice that every individual surrounding this man was white, yet I saw them bend over this man’s body with care and concern in their eyes. In this solemn moment I was reminded of the power of compassion. I’ll admit that the days of blatant racial injustice is more part of our history than reality today, but I could not help imagining what it would look like if America was closer to adopting the spirit of harmony and equality that lacks in our system of hierarchy. What would happen if America would join forces within its own borders and seek a spirit of unity around our brothers and sisters of all ethnicity - unity similar to what followed the attack on 9-11...everyone embraced one another and banned together regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, or color.
Bitter reality matched the bitter wind as I hurried on past.
With any winter, there comes a spring...though I am hopeful, will spring ever come?
A couple individuals huddled beside a body lying in the road near a large semi-truck, beside a crane that appeared to be loading onto the truck. Suddenly men in hard hats were running to and fro, pedestrians starting pulling out cell phones, and cars slowed down to snoop. In moments this rather deserted road was filled with flashing lights, police cars, a fire truck, and an unusual amount of traffic and people. I strained to make sense a midst the chaos that had overthrown this quiet afternoon. Then I heard someone yell out, “he’s been jumped, they hit the power lines!” My eyes struggled to spot the face of the man on the ground, to see if I recognized him. Through the circle of legs I caught a glimpse.
I saw a black man.
I couldn't help but notice that every individual surrounding this man was white, yet I saw them bend over this man’s body with care and concern in their eyes. In this solemn moment I was reminded of the power of compassion. I’ll admit that the days of blatant racial injustice is more part of our history than reality today, but I could not help imagining what it would look like if America was closer to adopting the spirit of harmony and equality that lacks in our system of hierarchy. What would happen if America would join forces within its own borders and seek a spirit of unity around our brothers and sisters of all ethnicity - unity similar to what followed the attack on 9-11...everyone embraced one another and banned together regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, or color.
Bitter reality matched the bitter wind as I hurried on past.
With any winter, there comes a spring...though I am hopeful, will spring ever come?
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