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The 'Wait' On My Shoulders...

'Walk a mile in my shoes' has got to be one of the most disingenuous cliche's I have ever heard. It will NEVER be possible for another person to know what it's like to be you since each of us has a unique set of lived and learned experiences. The best we can do is display through words and behaviors what it appears to be like to walk in our shoes and hope a person can empathize to the point of taking action. As visual learners we seem to grasp concepts quicker when we can see the point. The wait on my shoulders when we meet is as heavy as the weight on my heart for you to respond to the fears rooted in your limited experience and bias when you see me.

The 'wait' on my shoulders is heavier than the 'weight' on my shoulders.

#RunWithMaud

Today millions of people across the Country are running or walking 2.23 miles (date of death) is the name of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery. I wanted to feel and prominently display what it feels like to be me carrying the weight of the fears of my son while I'm out here alone on a daily basis, the weight of fear and bias that I may encounter, the weight of restraint to respond with a smile in the face of hate, and the weight of my commitment to less nouns and more verbs in response to social justice.

Privilege

A Black man walking down the road and on a trail with cement cylinder blocks looks suspicious. Here is proof that they were mine. Do you have to psychologically prepare to prove where you were or what you own when something is stolen or a crime is committed? If I can still be confused as a Green Bay Packer after 7 years of living here, why should I assume you won't quickly dismiss me as a suspect to a crime when someone who physically presents like me fits the description you just watched on the news? Funny till it's not funny....

What responsibility, if any, do you have to empathize with your neighbor who appears to be hurting but you have no experience in that particular pain?

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