pride - noun - deep sense of self-respect and admiration of achievements; celebrated visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. Merriam-Webster.com
On Saturday, we in the United (?) States will be celebrating 250 years as a nation. What started as an involved experiment that a room full of anachronistic geniuses imagined is still pretty much that–an involved experiment– as the legal complexities within the government have been continually tried since 1776. The current regime has put the bi-partisan, democratic system to the test on a daily basis, needless to say, exacerbating any divisions omnipresent due to opposing political platforms. I know. I know. You are probably saying to yourself, "Why doesn't she tell me something that I don't already know?" It's coming.
Lately, though, contrary to the aforementioned popular belief that the Media perpetuate, I have seen signs of unity among "We the People." Unifying the globe, the World Cup has been proving that even if you don't like soccer ("football"), you can join the international ranks, choose a team to root for, find yourself a sports bar supporting your specific team with at least five TV monitors, pick one, and watch. Chances are, as you will be shouldering up to people with the same team in common, you may feel that you belong and that Earth is a lot smaller than you think as its people tend to be pretty much the same: boisterous, potentially violent if on the drunk side, but joyful when their team wins. Even if the team loses, you can still stagger home with a few, new, most likely American friends. (Just don't talk politics or religion on the way home.)
Another unifying element is the local fair for a cause. This past Saturday, I, along with others, volunteered to host our church's rainbow-cookie-decorating booth at the Culver City Pride Festival, one of a few here in Los Angeles. One of our members, a young woman transitioning into a man, baked 500 homemade cookies to hand out gratis to anyone of any age who desired one. Some enjoyed getting a bit messy by taking modified Baggies of food-colored icing and using them to create Technicolor art on top of the flat sugar cookies. All walks of LGBTQ, etc. participated as well as legions of straight people, notably families with children. As it was my first experience at a pride celebration, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many straight parents introducing their offspring to the LGBTQ culture, which I feel is an exemplary, unifying idea. My young, attractive–albeit also straight–Presbyterian pastor decided she would give out hugs for free, advertising the giveaway via a rainbow-bedecked sandwich board that covered half of her petite form. Back and forth, she paced for hours in front of the booth, attracting attention. Not surprisingly, many souls–lost or found–took her up on the deal. She must have felt Jesus's presence as she was taking a walk in his sandals since if he were present, he would have offered to step in and give her a hug and a much-needed coffee break. I couldn't help but wish that a few "Christian" politicians, stuck-in-the-mud of conservatism, were there to see just how beautiful we humans can be when we aren't afraid to offer love to all, not just a select few. (Thank you, Matthew 25.)
The bottomline: Take some time to look around, before, after, or during the fireworks on this July 4th. Are we as a nation actually all that divided? Maybe not. I, for one, know that after 250 years, we have at least one thing in common: we are still the people of United States of America. Based on what I have seen, not read, I know that no matter what, we will band together to keep this great democratic nation from crumbling like a sugar cookie sans red, white, and blue icing.
Happy 250th Birthday, U.S.A.!
#July4th, #unity, #Pride, #personal-essay, #blog, #blogger
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