Resolution...?

Well, I'm still here.

I've been trying to write this for a few days, but for some reason, it just hasn't been coming to me easily. Maybe it's working third shift, maybe I'm just blah, who knows. Still, I've been thinking about how it's too easy to ignore people who are different from us, those who share a different viewpoint, those who haven't been where we've been. Like, a friend of mine got in my car the other day, and I had 2Pac's greatest hits in the CD player. So he goes off about how rap sucks, about how it's pointless, and ignorant, and ghetto, and blah blah blah. Now it doesn't bother me when someone just doesn't like rap, because personal tastes, whatever, but what sucks is a person refusing to acknowledge that there is any other viewpoint on the subject. I'm talking about looking down on someone else because they might listen to rap, even if you hate it. That's past objection based on personal tastes; that's a condemnation of an entire culture. And that's not cool.

People do this a lot, refusing to accept something they don't like, and I know because I do it too. For me, it's usually about philosophical, or political, or religious beliefs, but no matter what you disagree about, it's the same basic predicament. It's hard for me to listen to someone who completely disagrees with me, and honestly, I don't really try that hard to listen most of the time. But I'd like to change that. I don't know if I can change it, but I think it's worth trying to do so, because there has to be some middle ground, some commonality that we can all find. There's way too much violent, vehement disagreement, and it doesn't help that those in power, those we look up to cultivate that disagreement for their own questionable purposes. Because when it comes down to it, people are what matter, not the walls we build up around ourselves to separate us from each other. Despite our quirks and annoyances and differences, there is a common bond in our imperfect humanity. We have to try and smash those walls we've built, or I don't see how we have a future. Like my favorite teacher says, all we have is human capital; all we have are one another. Holding hands, and staring into the night.

So, for the new year, I promise to try to listen more, and actually hear, especially when somebody's saying something I'd rather ignore. We'll see how much success I have, but wish me luck anyway, 'cause I have a hard-ass head.

Happy New Year, and may God bless us all.