Created Equal

I have always known and felt that people are people no matter their background, upbringing, race, religion, native soil, etc. In the eyes of our Creator, we are equal. The only difference between us all; rich-poor, beautiful-hideous, healthy-sick, royal-common, powerful-weak, literate-iliterate, privileged-underprivileged, permanent-contingent, is circumstance. I repeat. CIRCUMSTANCE. We are all victims of circumstance. A big part of who we are is determined by the condition in which we are brought up or situation we are exposed to. So the fact that you have the opportunity to read this blog proves that you are fortunate and blessed and that chances are you were born under decent circumstances.

You need to know that where I was brought up I never experienced much racial or class divide. Maybe I was ignorant and naive and could not see what was going on in front of me. Or maybe this was due to the fact that I lived in a middle class neighbourhood, attended a middle class school and I socialized with a middle class society. Maybe it's because when raising their daughters my parents never mentioned or focused on differences between people. We were never made to feel that we were better (or worse) than anyone else. We were and still are ordinary people. In no means is ordinary bad by the way. Maybe its a result of the degree of 'rojakness' within the people that we are able to feel somewhat united. Or maybe we are fused together through our love for 'aramaiti'. Whatever the reason, I strongly believe that we need to start treating each other with equal respect. No one person is more deserving of respect than another. We need to stop judging. As humanly impossible as it seems, we need to try. We need to be more compassionate. Empathy not pity.

Why is it there is so much conflict arising from our differences? Can't we celebrate our diversity? We tend to frown upon people, things or situations that don't register in our minds as normal or acceptable. There are 6.6 billion people on our planet! 6.6 billion different lives, with different cultures and beliefs. 6.6 billion hearts, with different joys and fears. 6.6 billion different views on what is right or wrong. 6.6 billion different ways of leading a life. All lives equally important, all eager to feel validated and believe they matter. All equally entitled to their own happiness and freedom to make choices. Yet we choose to live in our own little closed minded worlds. Refusing to open our hearts to the fact that there is life, real life beyond our own. I truly believe that if we could start treating each other the way we would like to be treated ourselves and to have consideration to a person's feelings as if it were our own, the world would be a better place to live in!