Porthole

Lefty? That's me. Orange? Yep. White Pride... nope.

Elisa, Stik of Clubs prompted me in "Identity Contemplations"  so I wrote and wrote and... I'll edit later for clarity.

Lefties [as in left-wing politically] see people as monoliths! [duh]

Yeah, I'm a 'lefty' ... left-handed too. I identify as left-handed and always mention it when I find a fellow lefty. OT? Nope. Lefties (as in handedness) can talk about smearing the paper in school, not being able to process what righties are trying to show, being put down for not being able to do things the 'right' way, for being forced to accommodate others. We all know the horror of scissors.

So, in a way, we share something mundane (and not overtly political) that leads to a certain understanding [and commiseration].

Now... for those of us who love the color orange... do you know how many orange-loving lefties there are here at WDC? Quite a few it turns out.

Seriously, folks who have no contact with a group not like them can oft times resort to stereotypes; however, those who have a couple token experiences can fall into the fallacy of how one person can represent the whole. Left or Right Wing? All wings can exhibit this.

I am fortunate because:

1. I've had Black folks as teachers, friends, housemates, neighbors, in the US and elsewhere, at various stages in my life. This is one of the few stages that I don't have many close Black friends. Also... highly educated, blue-collar, not-so-bright. All types! From inner-city, homeless shelter, small town.

2. Native Americans? Same. Landlady, co-worker, Senior Center, family I lived with, town I lived in in Cherokee Nation. Poet, friend, elders.

3. I have more than one friend who is trans, gay, lesbian, bi... From cops to artists, young to old. And everywhere I lived.

4. Claro, que he vivido en Costa Rica! I knew when I was 18 that there were 18 Latin-American countries... and none of them were Spain. However, it took living in CR, taking in refugees from Guatemala, El Salvador and elsewhere to totally appreciate the differences. Even in CR there are important nuances in culture between Caribe, Zona Sur, Valle Central, Guanacaste. Once again, have friends from different socio-economic slices of society.

5. Travel... there are very few corners of the world that I haven't met on my travels. And what a mix!

In summation, just like do-gooders in the homeless shelter, some left-wingers want to embrace everyone without ever having had the chance to meet those they want to embrace (clue... not everyone wants to be hugged). Their hearts may be in the right place but they do-wrong because they have neither the knowledge nor the tools.

So, yes, I identify as a 'lefty' (both terms) but not as White. And my lack of White Pride puzzles those whose identity is White... no matter how left or right they may be politically.

Ah... just wrote a blog entry! Thanx for prompting me.

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