I wake up every morning with the intention of making the best of any situation that God presents. I'll make friends with any and every person that God places in my path, regardless of their appearance. I could've become a disappointment to my family, lost good friends along the way, or even become a disgrace to my race, but I can guarantee you I haven't lost a wink of sleep as a result. I'm not closing myself off to any part of life. Most people may be completely content living in a world where racism still exists, but I will never accept that life. I was raised to be greater than that kind of ignorance. The only reason racism still exists is because people aren't willing to endure the awkwardness, the pain, and the difficulty of befriending a different race.
Is it hard relating to friends who had a COMPLETELY different childhood from myself? Yep
Do some of my white friends ask stupid questions out of ignorance? Heck Yes
Do I have white friends who get a little too comfortable with us being friends and make inappropriate comments? All the time
Are all of my white friends scared as crap to come visit my church? You know it
Is it weird having friends who have never seen a single episode of "Martin", "Good Times", "My Brother and Me", or "Smart Guy"? Beyond weird
In spite of all of these differences, big or small, I have made some loyal friendships that I know will be around for years to come. And that white girl... That white girl has been a tremendous blessing in my life, and truly a gift from God. She may not be what you envisioned or wanted for my life, but I can assure that she is EXACTLY what I needed. I fell in love with her heart, not her skin color. I've been introduced to new movies, music, beliefs, and standards that have completely changed my life. The things that I have GAINED have far outweighed the difficulty of branching out past my comfortable life. I didn't do any of this because I was trying to win an award for race relations, but because I was curious to see what God could do with my life if I got out of my comfort zone. I've been leading an amazing life, and a lot of it is due to the fact that I didn't let cultural norms determine my life decisions.
Rocking my dude!!!!!! Awesome, Richard M
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, you're awesome :)
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