October

Dear October,

A word about politics.

Imagine there were four people, each with unique muscle stiffness in their necks. One’s head is frozen always turning towards the left. One’s head is frozen always turning towards the right. One’s head is frozen alway facing up. The last one’s head is frozen always pointed down. The four people are each able to get a 360 degrees impression of the world around them but it requires varying degrees of effort.

Think of the difference, for example, between the one whose head is turned left and the one whose head is pointed down. A person could argue that even though the one who is always looking left does not live an easy life, their life is perhaps more manageable than the one always looking down.

Regardless, how foolish, and inaccurate, would it be for the four to assume that all of their perspectives were the same. How foolish would it be to consider that all of their concerns therefore, are the same.

So October, here is my theory: Some of us are stuck looking left. Some stuck looking right. Some stuck looking up. And the rest stuck looking down. We shout loudly and proudly for our views to be heard but we never consider to try to look the other way.

My heart’s disappointment was found in you, October, when I realized that beyond the inability to change perspectives, there is a general lack of desire to do so.

How on earth can we work towards a better world, when we are all looking different ways? When we refuse to consider other people’s perspectives?

Until next time,

Yours,

Naliaka.O