Prejudiced

Because of my life experiences I did not grow up prejudiced against any race or nationality, which may be why I ended up in Grants, NM. While the Resource Development Coordinator for Grants Good Samaritan Center, I went out of my way to include everyone, pointing out that there are more than Spanish and Native Americans who reside here. One of my most successful ventures was the "Ethnic Evening of Entertainment", featuring talent from local residents and even included a bagpiper from Albuquerque. An array of desserts from around the world , provided by the staff and my Advisory Board, was thoroughly enjoyed during intermission.

Not long ago I had the pleasure of having a Facebook friend who is Muslim and lived in Libya. At first we had some problems communicating, but soon enjoyed exploring the differences in our culture and traditions. We also discovered a strong spiritual connection between us. Nora eventually stopped writing and I pray that she and her family are well and safe and did not suffer because of a senseless war.

Although I do not harbor prejudice against people's race etc. I cannot honestly say that is true of the negative addictions some display. Another word for prejudice is intolerance. This again is due to my personal life experiences. The major biggies in this category are addictions such as alcoholism and habitual liars. I believe that both of these negative habits create a screen for people to hide behind. Of course, everyone has their own reasons for doing the things they do and everyone has their own path to follow, which has nothing to do with me.

Summing things up I would say any prejudice I have is not because of how people were born it is because of what they choose to do after the fact. Perhaps that makes me more judgmental than prejudice. I recently found a very powerful affirmation along these lines from a book titled, The game of Life and How to Play it  by Florence Scovel Shinn, originally written in 1925.

"I salute the divinity in you; I see you as God sees you- perfect." Perhaps if we all saw each other that way prejudice and judgement would be eliminated. After all we all came from the same Source.