End of the School Year

  Sam Wilson: Revolution, It’s the Only Solution

Sorry I haven’t been around the forum. Work is pretty much falling apart. 30 some people got cut today, not me, but since I have a reputation for being a "go to guy" a lot of things are falling on me. I’m pretty sure teachers who’ve been cut are going to not show up the last two weeks of school, which means there will be some type of violent act at some point. When I left today it looked like an alleyway in a third world country. Trash strewn about everywhere, chaos, people crying. I’m not even making that up. It’s going to be a long two weeks, and I gotta do what I do because now more than ever people are counting on me. For some reason I’m looked up to as a leader, so I guess I’d better lead. Anyway, I’ll check in when I can.

Talk about it on HEF – Hudlin Entertainment Forum

Transcendent, Indeed

What I have learned is that true friendship transcends race, gender, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and a host of other artificial constructs that prohibit people from allowing others into their lives. Stepping outside my comfort-zone has rewarded me with some very special people that I am proud to call my friends.

Sacrificing the known for the adventure of living abroad, I have discovered wonderful allies in four Iraqis. One was my roommate for a while. Two others, I traveled with on a weekend excursions around the Persian Gulf. I’ve entertained Israelis in my home.  My computer doctor is a Palestinian. I’ve traveled and done business with a Kenyan girlfriend who treats me like a sister. I have broken bread with Sudanese and Rwandans and Ugandans that I never would have met at home. One of my closest friends and trekking buddies is Iranian. Who would’a thunk the gangly chick from East Saint Louis, IL would be Skyping compatriots all over the planet?

Though the Iraqi guys and gals and I frequently exchanged barbs about our nations’ current conflict, the overriding factor betwixt us is that we are all humans, passionate about life. Yes, we are from vastly different cultures and religions and a bunch of other stuff, but our similarities outweigh our differences and our respect for each other make the differences negligible.

Through this cornucopia of Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, atheists, homosexuals, homophobes, pro-lifers and pro-choicers, I’ve learned so much more about my self. More importantly, I learned about myself without losing the essence of who I am. It’s important to have a strong sense of self, lest we get swept away into a potentially unhealthy group-think and find ourselves trying so hard to belong, that we relinquish our own identity.

We are all multi-faceted, but sometimes we limit which attributes of ourselves that we explore for fear of offending or raising the eyebrow of peers. I believe we should embrace our unique characteristics. We should not allow ourselves to be discouraged by ‘circumstance’ from investigating the interesting parts of ourselves and growing. We have many, many peers outside our current sphere. Step outside and check them out. Reach out with respect and sincerity and a desire to learn. You’ll be so pleased at how they will enrich your life.