I was a bit harsh & unfair. I am beginning to understand where I’m prejudice. It took me longer than usual to unwind, to be present, on a recent outing into the Klamath Siskiyou. The forest incredibly lush vibrant shades of green, the creeks tumbling, the river swooshing, high and clear and cold, my phone hours earlier and miles ago out of range. Still – I ruminated.Before I left to go camping the outrage with racism, oppression, and police brutality of our black citizens was boiling. I shot off a cranky post fueled by my anger and stress. In no way did I want (or do I want) to detract from the issue of racism in the U.S. I also did not want to be silent when my fellow citizens asked for my help (and all of our help) as the lens is focused on injustice.I have been inspired me to look at how I am prejudice and how can I be more inclusive.Out there, in the wild, as time breathed on, my creek side rumination revealed several things.
1. I was wrong to call out ALL white men as the problem. True that nearly 85% of the people I see camping are white men, another 5% are white men with white women. None of these people have ever been anything but friendly to me (and All of the men I know are wonderful compassionate people!). I have a bias based on the media splash of a white man committing a hate crime. Because I believe in collective consciousness, I also believe negatively implying all white men are no good helps no one and no situation.
2. This led me to the same line of thinking of Native American men. I have a bias to be fearful if we cross paths when out in the wild. I have no rational factual reason for this fear. I wonder would I feel the same if the man were black?
3. I am prejudice of the heavy-handed outdoorsman. It is not about gender; it’s about how they recreate and use the forest differently than I do. My wanting to tread lightly and leave a place looking untouched vs. manipulating the environment for their own need and comfort (and sometimes being really trashy). Aside from the trashy bit, even though it is not how I want to recreate, how much harm is it really causing?
Thank you Marinel de Jesus (browngaltrekker) for challenging me to check my biases. Although not directly related to Black Lives it is a first step for me in recognizing one of the areas where I am prejudice; which can open the door to further realizations. If reading this made you uncomfortable, your welcome. In order to change the paradigm, we got to get out of our comfort zone.Day two, breakfast by a pretty little pond bubbling with fish feasting on may flies. Overhead the forest full of bird song, but I’ve seen no one in 16 or more hours. I begin to ruminate again – how can I initiate inclusion? I think about how I would just love to see more women in the wild, let alone of woman of color or any person of color for that matter. My heart sinks a bit.Five miles later and ten more to go, I round a corner and there on the road, wearing hiking boots, grasping trekking poles, a canister of bear spray attached to one hip, are two voluptuous black women heading up the mountain doing what I love doing! Big smiles and a friendly wave and I practically burst into to tears…Keep your head up, keep your hand on your heart while your mind is on the matter, this topsy turvy world right now is on the right track.
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