Pseudo Political Followup Post

Last Friday I was stuck in Toms River New Jersey. Nice area with little or nothing to do if you don't have wheels. The Holiday Inn was flanked by and oil change place and a Pep Boys store. With hurricane weather on it's way north I called to see if I could go somewhere a little more logistically suitable. So off to Newark, Cinci and Columbus. Opps, mechanical on the EWR-CVG flight. Rebooked on Newark, Atlanta, Columbus. Sounds all fine and good but it took eleven hours to do it. The thought of renting a car and making the drive crossed my mind earlier in the day and I should have, I would have gotten to the hotel a couple hours earlier. "Got time to spare... Go by Air!"

Anyhow... I was picked up at the hotel and we got on the road to EWR. The limo driver was a very nice black man from Canada that was now a U.S. citizen. So politics came up and we had a very nice discussion as he was at this point unsure which way he was going to vote. Of course we got on the race and gender track and I told him of my change in thinking from my younger days that I talked about the other day (click here to read). The driver said he just did not get the "race thing" in this country and told me a story that I bring to you here.

He was dating a gal (same race) before he got married and had taken her on a fishing trip while he was still in Canada. At the time he was Canadian and the girlfriend was U.S. Once the group was all together (15 or so people) his girlfriend commented that they were the only blacks in the middle of these "white people". He told me that was the end of that relationship because he did not want to deal with or perpetuate that thinking in his children. I say good for him! 

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln on September 22, 1862. Let's see that is, Hmmm... One hundred and forty six years ago. I can not begin to understand the pain and suffering people have gone through at that time or for that matter the jews during their Egyptian captivity. But just like a death of a loved one there is a mourning period, and then life goes on. To dwell in the past is not a healthy thing to do. Yes remember, Yes respect, Yes observe, but when can we move on?

Go out and live your life to it's fullest!

Doug