It was a warm winter’s day; you know, one of those rare days when the sky is blue and cloudless and you can stay outside for just a short while in your shirt sleeves. Bubbie hadn’t planned to do much that day, but decided to take advantage of it and get some chores done. He knew he had to work fast because the days are short and before long the dusk will fall along with the temperature.
He hadn’t got too far along when his cousin Daisy stopped by for a visit. He was glad to see her and though he knew her visit would take away from his getting his chores done, he knew that spending time with her was more important in the long run, so he invited her to stay and spend some time.
After some cordial pleasantries and chit chat catching one another up about the latest news, Daisy jokingly mentioned that she might have something done with her hair. You see, she hasn’t had it cut in years and years, and her blonde locks are very long and thick but in Bubbie’s view, it seemed as though—to Daisy—it was much like Samson’s mighty mane. It was a symbol of her strength and independence. If pressed on the topic she’ll espouse a tenacious yarn of how she ain’t gonna have no one (uh, most likely her husband) tell her how she wears her hair, or how to do anything else and how a girl has gotta fight harder for everything in this world. Well, that got Bubbie to thinking.
There are some things that we believe are worth fighting for. We are so passionately bound to our principles that we’ll take anyone to the mat over them. What Bubbie is not mulling over whether you should or shouldn’t but how far do you take it? Do we ever take the time to assess our rationality for our beliefs? Do we consider the consequences of standing strong on an issue? If not, one may be perceived as being a stubborn person. On the other hand if you were to fight with an open mind, one might not have to fight at all.
Well Daisy didn’t stay long ‘cause she knew Bubbie had chores to finish; she is always thoughtful that way. Bubbie got back at it and finished most of what he started but the quandary of stubbornness stayed on his mind. He reckons that from now on he’ll try to consider is position when he feels his ire rising. He’ll try to take the time to look deeper into why he takes that position, for instance, is it morally right or a personal hurt that needs healing?
1 comment:
Sometimes people have to fight for the right to be who they are because there are those who have, or would, suppress them from doing so. They may feel that they have to keep up this fight in order to retain their individuality. This is something worth fighting for, for any person, and I agree with Daisy that women have to fight harder for it.
How far do you take that? As far as one has to (legally), I suppose. An open mind will certainly go far in limiting the need to fight for a lot of things, but how do you have an open mind towards someone who wants to deprive another of their self-esteem, their dignity, their individuality?
Not all men are ogres, but many are, and they feel they have to reign over the female gender for some reason as if those women have no right to be an independent, strong individual. Some of these men are our bosses, or our fathers, or our husbands/significant others, etc. If we don't do as they dictate, and I'm talking about the irrational, then we are punished by losing our jobs, or by being yelled at and ridiculed, or even worse, beaten and killed.
I think what Daisy is saying is that she knows who she is and that she isn't going to let anyone persuade her to change according to what they want her to be. If she has to lose a job or lose a relationship because of it, then so be it. I imagine that if people are not able to accept her without wanting to change her, then they are going to be sorely disappointed. The only "one" she needs to change for is Christ and herself, as they both deem necessary.
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