#moonlightjazz

Lauren, Michelle, Contrary Cate Moonlight Jazz and The Girl Soul to name but a few their loss touches me with sorrow and yet still my heart can smile remembering I have you

I’m thinking about a very interesting side story that occurred during the 911 tragedy in New York years ago.  A young man of Arabic Ancestry who had just escaped from one of the towers was walking away as the building collapsed. What then ensued was a potentially deadly blast of air loaded with projectiles of dirt and debris racing down the streets of Manhattan.  Like everyone else he took off running in the other direction as fast as he could, yet with the cloud rapidly gaining on him he stumbled and fell to the pavement.  Just as he was about to give up all hope, a hand appeared from out of the darkness.  Looking up he saw a man dressed in the distinctive style of an Orthodox Jew.  Offering him his hand, this stranger then said, come on brother let’s get out of here.  I don’t know about you, but I get misty eyed every time I see or revisit this story, and yes I’m counting this time as well.   In another example of love being shared between members of different cultures, some of you have probably seen a few of my posts regarding my first friend on Tumblr, moonlightjazz.  She was very talented, extremely popular, and of far greater importance, she was a kind, loving and compassionate individual.  She along with talkativolive (Hi Olivia) was one of my first handful of followers, and I still remember her post about people who were, or at least appeared to be different, strange, foreign, or even alien in comparison to the cultural norms for a particular area or region.  Her point was that although we see them as somehow different, and may even laugh at or pick on them, they’re all the same as us.  They dream, they love, they’re often frightened, when cut they bleed, and when hurt they cry.  I was so moved that I sent her my first ever Tumblr Message, and she quickly became my only friend in a world which at the time reminded me of a giant digital Siberia.  After a while of enjoying her friendship and sharing some wonderful interaction, I saw a post of hers where an anon asked if she’d ever received any hate mail here. Her reply was one time only, when she had shared that she was a practitioner of the Muslim Faith.  I never knew or asked, and that revelation didn’t change my heart’s opinion of or feelings for her in the least. Unfortunately however to a great number of people labels do matter, and these fear based perceptions have been around nearly as long as we have. Sometimes I wonder if the human species, or family will ever evolve beyond the boundaries of such superficial and shallow judgments.  Sadly I don’t see it happening in my lifetime, but you my young friends can still make a difference. This revolution is yours, and it may yet succeed if only enough caring people become willing to look beyond or through, race, religion, language, nationality, etc., and see everyone as the brothers and sisters they truly are.  Peace is now my friends, and it must begin within the hearts, minds and souls of each of us. I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character - Martin Luther King Jr via brainyquote.com

hola woa-shes-stellar, silhouetta, moonlightjazz, and mustakraskish! I hope you're all having an amazing day (: