Unity Through Compromise.

peom

I look around me and I see good people everywhere.
I look around me and I see indifference and hostility.

I look around me and hear ideas, beliefs, and values.
I look around me and I hear conflict, anger, and frustration.
I look around me and hear hope, encouragement, love, and praise.

I look around me and feel tension, stress, and vulnerability.
I look around me and feel calm, confidence, and peace.

I look around me and wonder why so few with different ideas, beliefs or values can talk to each other.
I look around me and wonder why so few can openly be respectful, listen and learn.
I look around me and wonder why so few are willing to compromise.
I look around me and wonder why so few reach for hate before understanding.
I look around me and wonder why the silent majority remain silent even when they are witness to atrocities.
I look around me and wonder why we allow ourselves to be divided instead of being one people.

I look around me and I see things that I believe are good and see things I view as bad.
I look inside myself and I vow to be respectful, compassionate, patient, just and honest.
I look inside myself and I vow to be a listener, a student,a teacher, and try to be understanding.
I look inside myself and I vow to allow for errors, compromises, growth, and communication.
I look inside myself and I vow to love all people, and celebrate/embrace each individuals unique differences and all diversity.
I look inside myself and I vow to be inclusive, because through inclusion we gain strength and unity.
I look inside myself and I know I shall fail and fall short of my vows because that is human and natural. Then I will try to correct my shortcomings and try to uphold my vows again.
I look around and know what must be done, someone has to cross the aisle.

I know I will not be the only one but it must start somewhere, it has to be accomplished by someone.
I know we can be that great nation showing the world unity, compromise, liberty, and justice can be attainable.
I know anything is possible if we can listen to each and share concerns and ask questions, respectful open communication is a valuable tool we must use.
I know I will never know enough, have all the answers, see every perspective or know every truth.

To be truly free we must all be equal, valued, respected, and included.
It has taken me a long time to stop running the same circle again and again, to look around and see.
It has taken me a long time to understand that I am nothing more or less than equal and I don't understand the world or societal issues, or how to fix them.
It has taken me a long time to start asking questions and listening to others, valuing any information and perspective that is shared.
I know I will never truly see from anothers perspective, I can never truly be in anothers environments, so I will never know what is truly and honestly best for them.