LIVE AND LET LIVE

What with this live and let live business? See I’m expected to let live but it doesn’t apply to other folk as long as they are part of the gang. For example, I’m sitting at an outdoor coffee shop enjoying the day nothing on my mind except the sun and the young girls in the oh too tight jeans. With each sip of latte the day seems to get better until……

Two voices at the next table, one white and the other black begin talking about the power of prayer…they continue with how their lord is so great and how the bible is the know all to end all…

Being the “serious” Afro centric atheist historian* that I am, the conversation killed my spirit. It conjured up every ill that beset Africans and our culture when we arrived on these shores. It laid bear the pain of native peoples struggle with death and destruction at the hands of the white Christian expansionist. It brought to mind how this impotent Jesus laid ruin to a black people on their knees, professing a faithless faith, blinding them to mature and conscious examination, while singing submissive songs and throwing their hands in the air. Transformed Africans, trying to get in touch with their ancient African natural affinity using an unnatural idea and not being able to recognize or accept the difference. In so many words, it ruined my sunshine, it didn’t allow me to live.

I called a friend who is suppose to be “enlightened” and they told me, today we aren’t going there. My only question is how can one ignore ignorance any day? I want to live and let live, but I haven’t figured out the trick in a world that kills my spirit. If I could just indulge myself in illusion, in materialism, in mindless tasks, in being sexy or perhaps a ball game, then maybe I’d be able to participate in the live and let live ideal. I’d be able to join the masses and grow old while learning to live with my insanity. Learning to trick myself into ignoring ignorance and become bitterer or more unconscious each day for doing so. My how I envy black people who can rationalize the dynamics of the European cultural “norm.”

*Meaning that I don't believe in any "human form or creator" god head entity like Jesus, Allah, Jehovah, etc.