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People Like Us.

by Liv | Published on October 5th, 2009, 7:42 am | Travel
people_like_us_cardiff_.jpg


It's so funny when I think about where I live, and where I want to live. Here I am, a living metaphor for diversity in an area which tolerates alternative life about as much as the republicans do socialized medicine. I live in a gender bending, same sex relationship which just also happens to be bi-racial. I grew up NC, Shannon in CA. She's Mexican, French and Irish. I'm Welsh, & German.

Here we are in lunch counter land, a city apologizing every few years for an event that occurred several decades ago. I could go on and on, but I'm not. You get it. I was reminded about where I live when several weeks ago, a fellow blogger, whom I carried out what I thought was a online friendship with, turned bitter and mean because she couldn't handle we live in the 21st century.

Now I'm not saying life is perfect, or the grass is greener on the other side, okay yes I am, (let me dream) but when we landed in Cardiff last year, we walked out on the docks and there was this (above). It's a statue called "People Like Us", and as you can see it portrays a mixed race couple... just like us. We thought "Wow, cool!"

See while we (Greensboro) was running around in white hoods shooting people, over in Cardiff the city became a diverse combination of families comprised of different colors and backgrounds as people rushed to the city during it's coal boom. Butetown, the area around Cardiff Bay (formally named Tiger Bay) became a boom town for diversity. I was lucky enough to watch a documentary a few weeks back whom interviewed a daughter of a bi-racial couple and she said "No one thought anything of it, as my [black] mother and [white] father walked with me down the street."

"Wow" I thought. "Wow. People like us."
 
 
Just when the think the world is moving forward you find out it's really only spinning in circles.
All I can say is that it really isn't the area you live in, but the people that display such ignorace, and that ignorance is not just limited to Greensboro, you can find it anywhere you live.
Greensboro is no better or worse than other cities for intolerant people.
Better to focus on the positive things and ignore the idiots, if that is the way they really feel you are much better off without them.
Besides, with both of you having backgrounds like that... the food must be amazing.. right? :D
Hang in there and know that not all Greensboro residents feel as you ex-blogger friend does!
October 5th, 2009, 8:33 am
mgb554
 
mgb554 wrote:Besides, with both of you having backgrounds like that... the food must be amazing.. right? :D


Well we're working on it. Unfortunately we both came from families whom decided that their cultures, and heritages should make room for the "new-improved-American". Sadly, a few years ago, I barely knew much of anything from where my family is from our who I really was. Today is much different however I don't think you can ever recapture what's completely lost. Frankly now that I know how to cook, I can honestly say neither of our families have ever been able to cook worth crap. (sorry Moms) The one or two family favorites that got passed on to me were hardly ever made "traditionally". I'm really proud of the fact in the 2.5 years of writing the cookbook I (the gringa) have recaptured many recipes for Shannon's Mexican heritage, and grateful even more of the European recipes which I've got to include my life now. I was joking, just a few days ago, how happy I was to be baking Welsh Cakes. Something so simple, made me feel proud, yet a little pissed off that their wasn't a family recipe passed down.... It's one of those full circle things.
October 5th, 2009, 3:03 pm
User avatar
Liv
I show you something fantastic and you find fault.
 
Location: Greensboro, NC
My two cents... there is no circle - the family evolves. Your family is the sum of its pasts.

Diolchwn am y deuddyn hyn –
am bopeth a olygant i ni
am bopeth a olygant i’w gilydd
am bopeth a olygant i ti
Arglwydd cariad
clyw ein gweddi.

(We thank You for this couple
for all that they mean to us
for all that they mean to each other
for all that they mean to You
God of love
Hear our prayer.)


Diolchwn am it ti eu dwyn at ei gilydd
am y cariad meant yn ei rannu,
a’r bywyd sydd o’u blaen.
Arglwydd cariad,
clyw ein gweddi.

(Thank You for bringing them together
for the love that they share,
and the life that lies ahead.
God of love
hear our prayer.)


Duw cariadlon
dyro dy fendith ar * a * fel bod popeth sydd o’u blaen yn y dyfol
er gwell ac er gwaeth
yn glaf ac yn iach
yn eu cynnal i ofalu am ei gilydd
a pheri i’w cariad gynyddu.
Boed i’th agosrwydd y meant yn ei brofi nawr
fod mor real a sicr ac arbennig
yfory ac yn y blynyddoedd sydd i ddod
Arglwydd cariad
clyw ein gweddi.

(God of love
bless * and *
so that everything that lies in the future
for better and for worse
in sickness and in health
will sustain them in caring for each other
and will make their love grow.
Let the closeness that they are experiencing today
be as real, sure and special
tomorrow and in the years to come.
God of love
hear our prayer.)

That's a prayer I can drop to my knees for. Even if you don't believe, it's something to think about.
The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

Dick Werthimer
October 6th, 2009, 1:41 am
User avatar
eddiebuckle
 
eddiebuckle wrote: That's a prayer I can drop to my knees for. Even if you don't believe, it's something to think about.



Can you tell me a little more about that prayer?
October 13th, 2009, 2:30 pm
User avatar
JuliaGulia
 
It's from this book

JOHN, Denzil Ieuan Gweddiau’r pedwar tymor Cyhoeddiadau’r Gair, 2006
ISBN : 1859945538
All stupid ideas pass through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is ridiculed. Third, it is ridiculed
October 13th, 2009, 2:39 pm
User avatar
A Person
 
Location: Slightly west of the Great White North

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