June 2, 2020 – Reflections on Racism

/in /by

Hi Guys,

 

I’m not sure what to say. I’ve been experiencing feelings of extreme grief and sadness over the past week as I’m sure many of us are over the pain and suffering of our Black fellow humans. I was going to just say I’m going to be quiet and listen. But I think I have a greater responsibility than that. Racism is alive and surrounding us. Yes, it’s worse in the United States, but that doesn’t absolve us. We can’t say it’s not our problem.

 

Usually I sort my thoughts and emotions out on a run. Aren’t I lucky to be able to do that? There is so much that I am privileged with for being white and living in Canada. I have done nothing to earn this privilege. I am aware of it, but there are times, living in my bubble, that I can let myself forget. Even when we acknowledge at every public gathering that the land we are on rightfully belonged to the indigenous peoples who were here before us and who we stole from, mistreated, abused, murdered, and nearly destroyed their culture, we just say the words and then get on with the show. Sure, we work hard, so we can easily delude ourselves into thinking we’ve earned what we have. But we haven’t. It’s been passed down to us at the expense of others. And minorities continue to pay out of proportion for our privileges.

 

I’m still not sure what to say. Or do. But I do think and hope that a switch has been flipped and that we won’t or can’t go back to living in our bubbles. We have to force ourselves to overcome our ingrained ways of thinking – because the fact that I’m shocked and horrified over the events of the past week make me feel even more sick – why wasn’t I feeling this weeks, months, years ago when things like this were clearly still happening? How have we all been going “on with the show”?

 

When spiritual seekers reach enlightenment and the sense of “Nirvana”, it is usually described as a sense of everything being part of everything else. A total sense of “one-ness” and connectedness. Total equal love for all. This includes everything which contains atoms – trees, rocks, grasshoppers, fish. This is a huge ask for most people to seek, but we can start along our path of becoming an enlightened species if we can at least learn to feel “one-ness” with people of different skin colours. That is the very first teeny tiny step. Learn how to love, respect and really value Every. Single. Human. Being. And I will add, that includes the elderly, the mentally and physically sick, the addicted, the disadvantaged. Love them all. We are all humans and any one of us could end up in any situation. I think that’s my only answer right now. Equal love for all of humanity. Let’s try. #blacklivesmatter

 

 

Workout options for this week:

  1. 2x 1 mile with 2:30 rest at 15-20 per K faster than tempo; 4 min rest; 4×800 with 1:45 rest at 25 sec per K faster than tempo
  1. 2-3K w-up – 10 x 80m strides, 2-3K c-dn

 

  1. Tempo: 3 x 10 min w 3 min rec

 

Seanna