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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Respect the Procession!

This morning I woke up thinking about the movement. To be clear, I’m talking about the nonviolent protests that are going on around the world to protest the deaths and/or subsequent court activities in which we feel justice was not upheld. I started thinking about my friends, family, sorors/frat, and coworkers (of all races) who are not impacted by the movement and how I’m okay with that. If you don’t feel a personal connection to what is going on, that’s just the way it is. I started thinking about poor taste in jokes and respect and it occurred to me that this movement has a lot in common with a funeral procession.  


Have you ever been driving in one direction when a funeral procession is going the opposite way?
I usually do the same thing each time. It’s almost become a habit.  

  • I usually get a little sad because I know what it’s like to lose someone
  • I give a “moment of silence” and offer a quick prayer for the family – not really a full moment, but if I’m listening to loud music I usually lower the volume. If I’m talking on the phone, I end up going silent and losing track of what I was saying.
  • I slow down because in my mind speeding in the opposite direction is disrespectful to the family. (I know this makes no sense and they aren’t paying attention but I just do it)
  • I think about recent deaths I’m aware of (personal or media) and wonder if that is their procession, usually looking at the race of the people in the cars to try and figure it out.
  • I subconsciously count the number of cars and wonder what that means about the deceased. Short processions I wonder if the person didn’t have a lot of family or friends or maybe folks didn’t feel like riding to the cemetery. Long processions make me think about loved that person must have been.
  • I immediately go on with my trip because it doesn’t personally impact me

What do I do when I’m driving and the funeral procession impedes my commute in some way? I still usually do the same thing each time, but my emotions vary depending on where I’m trying to go and if I’m running late (lol)

  • I usually get a little sad because I know what it’s like to lose someone
  • I give a “moment of silence” and offer a quick prayer for the family
  • I think about recent deaths I’m aware of and wonder if that is their procession
  • I slow down or stop because I have no choice, the procession is impacting my travel in some way or another.
  • I purposefully try to count the number of cars still coming because I want to know how long is this going to impede my travel plans. If there are still several cars still to come, I start plotting my escape. Do I have to turn left and cross the procession, maybe I can just go right? Maybe I can take a side street and avoid this entire thing?
  • My annoyance and frustration mounts based on how much the procession delayed my travel and my ability to avoid the procession
  • Then I feel guilty for thinking about myself when someone so beloved has died and all these people are trying to do is get to the cemetery
  • I eventually go on with my trip because again, it doesn’t personally impact me.

If you don’t feel the need to join the movement or agree with it, I’m fine with that. But can you please have a little respect for those who feel some kind of way? If it helps you, just think about it like a funeral procession. It’s not a time for jokes or blatantly rude behavior.  Offer a quick prayer for those who are participating. Just respect the fact that we have lost a whole lot of someones and that we feel some kind of way about it. If this movement impedes you in any way, it is okay to feel frustrated. But remember, this doesn’t personally impact you, so you get to go on with your life…

#justice #accountability #BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter