It was Monday morning.
I awoke to see the most beautiful blue sky in Cape Town, my adopted city by marriage, and a part of the world that until I lived here, you could be forgiven to think had given up Apartheid nearly decades ago.
The sun was caressing all of nature in a warm embrace.
Traffic was flowing nicely outside my home carrying people to their work.
The smell of the fresh sea air tantalised my nostrils, reminding me of the sea just a short walk away.
Memories of this weekend reminded me of the lovely people I met and the good time that was had by all.
Life was good.
I turned on the computer in my office and prepared for the mornings emails, admin, and basically just doing my job.
I had many emails, as usual on a Monday morning.
I usually delete the forwarded circulated emails expressing fear about a mythical abandoned child or showing pictures of cute kittens and puppies.
Every now and then, I do read one for amusement.
And so I opened one of those.
I wish I had not.
What jumped out of the email was pure hatred.
Racial hatred.
I cannot describe to you how I, a grown adult and pretty sorted spiritual human being, cried and cried in horror at the pure hatred that came from an otherwise innocent-looking piece of electronic communication.
The worst part was that the authors, knowing the color of my skin happened to be white, thought I would be sympathetic to this evil.
I shuddered and felt sick.
After giving myself a treatment to calm down, I realised what must be done.
I wrote to everyone on this evil hate-list saying calmly why it was unacceptable.
I discussed this with my spouse, who comforted me and assured me that I did the right thing, that to be silent is to condone.
We as human beings go through experiences that shape our view of the world.
When these experiences involve negativity experienced through what someone of a different look to us and our family did, it is understandable, though still wrong, to tar all people who look that shape or color or who have that religion as bad people.
This can be overcome and one can find peace after a bad experience.
However, when a view is based on redundant negative beliefs passed down from the time and ethos of the old Apartheid government, that is another matter.
Racism is not acceptable.
It is wise to question any racist beliefs that we hold and continually strive to release them.
We all came from the same origins, and we all diversified to become the strongest, most powerful beings on Earth.
We are all human beings.
Under our skin, we all have red blood.
We all have hearts.
Let us fill our hearts with love.
Then, and only then, can we experience true joy.
South Africa has a democracy now, and the elected president happens to be black.
Apartheid is over, and thank goodness for that.
There is a good reason why that regime did not last any longer - it does not work.
It is against the loving human nature in most of us.
Let us all love one another.
We may be all different, but deep down inside, we are all part of one race; the human race.
I awoke to see the most beautiful blue sky in Cape Town, my adopted city by marriage, and a part of the world that until I lived here, you could be forgiven to think had given up Apartheid nearly decades ago.
The sun was caressing all of nature in a warm embrace.
Traffic was flowing nicely outside my home carrying people to their work.
The smell of the fresh sea air tantalised my nostrils, reminding me of the sea just a short walk away.
Memories of this weekend reminded me of the lovely people I met and the good time that was had by all.
Life was good.
I turned on the computer in my office and prepared for the mornings emails, admin, and basically just doing my job.
I had many emails, as usual on a Monday morning.
I usually delete the forwarded circulated emails expressing fear about a mythical abandoned child or showing pictures of cute kittens and puppies.
Every now and then, I do read one for amusement.
And so I opened one of those.
I wish I had not.
What jumped out of the email was pure hatred.
Racial hatred.
I cannot describe to you how I, a grown adult and pretty sorted spiritual human being, cried and cried in horror at the pure hatred that came from an otherwise innocent-looking piece of electronic communication.
The worst part was that the authors, knowing the color of my skin happened to be white, thought I would be sympathetic to this evil.
I shuddered and felt sick.
After giving myself a treatment to calm down, I realised what must be done.
I wrote to everyone on this evil hate-list saying calmly why it was unacceptable.
I discussed this with my spouse, who comforted me and assured me that I did the right thing, that to be silent is to condone.
We as human beings go through experiences that shape our view of the world.
When these experiences involve negativity experienced through what someone of a different look to us and our family did, it is understandable, though still wrong, to tar all people who look that shape or color or who have that religion as bad people.
This can be overcome and one can find peace after a bad experience.
However, when a view is based on redundant negative beliefs passed down from the time and ethos of the old Apartheid government, that is another matter.
Racism is not acceptable.
It is wise to question any racist beliefs that we hold and continually strive to release them.
We all came from the same origins, and we all diversified to become the strongest, most powerful beings on Earth.
We are all human beings.
Under our skin, we all have red blood.
We all have hearts.
Let us fill our hearts with love.
Then, and only then, can we experience true joy.
South Africa has a democracy now, and the elected president happens to be black.
Apartheid is over, and thank goodness for that.
There is a good reason why that regime did not last any longer - it does not work.
It is against the loving human nature in most of us.
Let us all love one another.
We may be all different, but deep down inside, we are all part of one race; the human race.
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