Is A Person’s Perception His Or Her Reality?

This seemed to fit.

            I promised myself I would not write anything else that is even remotely political, but after speaking with my son yesterday for over an hour, I feel the need to share. First let me say that I love my son with all my heart; that love is unwavering. He is a hard-working, responsible contributor to our society. He makes me proud. Second, we differ politically. While he considers himself an independent voter, he voted for the “other” major party, presidential candidate. (I did discover we voted the same on a few other issues though, thank goodness.)

In our conversation, although I had not intended to “talk politics”, I expressed my feelings about my fear for the direction our country may be heading given the cabinet selections that our current president-elect is making. I stated facts, I made my point, and I sobbed. While I explained, I cried real tears of sadness and frustration because individuals who likely will be in positions of power are light years in opposition to my thinking. I told my son that I don’t want to see the progression that has been made in our country, especially in terms of the environment and human rights, stymied or worse, taken back into the “dark ages”.

            That being said, my son made an interesting statement as we continued to talk. He said, “I believe that every person’s perception is their own reality.” I had to agree. I had never used that phrase before, but I definitely believe the concept makes sense. It is also the reason why I continue to mourn.

            Because of the insanity of this presidential election cycle, our country has never appeared to be so divided, at least in my lifetime. Perhaps it always has been and the divisiveness simply has been hidden beneath the guise of political correctness. Well, right now, folks are not being so politically correct, are they? And that takes me back to my son’s statement: people’s perceptions are their own realities.

I’ve been considering what that notion suggests. If one believes individuals who do not share the same religion, cultural background, sexual orientation, or gender for that matter, are lesser human beings, then that is that person’s reality. If one believes the minimum wage or equal pay for women are issues that are not important, than that is that person’s reality. If one does not believe that unions and the public schools are viable organizations and institutions, then that is that person’s reality. If one does not believe in global warming, then that is that person’s reality. Do you see where I’m going?

Given our upbringing, education, and life experiences we each see our world from unique perspectives. That’s a fact. With myriad predisposed perceptions among millions, can there ever be unity? It is sad to think not. Surely in the United States of America, with its diverse population, the concept of a shared reality is ludicrous. So, I grieve.

            I read a piece the other day written by Dan Rather, journalist and former CBS News anchor. It is fair to say he appears saddened, as well, by current events and he warns the populace to stay aware, be informed, speak up, and don’t sit quietly by doing nothing. I agree. We cannot passively say, “Let’s wait and see what will happen,” or “This too shall pass.” Too much is at stake.

Dan Rather, in his passage, reminded the reader of the written words of our founding fathers: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

In the shadow of the recent DAPL/Standing Stone confrontation, however, if I were a member of the indigenous, Native American community, I likely would take vehement objection to the words above given the history behind them, but as the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, I want to believe that the intention of the document was reasonable in the minds of the writers.

But here we are. The sun will rise tomorrow and the well of sadness that I feel will continue to burden me for a while, but I will move forward knowing full well that, yes, my perceptions are my reality, that my son’s are his, and that whoever has read this far, has his or her own. I sadly don’t see the chance of unity, at least not now with money and greed at the base of power mongering on steroids. And with hate, intolerance, lying, and injustice raising their ugly heads, we’re caught in a very real conundrum that we likely will not solve for years to come. I want so badly to feel differently, but I don’t. Feeling hopeful or optimistic again, at least for me, will take time.

Here I am with my son.