The Actual Picture

Today I sat in one of my favorite local places. It is a historic site which has been turned into a National Park. There are preserved slave houses and it is part of the history they share and tell on the tours. I have attended special events and want to understand. I come and walk the grounds often, but today I sat and had a breakfast picnic. 

As I sat there, I tried to apply and take to heart the history of our black brothers and sisters that I have been trying to more deeply learn and empathize with. I want to get outside my sphere of understanding and see more sides to the story that has been told. History is such a weird thing, as we often paint it with a broad brush. We hear the "winners" side and the rest of the story gets lost. Not all people on one side are bad nor do they all have evil motives- and not all people on the other side are good, nor do they all have pure motives. I am so glad I am not the one to judge people.

I appreciate places like this that try to tell the whole story- they have been met with resistance, but I think the most important thing we can do is tell every side. To seek to teach so that others can understand the whole picture. To not dismiss a point of view because it does not line up with the pretty picture we want to imagine. What I hope moving forwards is that I do not accept the pretty picture of history, and miss out on understanding others life experiences and mistreatment in the ordeal. Hoping to learn and grow.