2000-07-16 - 10:42 MDT

July 16, 2000

What makes us ?

So, what makes each of us like we are ?

I know a man whose dad was a bigot. He hated and feared, Catholics, Jews, (Coloreds - - by whatever name is used now), Hispanics (called Mexicans out west). He was not militantly active, was a non active member of the Ku Klux Klan when it was a minor movement in his town, because his co-workers were members. But a bigot, who made no bones about how he felt but was not an occupant of a soapbox.

His mother was from the south with a southern woman's fear (late 1800's teachings) of colored people, especially men. Another fear was that the Damn Baptists would get her son.

From this parentage comes a man who respects all people, all religions, all points of view, and all life styles plus all ages - toddler on up to people stricken with age to the point of helplessness.

How did this happen ? He himself says that from his early awareness he had a gut feeling about the things I just mentioned, he knew in his heart that he didn't agree with the thoughts of his parents and in teen years would engage in respectful debate with his parents. Who at one time asked his mother, "If I fall in love with a colored Baptist lady, will you love her as a daughter ?" Akin to my feelings, "There is only one differentiation I can see, the difference between the "good guys" and the "bad guys," and some of them are human and change hats periodically."

I have seen other people raised by families with the same type of philosophies who magnified those ways of thinking, who became active militants more rabid than their parents. There are some people raised in a peace loving accepting family who are worse yet.

If we grew up as God wishes - we would all be like his son. The enigmatic vagaries of reality boggle my mind. For the life of me I cannot figure out what really makes people have different outlooks on life. How people, brothers and sisters are in physical maturity the same, but in ethics, morality, and outlooks so different - - same parents - - same raising, but the results 180 degrees out.

So, what makes us as we are ? Seems than not church, family nor school does the job. There is something else, deep inside of each person, I believe, that steers that person in the direction they will follow, like a train on an unknown track.

What makes us ? Got any good answers ?

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