The Mental Revolution

I believe that once you see past the physical, the skin color, the appearance, or any of the things that don't even begin to define your mental character, we are able to seek and feel basic human happiness, because its made from the inside. You can be happy regardless of who you are and where you come from. Being black or white, what does it even mean anyway? Or fat or thin, because who's even watching? Or rich or poor, because what is money worth anyway? My brother always taught me that if you believe you shouldn't judge others, don't believe in others judging you, and in listening to him I found my self confidence. I do not judge, and therefore even if you do judge me, I don't believe in what you're doing and I won't let it affect me. Seeing myself in that light and telling myself I cannot judge made me respect others because we're all human. I see myself in everyone, everyone loves someone, and everyone has lost and felt pain, which is something my good friend Racquel told me. Putting yourself in other people's shoes helps you see yourself in others and that is how we learn to respect. Being alive is hard. I respect you just for being alive right now, and honestly it shouldn't be hard. It should be fun and easy, and it would be, if only people wouldn't hate. It'd be easy if no one had ever called you stupid in the third grade cause then you wouldn't doubt yourself in class, or if no one had ever "jokingly" called you fat one time because you took it to heart and now don't feel comfortable in your skin. Wouldn't it be easy if we didn't hate on each other? People don't realize that it's the small things that can do the biggest damage. Why hate? 

I've lived in Jamaica for only three years now, and my favorite time on the island is soca season. In my eyes the soca season is the time of year where we the people of the island are happiest and we go out just to have a good time. All people: tall, short, skinny, fat or fluffy, everyone, cause we just want to have fun. Of course there's always those who watch other people but most of us are just into the music and the vibes, and for once we don't care, and we just feel happy. This year at road march people threw rocks at other people. It made me think that is this what we've come to, a carnival disrupted by unnecessary violence? A celebration where people come to enjoy the music and vibes was ruined because of an act of hate? I feel that's the problem - why can we not just respect and allow people to be happy? We use violence and crime as excuses to hate and do these things that honestly should not be happening. People shouldn't be dying and be injured because of other people, other humans like themselves. Why are we doing this to each other? Jamaica has so much potential and I've heard so many people say it: “Jamaica have the best runners” or “Yeah man, we talented” or “Jamaica have runners, best cook food, music, vibes.” So if we have all this, why are we not succeeding? Why are we still stuck in corruption and crime? Why have we not risen up with all this existing potential? Bob Marley said no negativity, and we need to listen. We need to work together instead of tearing each other down in order to truly prosper. We need to rise up. We need to change and let that change start with us. The time is now.

This is a mental revolution.

By: Eva Perrin Fontana