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Every Day Dragons
by Lulee Ahmed
When I was a little girl I used to love Sunday nights. I could watch my favorite program
on TV, Disney’s Hour. First I have to tell you that I was raised in countries that were not
mine by birth, but they are in my heart. It’s been many years since I left those countries
and now I’m what they call a Hispanic American, but I feel as much Caribbean as the
arepas and the coqui.
In that wonderful program I learned many beautiful things but what I loved the most
was that my imagination every Sunday night took off to the sky. My imagination is very
fast and complex and I learned that no dream was too small and that we can get to the
top of the mountain if we really try.
Every week Shirley Temple (she was the MC of the program) would talk about a place
in the United States or would show us a fairy tale, and of course back in those times all
girls wanted to be princesses... I was no exception to the rule… we were all waiting for
our princes to come and rescue us. Such an irony though that my prince’s name was
Carlota; maybe in my subconscious I already knew I was a lesbian? He he he
My favorite story was Sleeping Beauty. I was terrified when the prince was fighting the
dragon and his sword would disappear in the animal’s body. (Children’s stories are
not violent at all, are they? I mean, have you seen a cartoon more violent that Road
Runner? beep beep NAAA)
Every Day Dragons
by Lulee Ahmed
When I was a little girl I used to love Sunday nights. I could watch my favorite program
on TV, Disney’s Hour. First I have to tell you that I was raised in countries that were not
mine by birth, but they are in my heart. It’s been many years since I left those countries
and now I’m what they call a Hispanic American, but I feel as much Caribbean as the
arepas and the coqui.
In that wonderful program I learned many beautiful things but what I loved the most
was that my imagination every Sunday night took off to the sky. My imagination is very
fast and complex and I learned that no dream was too small and that we can get to the
top of the mountain if we really try.
Every week Shirley Temple (she was the MC of the program) would talk about a place
in the United States or would show us a fairy tale, and of course back in those times all
girls wanted to be princesses... I was no exception to the rule… we were all waiting for
our princes to come and rescue us. Such an irony though that my prince’s name was
Carlota; maybe in my subconscious I already knew I was a lesbian? He he he
My favorite story was Sleeping Beauty. I was terrified when the prince was fighting the
dragon and his sword would disappear in the animal’s body. (Children’s stories are
not violent at all, are they? I mean, have you seen a cartoon more violent that Road
Runner? beep beep NAAA)
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Miami's Gay Performing Arts Festival July 7-11, 2010 outinthetropics.fundarte.us |
From the first time I saw that story
I started to call my fears “Dragons"
and through the years I have had
many dragons, some I have been
able to conquer, others, well I’m
still trying. Now I ask you, who
doesn’t have dragons in their
every day life? We have the
dragon of getting old, being fat,
being rejected and a thousand
more, but to me the worst dragon
of all is being ignorant.
What are you talking about
woman? Being ignorant is not a
dragon, you may say!
When we confront something that
we don’t understand our first
impulse is the dragon of fear.. That big and terrible dragon can dominate you. Later, the
dragon of rejection may surface. Why rejection? Because we don’t know the real truth of
what we are confronting. However, if we take a little time to learn, with every word, those
dragons will shrink so much that they will disappear. You will stop being afraid, and
knowledge will give you the power to conquer your dragons.
Every day people with AIDS are discriminated (fancy word for rejection) against by their own
families thinking that they are contagious. I have been discriminated
I started to call my fears “Dragons"
and through the years I have had
many dragons, some I have been
able to conquer, others, well I’m
still trying. Now I ask you, who
doesn’t have dragons in their
every day life? We have the
dragon of getting old, being fat,
being rejected and a thousand
more, but to me the worst dragon
of all is being ignorant.
What are you talking about
woman? Being ignorant is not a
dragon, you may say!
When we confront something that
we don’t understand our first
impulse is the dragon of fear.. That big and terrible dragon can dominate you. Later, the
dragon of rejection may surface. Why rejection? Because we don’t know the real truth of
what we are confronting. However, if we take a little time to learn, with every word, those
dragons will shrink so much that they will disappear. You will stop being afraid, and
knowledge will give you the power to conquer your dragons.
Every day people with AIDS are discriminated (fancy word for rejection) against by their own
families thinking that they are contagious. I have been discriminated
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against for being a lesbian... even
though I don’t go around with a
big sign in my forehead, I still have
been. And how many times
people with dark skin have been
discriminated against? Handicaps,
old, women, men, Catholics,
Jews? I’m even guilty of
discriminating against someone
for not having good table
manners.
But are we discriminating
because we are ignorant or are we
exercising our right to choose?
If we discriminate because we are
ignorant, learning about the
problem, then maybe, and I say maybe,
our dragons will disappear.
If we discriminate because we are exercising our right to choose
then we should all remember to use soft and wise words when you
are rejecting - because tomorrow you may have to swallow them
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
though I don’t go around with a
big sign in my forehead, I still have
been. And how many times
people with dark skin have been
discriminated against? Handicaps,
old, women, men, Catholics,
Jews? I’m even guilty of
discriminating against someone
for not having good table
manners.
But are we discriminating
because we are ignorant or are we
exercising our right to choose?
If we discriminate because we are
ignorant, learning about the
problem, then maybe, and I say maybe,
our dragons will disappear.
If we discriminate because we are exercising our right to choose
then we should all remember to use soft and wise words when you
are rejecting - because tomorrow you may have to swallow them
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
| . |
Dragones de cada día
por Lulee Ahmed
Cuando yo era niña me encantaban los domingos en la noche. Ese día podía ver mi
programa favorito en la tele, El mundo mágico de Disney. Primero debo decirles que
aunque me crié en países que no son el mío de nacimiento, pero los llevo tanto en mi
corazón que me siento tan caribeña como las arepas y el coqui.
En ese maravilloso programa aprendí una que otra cosita, pero la mejor parte era que mi
imaginación cada domingo se elevaba tal alta como el cielo. Bendita imaginación que es
súper rápida y compleja, además aprendí que ningún sueno es pequeño y podemos
llegar al pico de la montana si realmente tratamos.
Cada semana Shirley Temple (ella era la conductora del programa) hablaba de algún
lugar de los Estados Unidos o nos contaba un cuento de hadas, y por supuesto en esos
tiempos todas las niñas, al igual que ahora, queríamos ser princesas…. Yo no era la
exepcion a esta regla, todas estábamos esperando a que el príncipe viniera a
rescatarnos. Pero que ironía tan grande, mi príncipe se llamaba Carlota; tal vez desde
niña, en mi subconsciente yo ya sabia que era lesbiana? Ha ha ha
Mi cuento favorito era La bella durmiente. Me aterraba cuando el príncipe peleaba con el
dragón y su espada desaparecía en el cuerpo del animal. Verdad que los cuentos de
niños no son violentos? Han visto Uds. unos muñequitos mas violentos que el Corre
Caminos? Beep, beep ,Noooooooooooooo
Desde la primera vez que vi ese cuento empecé a llamarle a mis miedos “Dragones” y a
través de los años he tenido muchos dragones, algunos los he podido conquistar, otros,
todavía estoy tratando. Y ahora les pregunto, quien no ha tenido dragones o miedos en su
vida? Tenemos miedos a ser viejos, gordos, de ser rechazados y mil dragones mas, pero
el peor de todos es el de ser ignorante.
por Lulee Ahmed
Cuando yo era niña me encantaban los domingos en la noche. Ese día podía ver mi
programa favorito en la tele, El mundo mágico de Disney. Primero debo decirles que
aunque me crié en países que no son el mío de nacimiento, pero los llevo tanto en mi
corazón que me siento tan caribeña como las arepas y el coqui.
En ese maravilloso programa aprendí una que otra cosita, pero la mejor parte era que mi
imaginación cada domingo se elevaba tal alta como el cielo. Bendita imaginación que es
súper rápida y compleja, además aprendí que ningún sueno es pequeño y podemos
llegar al pico de la montana si realmente tratamos.
Cada semana Shirley Temple (ella era la conductora del programa) hablaba de algún
lugar de los Estados Unidos o nos contaba un cuento de hadas, y por supuesto en esos
tiempos todas las niñas, al igual que ahora, queríamos ser princesas…. Yo no era la
exepcion a esta regla, todas estábamos esperando a que el príncipe viniera a
rescatarnos. Pero que ironía tan grande, mi príncipe se llamaba Carlota; tal vez desde
niña, en mi subconsciente yo ya sabia que era lesbiana? Ha ha ha
Mi cuento favorito era La bella durmiente. Me aterraba cuando el príncipe peleaba con el
dragón y su espada desaparecía en el cuerpo del animal. Verdad que los cuentos de
niños no son violentos? Han visto Uds. unos muñequitos mas violentos que el Corre
Caminos? Beep, beep ,Noooooooooooooo
Desde la primera vez que vi ese cuento empecé a llamarle a mis miedos “Dragones” y a
través de los años he tenido muchos dragones, algunos los he podido conquistar, otros,
todavía estoy tratando. Y ahora les pregunto, quien no ha tenido dragones o miedos en su
vida? Tenemos miedos a ser viejos, gordos, de ser rechazados y mil dragones mas, pero
el peor de todos es el de ser ignorante.
| . |
Que estas diciendo mujer? Ser ignorante no es ningún dragón o miedo, tú me dirías.
Cuando confrontamos algo que no entendemos nuestro primer impulso es de miedo.
Ese gigantesco y terrible dragón te abraza y domina. Luego, el dragón del rechazo se
presenta. El rechazo? Si, rechazo. Es simplemente porque no entendemos lo que
estamos confrontando. Sin embargo si le dedicamos un poquito de tiempo para aprender
sobre el tema, con cada palabra esos dragones encogerán hasta desaparecer. Dejaras
de tener miedo y la enseñanza te dará el poder de conquistar tus dragones.
Cada día personas con Sida son discriminadas (palabra muy elegante para rechazo) por
sus propias familias porque tienen miedo al contagio. Yo he sido discriminada por ser
lesbiana, y conste que yo no ando con un letrero lumínico en la frente. Cuanto veces
persona con la tez oscura son discriminadas? Personas con defectos físicos, viejos,
jóvenes, judíos, católicos, hombres, mujeres? Yo soy culpable de discriminar a una
persona por no tener buenos modales en la mesa.
Discriminamos porque somos ignorantes o porque estamos ejerciendo nuestro derecho
a escoger?
Si discriminamos porque somos ignorantes, aprendiendo acerca del problema, a lo
mejor, y digo a lo mejor, nuestros dragones desaparecerán.
Si discriminamos porque estamos ejerciendo el derecho a escoger,
debemos de recordar:
usar siempre palabras buenas y suaves...
porque mañana quizás te las tengas que tragar ……
CLICK HERE for more Lulee Ahmed
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
Cuando confrontamos algo que no entendemos nuestro primer impulso es de miedo.
Ese gigantesco y terrible dragón te abraza y domina. Luego, el dragón del rechazo se
presenta. El rechazo? Si, rechazo. Es simplemente porque no entendemos lo que
estamos confrontando. Sin embargo si le dedicamos un poquito de tiempo para aprender
sobre el tema, con cada palabra esos dragones encogerán hasta desaparecer. Dejaras
de tener miedo y la enseñanza te dará el poder de conquistar tus dragones.
Cada día personas con Sida son discriminadas (palabra muy elegante para rechazo) por
sus propias familias porque tienen miedo al contagio. Yo he sido discriminada por ser
lesbiana, y conste que yo no ando con un letrero lumínico en la frente. Cuanto veces
persona con la tez oscura son discriminadas? Personas con defectos físicos, viejos,
jóvenes, judíos, católicos, hombres, mujeres? Yo soy culpable de discriminar a una
persona por no tener buenos modales en la mesa.
Discriminamos porque somos ignorantes o porque estamos ejerciendo nuestro derecho
a escoger?
Si discriminamos porque somos ignorantes, aprendiendo acerca del problema, a lo
mejor, y digo a lo mejor, nuestros dragones desaparecerán.
Si discriminamos porque estamos ejerciendo el derecho a escoger,
debemos de recordar:
usar siempre palabras buenas y suaves...
porque mañana quizás te las tengas que tragar ……
CLICK HERE for more Lulee Ahmed
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source
