My People

 

I keep hearing this term in interviews. “My People are…” or “Our People have been…” and I wonder?

Who are “Your People”?

Most of these phrases seem to be about black injustice but they are also heard from what is defined as ‘white supremacist’ relating to their heritage.

So who are these people you associate with.

In my ongoing struggle to understand labels we place upon ourselves to indentify our individual persona, I ask who these people are?

If ‘Your People’ are oppressed people do we divided them into color or race or gender?

If ‘Your People’ symbolize the Black Lives Matters movement, then what of the brown or the red? They certainly have a record of oppression over the years.

If ‘Your People’ are suppressed, what about the Jews? They certainly haven’t been treated well through the centuries.

Who are ‘Your People’?

Are they black or brown or tan or female or male or bi or trans or queer or tall or short or redhead or blue eyed or left-handed or disabled or lawyers or doctors or hobos or sex workers or waste removers or CEO’s or Republicans or Democrats or Atheist or Catholics or firemen or firewomen or fireperson or taxi drivers or uber drivers or truck drivers or Army or Navy or Air Force or Marine or Space Force or renters or homeowners or incarcerated or intoxicated or married or divorced or single moms or mentally ill or obsessed with the pill or getting your shot or thinking you’re hot or digging in dirt or wearing t-shirts or walking your dog or liking eggnog or sleeping in bed or already dead?

Are ‘Your People’ Mister or Misses or Madams or Nanas or members of the club or living in a trailer park or playing softball with the company team or busing for tips or gathering around the nativity or praising the Statue of Liberty or buying a gun for your protection or researching deals for extended erections or dyeing your hair so no one can tell or splattered in smelly stuff so people won’t smell or laying in a hospital to receive your score or having a potato chip and then having some more?

Who are ‘My People’?

Hummmm?

I used to think ‘My People’ were family. Those who had the same last name and ate at the same dinner table were ‘My People’. There have been more with the same name that came before me so I guess they were all part of ‘My People’ as long as they were in the registry.

Beyond the bloodline, I must figure who I associate with?

I seem to tend to people who are creative. Writers and artist and musicians who express themselves in thought provoking words and visions and sounds seem to be ‘My People’.

I lean toward those who appreciate the dirt we walk on and speak kindly to other strangers. I gravitate to interesting conversations those open doors to new ideas and concepts. I enjoy the company of those who make me laugh. I cherish those who can sit silently with me.