I was born with an open mind

An essay i wrote for english last semester

 

     I was born with an open mind, usually those take time but in my case, it was already pretty much programmed in me because of my skin. For I am a child born within a still thriving war. My skin color is a mix, I could list them all but what you would really listen to is that I am black and white.
              My mother is white, and before I was born, she had a close minded father. He didn’t understand or like the fact of interracial relationships, so when two of his three daughters married black men, he disowned the first, then years later when my mother married my father he was furious. When I was born, my grandfather had to understand that he had three grandchildren that were mixed, and that we were just like his other grandchildren. When his youngest daughter, my mother handed my one month old self to my him his heart softened and his mind opened. He then owned up to his mistakes, apologizing to both his daughter for his anger and actions. So when my younger brother was born, he was still born within a thriving war within the world, but he was born with a grandfather with an open mind.
              Throughout my life, I have dealt with disrespect and prejudice from both side. I have been told to my face that I am an abomination, and that my parents are going to hell for creating me. Going to school, some children’s parents actually told their children not to play with me, because they had seen my white mother pick us up from school, or seen both our parents waiting in the car for us. I started to resent my parents because I was shunned to always being looked at differently. Sometimes I would be asked if I was adopted because of the fact, people usually saw me with my white mother, rather then my father. In school, my third grade teacher kept failing me on tests, soon enough they found out she was switching the answers on my tests so they were all wrong, all I can remember is sitting in the waiting room, listening to my mother and teacher screaming at each other in the principles office. Soon afterwards my brother and I were put into another school.
              As time pasted, I started to ignore the racism that my brother and I had to take, I let it slide and I lived on. I started to understand that being different isn’t bad even through some think it might be. I see myself as one of the lucky people, because through my life, my parents have taught me that I should never judge harshly against people, and through dealing with the torment of being judged I understand how it feels.
              I was born in San Francisco where it seems anyone can be anyone, where an open mind is required; even through lots don’t go by that rule. I lived in a place where different is normal. Walking the streets, I dealt with the sight of homeless people, dirty and sleeping on the streets, asking for food or money. I watched as people pushed them away or ignored them or sneered at them, calling them scum. My parents never did that, if they didn’t have any money they would always go back the next day and see if who they couldn’t help was still there to give them a dollar, my mother once gave her sandwich to a homeless teen. My parents told us to always appreciate life, that the homeless are those with rough lives but to never look down on them because they are still strong enough to still be living on, even if it’s on the streets.
              San Francisco is known a lot for, how many gay people live there; rainbow flags are displayed without concern, even with the criticism they have to deal with in life. Being a Christian I was taught that being gay was bad, that it was against God and that going to Hell was what their after life was destine. Still with the teachings, my family taught me that sexuality isn’t just who they are, that gay people were people just the same like everyone else. I watched my parents befriend gay people, and found out for myself that even through they are looked at as different, really they aren’t. That rainbow flags just show the beauty off of the rainbows after a light rain. That gay parades are just like any other parade, they represent something. That they just live life like anyone else.
             I have to appreciate how I was raised, I love my skin color, and I don’t hate those that tormented me with their beliefs, they were just acting through how they were raised. In the end I found out that having an open mind is less stressful, because hatred can take away all your energy and your time. I have found that people are just people, whether they are different or not. I have felt what it feels like to be judged, and honestly I do wish that more people were open minded, that getting to know a person first can really make you understand more on who someone really is. I was born with an open mind, and through me I have opened many minds as well, and through me I hope my children have open minds as well. Life is hard, so why make it harder with hate?