Welcome back Nalora. Shari >From: Nalora <vashti@theshop.net> >Reply-To: CHOCTAW-L@rootsweb.com >To: CHOCTAW-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [CHOCTAW] Good Morning >Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 08:39:33 -0600 > >First let me say, I have returned, after an evening of sorrow, but with >comfort from all of the kind words I recieved from all of you. Pardon me if >I wax philosophical for a moment, but it is my way. I tend to see the world >with philosophical slant. > >First some background on me personally, so if you are prone to a judgement >of me, you do so with some formal data. > >I am 43 years old, I was born in Shawnee, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, >and I have lived in Oklahoma City since I was 6 months old. I have had a >"rough life". At the age of 13, (1969) I left home and "became a hippie". I >remained on the streets until 1974, crossing the United States many times, >in my search for "life's meaning". This time in my life taught me a great >deal about prejudice and hatred. It also began my understanding of how >people use words to hurt other people. > >We give words power. Words are nothing without intent. The master, Jesus, >once said that forgiveness is not forgiveness unless we forgive with our >hearts. This is a true saying. The words "I am sorry." have no meaning >without the intent. > >I began to think on my travels about the idea of profanity. I realized that >there is no arrangement of letters that are profane. Only the intent to >defile something sacred is profane. We teach our children that the word has >power, when it is really the heart expressing the word. External blame. We >are all prone to it. Look at how we blame the gun that kills the person. We >make laws for the gun. We ignore the fact that no external law will change >the internal heart/law. > >My intent here is not to be a "know it all". Indeed, I believe too, that >ignorance grows exponentially with knowledge. For each new thing you KNOW, >there are 10 new questions, therefore the more your learn, the less you >know. > >Someone mentioned the word "Indian" being offensive. I have paused in my >writing over that word many times. I have paused over many words. And it >seems daily there are more and more and more that must "give one pause". >But the pause should not be because of someone else's possible offence. It >should be to examine the intent of your heart. > >With that said, my apologies for causing rumblings in our group. >It was not my intent. > >My intent is to help people find their kin. I know the great peace and joy >that comes ESPECIALLY from finding the elusive ones. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Nalora > > > >==== CHOCTAW Mailing List ==== >Please support wonderful & FREE genealogy on the internet. Join >Rootsweb.com today! > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com