An Open Letter to My Community

By Keisha Sharpe
Birmingham Times
https://www.birminghamtimes.com/

Most of us in the Birmingham area heard or read about the awful story of a young lady running over the father of her children on Easter Sunday – while her children and each of their respective families watched.

It is a story that, in my opinion, has defied any sort of logic, but rather, shows what happens when high emotion leads first. And it’s a story that I can’t let go of at this point – it is ripe with lessons if we peer beneath the surface.

I’ll start by asking something very simple.

Why is it that some would rather do harm to a person instead of moving on after a disagreement and allowing each party to live to see another day? It appears that it has really gotten that serious now where we cannot disagree with anyone anymore without it escalating to dangerous and sometimes deadly heights.

This is a hard dynamic to see play out in real time across Birmingham streets.

Well, I have a novel idea (it’s the coach in me).

If you’re in a broken, tumultuous or downright toxic relationship, why not acknowledge the fact that you two are no longer going in the same direction and respectfully pivot? It’s really that simple. Or, you can take the time to step back and get emotions under control — sort of like a cooling off period.

Like, what’s wrong with parking the car (relationship) and reevaluating or recalculating your direction?

We do it all the time in other areas of our lives, but in relationships we can’t give grace? I’m not buying it.

I hurt for my community because we have become addicted to moving, responding and acting on high emotions and, in the process, we continue to take losses that impact not only ourselves, our families and our children, but our community as a whole.

Seriously, some of this is getting really hard to watch. Maybe you’ll consider this an open letter to my folk in Birmingham … we’ve already paid a great price to live freely in this community, so how shameful is it that our violent actions against one another threaten to enslave and diminish us once again?

Come on good people — when is it enough?

I cannot believe that I’m seeing so much hatred we harbor toward one another, and I do not understand from whence it stems.

Ladies and gentlemen let’s consider our actions. Our community seriously needs you. I implore you to evaluate your relationship before the disagreement or explosion occurs. It’s okay to move on, just move wisely.

Ask yourself, “What is the long play, and will my actions bring me, my family and children shame? There is a better way… may we all choose the path of wisdom.

Blessings and always remember, I’m cheering for you.

Keisa Sharpe is a life coach, author and speaker. Her column appears each month online and in The Birmingham Times. You can contact Keisa at keisasharpe@yahoo.com and visit www.allsheanaturals.com for natural hair and body products.