They say we're young and we don't know
We won't find out until we grow
Well I don't know if all that's true
'Cause you got me, and baby I got you
In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors woke up every morning to the iconic Sonny and Cher song playing on his alarm clock. Connors was forced to live the same day over and over again, until he eventually redeemed himself by abandoning his selfishness, choosing instead to treat those around him with respect instead of contempt. As each day of Phil’s life repeated itself, Bill Murray’s portrayal of the cynical weatherman Connors showed us someone who learned from his previous mistakes and grew as an individual until he finally realized we all are defined by how we treat those we meet every day from the very moment we awaken.
Today’s news is full of righteous indignation and abject apologies. Donald Imus is the latest public figure to say something outrageous and now he awaits his fate as America’s collective cultural jury debates his crime and determines his ultimate punishment. While Imus has done many good things in his life I am disinclined to weigh them against his faults since I screw up on a regular basis myself. Judgment is not mine, and those famous words ought to be on the minds of all folks weighing in on this argument, particularly members of the clergy.
What do you think Imus might have said if the Rutgers team was in his studio that morning? My guess is he would have seen them as individuals and not the nebulous entity “Rutgers Women’s Basketball.” He would have treated them with respect because how can you look a young woman in the face and call her a whore unless you are a pimp, or worse?
One of my professional colleagues is an African-American who I respect immensely. I never trade ethnic jokes with Ray because getting to know him over the years has helped me understand what he’s comfortable with in terms of humor. I’m also lucky to have two very close friends who are Jewish, each with an incredibly liberal sense of humor-- but every time I banter with them I carefully consider my jokes in light of what seems reasonable based on our friendships. The real trick is to see others as individuals and not as a faceless race or religion before you open your big mouth and say something stupid and hurtful.
The lesson that can be taken from the Groundhog gospel of Bill Murray is this: Wake up! Get to know those you meet every day, and treat them as you would like to be treated yourself. Each new day affords us the opportunity for self-improvement, unless we choose instead to see our shadows and crawl back into our holes for more winter and less sunshine.
We won't find out until we grow
Well I don't know if all that's true
'Cause you got me, and baby I got you
In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors woke up every morning to the iconic Sonny and Cher song playing on his alarm clock. Connors was forced to live the same day over and over again, until he eventually redeemed himself by abandoning his selfishness, choosing instead to treat those around him with respect instead of contempt. As each day of Phil’s life repeated itself, Bill Murray’s portrayal of the cynical weatherman Connors showed us someone who learned from his previous mistakes and grew as an individual until he finally realized we all are defined by how we treat those we meet every day from the very moment we awaken.
Today’s news is full of righteous indignation and abject apologies. Donald Imus is the latest public figure to say something outrageous and now he awaits his fate as America’s collective cultural jury debates his crime and determines his ultimate punishment. While Imus has done many good things in his life I am disinclined to weigh them against his faults since I screw up on a regular basis myself. Judgment is not mine, and those famous words ought to be on the minds of all folks weighing in on this argument, particularly members of the clergy.
What do you think Imus might have said if the Rutgers team was in his studio that morning? My guess is he would have seen them as individuals and not the nebulous entity “Rutgers Women’s Basketball.” He would have treated them with respect because how can you look a young woman in the face and call her a whore unless you are a pimp, or worse?
One of my professional colleagues is an African-American who I respect immensely. I never trade ethnic jokes with Ray because getting to know him over the years has helped me understand what he’s comfortable with in terms of humor. I’m also lucky to have two very close friends who are Jewish, each with an incredibly liberal sense of humor-- but every time I banter with them I carefully consider my jokes in light of what seems reasonable based on our friendships. The real trick is to see others as individuals and not as a faceless race or religion before you open your big mouth and say something stupid and hurtful.
The lesson that can be taken from the Groundhog gospel of Bill Murray is this: Wake up! Get to know those you meet every day, and treat them as you would like to be treated yourself. Each new day affords us the opportunity for self-improvement, unless we choose instead to see our shadows and crawl back into our holes for more winter and less sunshine.
No comments:
Post a Comment