Guest Blog: Comfortable Confusion by R.Herod @FlyWiditCustom

Comfortable Confusion


The basic interaction between society and our peers do not match how we are taught to react and interact with the world around us. For example, with Christianity being strong and preferred in America, the selling of sex isn't decreasing with the increasing support of Christianity's idea of good values and morals. I have a hard time understanding true forgiveness. In Christianity, you are told God will forgive you for your sins, if you repent.

Once a “sin” is completed, I believe it is hard to show true remorse without actions. I believe a person's actions, plus their new found level of understanding, or awareness, should be fairly obvious. The irony of transformation, and rebirth, is that if the change is too obvious, some of your observers may remain skeptical. These are the type of contradictions that we live with daily

I was in an interesting conversation with a friend a couple months ago and the saying, “comfortable confusion,” came to mind towards the end of our discussion. I currently define comfortable confusion as a mentality, or mind state, in which an individual has become complacent with being oppressed and grown to accept, or even excuse, a norm they didn't originally create. In America, we are taught the norm. We are taught what to do to stand out form that that norm. We are also taught about the things that are unacceptable by the norm. When have we defined these norms recently?

So, we juggle. Trying to find ourselves. Trying not to offend people. Trying to impress people. Trying to care for others before ourselves. There tasks, with the inclusion of the economy, the news, media, entertainment, and sports, help to serve as a distraction and add to this comfortable confusion. Religion, in the Black community particularly, was believed to help unite and bring everyone together. Hope formed a bond and established a place in the church to seek comfort and support. A support that wasn't offered by the oppressor at the time.

During a time where capitalism was growing rapidly, despite the financial support the community provided the business owners, the business owners rarely support the community. Even when they did give back to the community, it's hard for me to ignore the exploitation of the people. Liquor stores. Gun shops. Pawn shops. Fast food. It would appear, to an outsider such as myself, that there were more opportunities for Blacks to spend money versus to generating wealth. People of color, regardless if they are Indian, Black, Asian, or Hispanic, being oppressed the longest in America, understand what it is like to be given something and having to be comfortable with what you are given and making it sustain.

The great thing with live is we are continuously given opportunities to learn from our mistakes and get a better understanding of Self. Any mistake can be a positive stepping stone to progress. The comfortable, I believe, are the chains of mental slavery. I now realize that I stepped away from elaborating on the power of the television. The repetition of distorted facts gives the people who are unaware no choice but to accept the information that is presented to them.

If you ask the people around you, should you allow someone to pick on you? Should you allow someone to intentionally, or unintentionally, bully you? Should you not allow time to find Self? To be free? Should you allow someone to not allow you to live?My peers have told me, “Hell no!” “Fuck no!” “Naw.” “Why would you do that?” “No, that would make you a coward for doing that.” “Nah, man. You gotta stand up for yourself.” But look at us now.

Marcus Garvey. Imprisoned, destroyed, and deported. Malcolm X. Repented. Educated himself. Spoke. Killed. Murdered. We are free to be ourselves. We should let anyone walk over us. Don't let anyone stop you from being you. This is what we are told. “We can work from within the system of the government. The system works. Believe in it.” I believe in it, to a certain extent. Martin is dead. Was he not peaceful enough? Was he not dressed well enough? Did he not speak articulately enough? Did he not assimilate enough to be recognized as a man and respected for his different, yet intelligent, thoughts and views? Yet, we still comfortably let the word “justice” trickle from ours lips.

You know, maybe I'm the only one confused and uncomfortable. I can't even put my shirt on right because it's not the right brand. I can't walk down the street because my footwear doesn't leave a nice imprint on the path that I walk. I can't feel comfortable in my jeans because either they keep falling off my waist or my nuts can't breath. I'm uncomfortable than a mothafucka.

Yet, I'm still smiling. I see other smiling faces. So, someone's comfortable. I can't for everyone, so for me, just I'm smiling, that doesn't mean I'm comfortable. I do enjoy the now. The possibilities that continuing life offers. Until, someone does allow me to live.