Is it me?

Granted, my perception can be a little twisted at times. Having grown up as I did, I'm not usually hypersensitive to racial issues. But I can't help but think there's some sort of conspiracy directed against men (or all people) of color in the US. There's an unspoken media conspiracy against Barack Obama -- the media appears not to recognize that, by continually emphasizing (or, rather, hyper-inflating) any less than positive aspects of his Administration -- OR simply by reporting on ANY aspects of his administration from a biased, slanted, or otherwise impartial point of view -- they seem not to recognize that when they do this they create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Granted, the US and world media did the reverse to Obama the candidate, which may have a bit to do with generating the critical mass that allowed him to win, and possibly has to do with why he won the Nobel Peace Prize. It may have been that, or it may have been a knee-jerk reaction to the Bush administration, or it may have been a collective desire to hope again, or it may simply have been that the brother was amazingly more qualified than anyone else who ran. But anyone who's not an idiot understands that the American political system is a big, lumbering, interconnected piece of machinery. There are multiple parts which simultaneously require attention and maintenance. No other American president has, in two terms, achieved what President Obama has achieved in less than one, but it looks like every malcontent in America considers our President fair game.

As I posted in another blog, I believe there's an unspoken conspiracy against men of color. It's expressed in the perverse desire to find fault with Obama, Charlie Rangel, and now Tiger Woods.

I'm not for a minute going to defend Tiger's philandering ways. I think his whole "I'm not black, but eight different ethnicities" spiel, plus his fondness for busty blondes, is probably evidence of the fact that he's simply not in touch with his inner black man. He's not the only one in that category, though, and his inner black man comes out when he's dominating the golf course. OK, he has some personal issues. Some really bad personal issues. That doesn't stop the fact that nobody watched or even cared about gold before Tiger Woods. And his personal issues don't deserve to be splashed all over the news for A YEAR, and they certainly are not appropriate fodder for commentators while he's trying to play golf.

He had a great image. He failed at something. He's human, and he's trying to make a comeback. I personally don't like Nike's shoes because the last is too narrow for my wide, bunioned feet, but going forward I will always at least check Nikes and buy whatever of their products I can, just because they didn't abandon Tiger. I don't know what products are offered by Accenture, the firm that dropped him so quickly, but their wiki says they're a global management consulting, technology consulting, and technology outsourcing company. I know a little bit about global management (MBA), technology consulting, and technology outsourcing (decades of work experience). Any company that aims for a "we don't make mistakes" image is a crock. Since I'm with a nonprofit it's unlikely I'll ever have reason to make use of Accenture's services, but if they EVER come across my path again, I'm going to remember the hypocrisy of an industry which is built upon learning from the unknown (and, by extension, learning from their mistakes) I'm going to remember the hypocrisy of their abandoning someone who made a mistake.

So I'm a bit sad that, after forcing a playoff round, Tiger failed to win the tournament that bears his name. I was so sure he was going to win that I actually called my Dad then went out instead of watching him play that playoff hole. I thought for sure he had it. And I think that perhaps his losing his four stroke lead today is indicative of the fact that he's still battling inner demons.

Which is why he shouldn't have to battle external demons as well. People need to lay off Tiger. They shouldn't idolize him when he's doing well, and they shouldn't vilify him when he's doing poorly. What's the big deal? Is the fact that he can play gold the sports-world equivalent of being "so articulate?" Is it because he breaks the mold of what's expected for black males in sports(they can excel in basketball, football, and baseball -- and maybe soccer for those who are foreign born)? Is the fact that he's a man of color who's excellent in golf the reason everyone is so fascinated with him?

I'm happy that black folks get to sit at the table. I'm just kinda sick of the fact that, once seated, we're still expected to eat hamhocks and collard greens....

On another note, I'm really excited about teaching Bible study at church. We are going through the geography of the New Testament, so I get to share my experiences with the class. I believe I'm helping facilitate the process of the Bible coming alive for them -- people say they're understanding more now than ever before. That's SUCH a privilege. I kinda regret the fact that I went into business and didn't just become a professional student, which would have led to teaching, since that's what I love and where I ended up, anyway. Although I have a whole lot of life experience, and an amazing testimony about what God can take you to and what God can take you through.

While I was walking today, I got an idea for a sermon. It has to do with mountaintop experiences. We always talk about the mountaintop experiences, but we never think about what you have to go through to get TO the mountaintop. To get up there, you have to climb, which is hard. You have to go up a steep mountain, either directly up, or through switchbacks. If you go through switchbacks, that makes your climb a little bit easier (it's not soooo steep), but it takes longer. As you go up this rough climb, the air is getting thinner, so your heart and lungs are working harder. There are deep crevices on every side, and nothing to hold onto, so there's always a danger of falling. There are stones in the path that you can stumble on, and even though there are resting spots along the way, you can't tarry too long because you've got to keep moving.

I don't really have a point yet; I've made it to the top of Mt. Nebo and looked over, but my testimony with Mt. Sinai will be that sometimes you have to try more than once to make it to the top. But after you get there, the view is glorious, and you can see forever -- you can peep into another land, you can peep into the future, you can look back in wonder at where you've come from and what you've come through -- but once you get to the top of that mountain, it changes you. You don't come down the same as you went up. But then, you have to figure out what to DO after that mountaintop experience.

OK, that's it for tonight....