I'm A Creep, I'm A Wierdo
Brian Crum was on America's Got Talent, a show that is about discovering talent of every kind. Somehow I ended up watching the show when this incredible singer sang an old song "Creep" which is about being different in a world where different is not always embraced. His mother shares her pain around the way her son Brian was bullied a lot in school because of being gay. She made a statement that made me cry which was "all I could do for him was fall on my knees and pray". In spite of the experience as a child he turned out to be a "breath taking" singer who the world now knows of. He has already made a few music videos, some of which are duets. He is evidence that any one of us can rise up from the darkness that life serves us and that being different does not have to be a bad thing.
As a Latino male I had my own share of bullying and snide remarks by ignorant people from the time I was very young. The inquisitive look on people's faces when they met me was enough for me to interpret that I was so different as to be noticed. At times I felt as though I was so different that I did not want to be me. I felt as though my life would be better if I were a white male, a part of what I knew early on was a privileged group in our society. After all the people in power were mainly white men and still are to a large degree. That boy of long ago is now healed and what I know is that I am not just good enough I can celebrate who I am. That the fact that I am brown skinned and speak Spanish is a good thing that I am now very proud of. That all the people who will love me will see me for who I am and will not just look at my color and judge me as good or bad. I also know that I will never change the people who think badly of me because I am who I am. I know that the only opinions that matter are the ones of the people who love me. I can only wish that other young latinos will know their value and not allow anyone to put them down or bully them. I also like to think we have evolved some. Understanding the feelings that people who have been bullied can potentially die.
I wish I knew the answer to creating a world of harmony where people who are different will be embraced, respected and loved. I wish that we could all accept others for who they are yet what I admit about myself is that I too have my own prejudices and limited thinking and fears. I believe that the only way to create that harmony and unconditional acceptance and love is to believe it can happen for everyone all the time. It is a dream of mine that we will really be the "melting pot" we say we are. The more we hear stories like the one about the singer Brian Crum the more we can be healed from bullying and behaviors that separate us rather than connect us all as human beings. The more we understand that people like him are a part of a world that should embrace and celebrate everyone. We are the people who can change the mind set of "those people" into "we the people".
Elliott Maximo Collazo Gonzalez
As a Latino male I had my own share of bullying and snide remarks by ignorant people from the time I was very young. The inquisitive look on people's faces when they met me was enough for me to interpret that I was so different as to be noticed. At times I felt as though I was so different that I did not want to be me. I felt as though my life would be better if I were a white male, a part of what I knew early on was a privileged group in our society. After all the people in power were mainly white men and still are to a large degree. That boy of long ago is now healed and what I know is that I am not just good enough I can celebrate who I am. That the fact that I am brown skinned and speak Spanish is a good thing that I am now very proud of. That all the people who will love me will see me for who I am and will not just look at my color and judge me as good or bad. I also know that I will never change the people who think badly of me because I am who I am. I know that the only opinions that matter are the ones of the people who love me. I can only wish that other young latinos will know their value and not allow anyone to put them down or bully them. I also like to think we have evolved some. Understanding the feelings that people who have been bullied can potentially die.
I wish I knew the answer to creating a world of harmony where people who are different will be embraced, respected and loved. I wish that we could all accept others for who they are yet what I admit about myself is that I too have my own prejudices and limited thinking and fears. I believe that the only way to create that harmony and unconditional acceptance and love is to believe it can happen for everyone all the time. It is a dream of mine that we will really be the "melting pot" we say we are. The more we hear stories like the one about the singer Brian Crum the more we can be healed from bullying and behaviors that separate us rather than connect us all as human beings. The more we understand that people like him are a part of a world that should embrace and celebrate everyone. We are the people who can change the mind set of "those people" into "we the people".
Elliott Maximo Collazo Gonzalez
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