Although I haven't been blogging lately, I've been reading other blogs. I wanted to come say hi, and write, something, but I was wordless, not for lack of topics to talk about, but for ways to express myself, and the will to share my thoughts. I do, however, want to talk about the video I posted a few months ago: The dangers of a single story.
A friend, whom I had not been in touch for a while, sent this video to me to show me how I was being narrow-minded and not nice to her. After hearing her point of view, I explained mine, and I think we got on to a good start. I was deeply touched by the video, though, because it rings true to me in so many ways that I wanted to share with the world, hoping that I'd be able to enlighten some more people into knowing that it's unfair to see only one side of a person or a situation. I believe ignorance and stupidity lead to intolerance, and that for lack of understanding another person's point of view we end up having prejudice. We don't understand or even respect other people and the way they want to live their lives. I also believe that if everyone gave it a try, and put themselves in other people's shoes, our world would be a more peaceful place.
I come from a good middle-class family with a good lifestyle, I went to a good university before moving to Canada, I studied law and was set to be a lawyer. But I decided on a different path and I moved to Canada as a nanny. I've said before that immigrating is life being born again, because you don't have history, people don't know all of the sides of you, just a single story of your struggle to adapt to a new country, with a new language and a different culture. I've been taking care of my little ones for 3 and a half years now, and I'm good at what I do, just as I believe I'll be good at anything else. When I tell people that I'm changing jobs soon because I want to focus on my education I get a funny look when I say I study Political Science and Economics. Comments like "Oh, wow, I thought you'd be a teacher" or "Oh, that must be hard., " and even "isn't it expensive?" I guess most people assume that because I love kids, that I should or would be focusing on working with them. Or because I immigrated as a nanny that I have no aspirations regarding education or that I'm here because my conditions in Brazil were bad.
I understand that for many girls, that come like I came, it's about survival and to seek a better life in Canada, but to assume that we're all in the same boat, is to not care about our personal stories. I don't think people should know about my personal history, but let's admit that we all lack understanding about other countries and we choose to believe in stereotypes and on the stories of few who we happen to hear here and there.
In my case it's just annoying to get looks when you correct people of their stupidity, but in some cases, when you look only at one side of the story, it involves countries, beliefs and millions of people. I'm to blame just as many around me. I also jump into conclusions and false judgments of cultures and situations, but I really try to keep an open mind and to not close myself before giving someone or another culture a chance.
We just want to be heard, to be respected and to be seen. It's funny to see that people fight to be different, but in reality, they end up looking the same within a group. It is as if we're all voicing our values on our clothes and behaviour, but we always end up part of a "clan" of people who believe and act, just as you do. Different nationalities, different cultures, different sex, different beliefs, different religions.. In the end we're all humans, and we suffer from the same problems and we search the same end as to live a peaceful life with people we love.




