I have been wanting to blog about this for so long but I never managed to organize my thoughts in my head in a way that would be bloggable. But since not too many people read my blog anyway and I'm more blogging for my self than for the entertainment of others. I have decided that I would just go ahead and blog about this thing that has been urging me to blog it for a very long time.
I have recently decided not to judge a book by its cover, or a girl by the length of her skirt, or a man by the car that he drives, or a beggar by the state his shoes are in, or an angry person's outburst in the middle of the infamous Egyptian balady bread queue. I have trained myself to find excuses for all these people. Somewhat it has left me feeling at peace and happy. Forgiveness is indeed a beautiful thing.
Why is there a relation between open-mindedness and forgiveness? Maybe its because when you openly discuss something with someone. You are actually forgiving the other person for having a different opinion.
Okay I still don't know what I'm trying to blog about but I'm just trying here, so give me a break.
I have encountered several Egyptians in my life who claim open-mindedness. They call themselves "Oben" or "Feree." Yet when you try to have a nice conversation with any of them you are bombarded with uptightness. You are not allowed to express your opinion without being accused of something that offends you. I am not talking about topics that generally arouse heated discussions. Although in those topics open mindedness will allow you to better understand the other person's opinion and therefore your own opinion will reach them better.
Egyptians who claim being "oben" will dress openly, act openly and talk openly. But they will never accept what you have to say openly. This saddens me. Because being open minded doesn't just mean accepting another person's opinion. It means accepting different cultures. Accepting different colors of skin. Accepting people with handicaps. Accepting knowledge. Accepting that no one is perfect. Accepting that imperfection is beautiful. Accepting that everyone is different and that this is why the world is such a beautiful place.
I sometimes feel like I want to open my chest wide and let the whole world flood inside me. I want to be able to touch, feel, see, hear, smell everything and anything. Forgiveness is such a beautiful thing.
A very good friend of mine told me about a documentary called "Baraka". I have posted the link for the first part of the documentary. I strongly urge you to take your time to watch all of the parts. The experience is very rewarding for the soul.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtiqrzmuWbw
