Paint

Sometimes my best conversations are the ones I have with talk radio.  I listen, I learn and I get to make my points with conviction and nobody is there to point out whether or not I sound like a partially uninformed idiot.  Does wonders for my self-esteem(o:

I recently listened to a heated discussion about artifacts in a Cairo museum (I THINK it was a Cairo Museum, anyway...Uh-oh, the partially informed idiot...Exposed!).  Apparently there is what looks like a conspiracy going on.  During 'cleaning', many carved, stone figures have been stripped of their original black paint and re-displayed as white stone, you can even see the chip marks! 
I remember a strong-voiced African man taking a lead role in the discussion and as he described, many of the discoveries and accomplishments that Egypt takes credit for were, in fact, discoveries and accomplishments made by Africans who originally inhabited that region so genetically, Africans were the true great Astronomers, Architects, and Thinkers. 

Has Egypt done a serious job of pulling the wool over the world's eyes?  I felt as upset as the strong-voiced man in the discussion.  I know what it feels like to be stolen from but wow, talk about art thieves!  The story has kept my curiosity up at night, regardless of the fact that it doesn't really surprise me. 
Now, I don't really consider myself a 'Hippie' but I realize I ask some pretty 'Hippie' questions like, "Why do we do these things?  Do stones of different colors and origins argue what shape they should be carved into or what color they should be painted?  Are they offended when we strip their paint?  Do mountains fight for credit?  Why do we?".  Maybe I should start to consider myself a Hippie...nah, I like shoes, hamburgers and toiletries too much.

A few days later, I went to visit Dan. Dan is a new friend of mine and as he was showing me around his gorgeous, newly-facelifted Victorian, he pointed out the beautiful redwood that was discovered under layers of white paint that had been stripped away.  I have to say, the redwood was beautiful and after all of that time, I bet the house itself was enjoying it's new, redwood look!

It's interesting that something like paint removal can instigate such different responses in the same week.

Of course, the circumstances surrounding the two stories are obviously different, I get that, but when paint is removed (black or white), all that is happening is the unveiling of what is underneath, the essence of what it really is.  Stone.  Wood. Why do we paint figures black or white in the first place? Politics?  Credit?  Why do we feel the desire to strip the paint away?  Politics?  Credit?  It's terrible to be stolen from, but when do we stop choosing this battle and share the credits of peace together? 

Stone and wood go back a lot further than we do and if they don't fight over who cut the rivers, then we shouldn't fight over who figured out where they flow and why!  Just look at the wisdom there and consider there's not a single Galileo in the rock pile (though there might be in the forest!)!  There are countless colors in nature and none of them fight for credit.  WHY DO WE? 

When modern children, unimposed by history and hate, are given the opportunity to paint their own figurines, I imagine they paint them in every available color.  There is no better way to 'fix' history than by moving forward with this kind of freedom.

Sincerely,

A Partially Uninformed Idiot