Guest Editorial

Keys in the Song Of Life

by Adam Abraham

These thoughts are being written on one of the scariest, and yet most exciting, optimistic and hopeful days of my life. After a great deal of thought, introspection and soul-searching I, a middle-age man of modest means, resigned from a very comfortable paying job in order to devote more of my time and energy to publishing my second book, which is titled, I Am My Body, NOT! (Phaelos Books, ISBN 0-9700209-0-1).

Indeed, I came home today after cleaning out my desk, saying my good-byes to well-wishing colleagues at American Honda, where I worked in the Information Systems Division, and turning in my badge. As dusk gave way to darkness, I sat quietly by myself; alone, numb, limp, almost catatonic.

“Am I crazy?” I wondered to myself for a while, knowing that I will definitely miss the reassuring regularity of that weekly paycheck. Yet, I know that for me, it would be crazy if I didn’t elect to embark on this challenging, hazard-filled, wonderful, and at the moment, anxious journey. It would be crazy not to bring the ideas that have been presented… simply, and I dare say, elegantly, in book form to the public’s attention… not to give them the light of day, that they might find a comfortable place in each mind and soul that they touch.

I can’t flatter myself to say that it was my writing alone that brought all this about. I am also compelled to proceed because of the wonderful way that these ideas have been illustrated by an insightful Canadian artist, Marie Litster, who I met while surfing in a “personals” web site (www.webpersonals.com) in late August of last year. She lives in the beautifully quaint community of Sooke, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island with her son David.

During the course of our getting to know each other, through hundreds of emails, daily phone conversations, and eventual visits, Marie heard me spout off on a wide range of subjects, and read many of my essays. She not only “got it,” she had long ago embraced a human-oriented, value-centered worldview. So when I sent her a copy of a free verse poem of mine, she could see the book that it should indeed become. She eventually gave the book its endearing visual cast of characters.

Besides being an admittedly shameless plug for which I offer no apology, I Am My Body, NOT! is actually relevant to Interracial Voice readers for many reasons. Whether you are a parent like me, a grandparent (also like me), or perhaps a teacher, it is likely that you have come to appreciate the challenge that it is to introduce identity concepts to young, impressionable and inquisitive minds without essentially “imprinting” them with social or cultural stigmas that might be associated with a particular "group" of people. By informing and showing an appreciation for the wonderful instrument that is the human body, yet asserting that we are not that but are, in actuality, something else, I Am My Body, NOT! begins a process that will likely have to be reinforced many times before real understanding is gained. But if freedom from race-centric thinking is ever to be gained, the journey to such understanding must begin somewhere. I sincerely believe that Marie and I have collaborated to produce, and present for your consideration, an important key.

By appreciating the wonder of its design while asserting to young minds that we are not our body, the overriding importance that often gets placed upon our body’s shape, size, color, and even gender is diminished. Furthermore, it allows a parent or teacher to rationally discuss another natural aspect of the life cycle, which is the body’s eventual demise. The ability to rationally, and without fear, present concepts of life and death with young people give them far more time and opportunity to make rational choices during the course of their lifetimes. While we may not agree with where we go after our bodies cease to exist, it is indeed possible to present reasons to (a) strive to do and be our very best, (b) be caring, for our bodies, ourselves as well as for others and our environment, and (c) to dream of better possibilities, and make them happen.

I believe this book can make a meaningful contribution toward such ends… for people of all racial, ethnic, cultural and national backgrounds. It is quite a gift to have written it, a blessing to meet another who could, while becoming the best of friends, give it visual life. It is likewise an honor to bring it to your attention. As you can see, after coming this far, I had no other choice. I hope you agree. --aa

I Am My Body, NOT! will be available in late September, 2000. Orders for First Edition copies are being accepted now. If you would like to (a) request more information, or (b) place an advance order for the book, please contact the publisher, Phaelos, Inc..

Keys in the Song Of Life

Also by Adam E. Abraham: