This was originally written under the assumption that any of it could be communicated to dolphins, if their intelligence was of a type that could understand and if we could ever break the communication barrier. It could be modified for other nonhumans, though, if that time ever comes.
I will be here, in any capacity you ever need me to fill. I will not take your independence away, and I will not shy away from your decision-making capability. I will love these things about you, honor them as they should be honored. I will not belittle you by assuming that you cannot communicate with me. You know what you're saying, and I will not insult you in taking your right to say it. It is humans who hold back progress, and I will keep this in mind when trying to interpret your actions. I can't make elaborate promises, but if I am ever in your presence, I will let you challenge the limits of my understanding. It will not be easy, these things never are. But I will cooperate, not lead. I will let you guide me and try to offer useful feedback through hopefully helpful methods. I will not try to dominate what should not be dominated, especially not by the likes of me.
If we ever open communications and I am fortunate enough to be part of that effort, I will do my best to tell you this. I am not your equal. In some ways you are far superior, but in some ways we have the upper hand. But I would like us to be able to treat each other as equals. I will try to let you know the details of that from our perspective, but I will not use my advantages on you unfairly. I will behave respectfully if the chance comes, and I will let you control my access to you. If I can say it to you, I will back up every word with visible reinforcement. If I can't, I will express that reinforcement anyway, letting you be the deciding factor on what I become to you.
To me it all comes down to something simple: You don't think like me, or like any of us. It is insulting for us to assume what you are thinking. Your thoughts range on entirely different topics, and they function based on different primary senses. The way you conceptualize things has been shaped by an utterly dissimilar environment, and the areas you have to focus on are far different from the areas we need to focus on. This is what people need to understand, bearing in mind that you do feel, perhaps very differently, and that you do have motivations, perhaps very alien ones. And if it never comes my way, I would hope that, at the most, someone who has that chance will see this, and keep it in mind.
If a day comes that you hear and understand this message, I want you and whoever has cooperated with you to know how very proud I am. Reaching that point will have been a long, difficult journey. you are honored, know that for certain. My greatest dream is for that experience to happen, whether I'm involved or even alive to witness it.
Love is a funny word. By the time we can tell you this, you'll probably have gone over it. Love is neither temporary nor permanent. It is bright and hot, but steady when it's treated respectfully. Love can exist between human mates, or family, or friends. Love can be far harder to explain than that though. I would call what I have for you love. It is respect, an intention to be mindful of your perspective. It is compassion, a desire to see you safe and to help mend what people have done where that is possible. If you have too much doubt to heal the gap, I will not force it on you. It is the belief that you deserve space, and the willingness to listen if you dictate it. It may sound silly coming from a smaller creature, but it is protectiveness, a need to speak out on your behalf, a willingness to put myself in harm's way for you.
I could expound upon it all day, but I will leave you with this. You can depend on what I feel for you if the need arises. The emotion fills me up completely, it is bigger than me. Sometimes when the moon floats in front of the sun, it cannot block off all the sunlight. It is very similar, my mind is not big enough to cover what I feel. It is a deep sense of warmth. It isn't something I can choose to feel or deny, but I wouldn't reject it if I could. It will not go away even when you cause damage, even when you meant to. That said, my regard is yours.
In the spirit of the effort expended, the dead ends, the frustrations, the milestones and breakthrough experiences, the embarrassing misunderstandings, the perseverance and curiosity and drive needed to pull this off, the joy and relief at each baby step, I salute you. Here's to your potential, and here's to ours too. In a manner of speaking I am casting a vote. This is one of those funny things that only humans might do. It isn't based on rationality or observation, it's based on an unflagging determination that I know we both share. This vote means I believe in you and I am not ashamed to let it be known.
I write this at a time when you are seriously disrespected. Right now my race is looking down on you, many of them use you for their individual benefit. And some of them always will, unfortunately. I don't believe I can move the world by wishing. But as you know, what we mean occasionally has a funny way of changing itself from thought to reality. My vote's on you, and people who believe in you too. Let's beat the odds. There will be others like me, I may never be there. Work with each other, not against each other. We share a joy in challenges, and we know that about one another. Let's stop dreaming about it, and meet this challenge as a team.
I am Iyana. I am a human woman who cannot see. I rely on sound and touch to navigate in an environment designed for people who can see. I try to balance a need to keep things realistic and accurate with a passion for music and the abstract. For example, I want to break communication barriers. I want to use reason and logic to do this, instead of using the emotional reactions most people have inadvertently hurt you with. I take in knowledge and new experiences like a body takes in sustenance. But I am awkward and sometimes uncertain, and my emotional reactions get in the way of what I mean. But I'm loyal and I'm earnest, even if I'm sometimes so clumsy. Despite that, I'm willing to take a hard road and a heavy burden. Responsibly, honestly, and mindfully. Even if I can only offer minor contributions and even if I can't contribute at all.
That's a part of the center of who I am. But I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the offer stands even if you reject it. You see, we have more than a few things in common. Our entire race is divided, but some of us love you. It doesn't mean we can do anything, but it does mean we will do everything we can.
No comments:
Post a Comment