{"sf1_id":689522,"sf2_id":"A1pMpqle","title":"You Don't Need To Understand","author":"ShingetsuMoon","words":648,"posted_at":"2014-04-06T18:20:00.000Z","tags":["NaPoWriMo","Poem","Poetry"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/689522-you-don-t-need-to-understand","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/A1pMpqle","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/dc/1b/dc1b04c1-eb35-4c02-b28a-7f61977b560d","description":"#1 of National Poetry Writing Month\n\nThis month is National Poetry Month! So as part of that I'm doing a 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April. One poem every day until the month is over. Of course I'm a bit late in getting this one up but it was written on the day specified. Others will be up shortly!","content":"* * *\n\nI don't understand.  \nI don't get it.  \nThis doesn't make sense.  \nWhat do you mean?  \nWhy not?  \nWhy can't you?  \nWhat's the problem?\n\nWe've all heard these words and  \nwe've all spoken them at least  \nonce in our lives.\n\nWe found ourselves caught trying  \nto understand something that our  \nminds just couldn't comprehend or  \nwrap our minds around.\n\nOr we found ourselves trying to  \nexplain something to a person  \nwho just couldn't get it.  \nWho didn't understand.  \nWho could not grasp whatever concept  \nwe were trying to explain to them.\n\nEveryday we hear so much about  \nhow important it is to understand  \neach other. To free ourselves from  \nignorance and learn what others  \nare dealing with and going through.\n\nBut what if you can't? What if you don't?  \nWhat if despite your best efforts _you  \njust don't get it?_\n\nWell then here's a news flash for you.\n\nYou don't always have to get it.  \nYou don't always have to understand it.  \nYou don't always have to kill yourself  \ntrying to make sense of what others are  \ngoing through.\n\nBut you _do_ have to respect them.  \nRespect their lives, their choices,  \ntheir feelings, their emotions, their identity.\n\nYou don't need a detailed lesson on  \nthe racism a person has experienced to know  \nthat they don't like this and they want to leave.\n\nYou don't need to understand their  \npersonal history to know that they don't  \nwant to do this. To know that they  \ngetting uncomfortable being here.\n\nThe fact that something is making someone  \nyou care about uncomfortable or upset  \nshould be all you need to understand.  \nIt should be all you need to see in order to stop.\n\nYou don't need to understand every aspect  \nof a person's gender identity to know that  \nthey don't like being called a girl, a boy,  \nor any variation thereof.\n\nYou don't need to have a person explain to  \nyou how many times they attempted suicide to  \nunderstand that joking about it is not okay.\n\nYou don't need to know how long its been since  \nthey last cut themselves to see that they\u0026nbsp;  \ndon't like you\u0026nbsp;pointing out their scars.\n\nWe get so upset, so obsessed with  \ngetting people to understand us.\n\nWell you know what?\n\nSome people _aren't_ going to get it.  \nNo matter how many times you tell them.  \nNo matter how many monologues you give.  \nNo matter how many poems you write  \nor songs you sing or analogies you give.\n\nSome people are _never going to get it._\n\nBut that doesn't mean they don't love you.  \nThat doesn't mean they can't support you.  \nThat doesn't mean they can't stand up for you.  \nThat doesn't mean they won't spend their dying  \nbreaths telling others what a beautiful person you are.\n\nMaybe they don't understand, but they still try.  \nMaybe they don't get it and it doesn't make sense,  \nbut they still use whatever pronouns you prefer.\n\nMaybe they've never experienced racism or  \nhomophobia and they just don't understand  \nwhat your life has been is like but still they  \ntry to support you and avoid words they know  \nyou consider to be slurs and insults.\n\nYou don't need to understand every detail  \nof a person's life to show them the respect  \nthat they deserve.\n\nYou don't need to understand their  \nentire history of pain and suffering to know  \nthat they just need someone to listen to them  \nwhile they vent.\n\nWe aren't always going to understand each other  \nbut we do owe it to people to try and if we still  \ndon't get it and we still can't fully grasp their  \npoint of view then we can still respect them.\n\nI don't need to know why you are uncomfortable  \nif you don't feel like explaining it to me. The fact  \nthat you asked me to stop is more than enough for me  \nand it should be enough for anyone.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"National Poetry Writing Month","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/689530-have-you-ever-stopped-to-listen.json"}}