Note: There have been incidents to be briefly narrated and shared here this week. These “fragmented” incidents full of judgments happened here-and-there. More than a few times, my husband was inquired tactfully regarding a rumor that I have been back and forth to Vietnam for work. Or when we expressed our thoughts and feelings, we did not received any understanding or compassion but a quick response started with “Don’t do that because you would not make it!”
The most recent incident was related to our rebuttal printed on the International Examiner on September 2nd, 2009. One individual of the Vietnamese Learning & Teaching Organizing Committee of Seattle and a Board member of Vietnamese Friendship Association (VFA) sent a message to the Vietnamese internet discussion groups (yahoogroups.com) slandering us as “falsifying their names”. We found out unexpectedly such non-transparent dubious and tortuous act through a discussion group member. It occurred after we sent a general message to many community groups (including this group) inviting people to read our letter—a piece full of concerns toward the Vietnamese American younger generation growing up in America–to the International Examiner. Until today this individual has not responded to our reply letter regarding this non-transparent dubious and tortuous act. Some particular group discussions that posted this individual’s message refused to print our reply letter.
Another event coincided with the above warmed our heart when we heard an interesting parable. Our very dear physical therapist who has been mindfully applying meditative acts in life shared with us this story in spite of not knowing about the above judgmental incidents.
We in fact heard about this story when we were still in Vietnam. Its moral meaning was a focus on the immeasurable misfortune versus blessing phenomenon matched with the Vietnamese/Eastern philosophy of living. This interesting parable narrated this time is through a different lens—the lens of “judgment”. We re-printed and translated this piece into Vietnamese to help you as well as ourselves to ponder on fragment, judgment, goal, and journey.
To us, the individuals who had “judged” our acts only need to ground themselves and state them simply as the following:
“Quynh-Tram has not seen lately at the Vietnamese Senior Club.”
“VietSoul:21 just published a rebuttal on the International Examiner.”
“We were invited to read a blog piece at VietSoul:21 or “Hồn Việt Thế Kỷ 21.”
If these judgmental individuals had chosen to express as such, more than two involved parties would have not faced their heart-felt disappointment in order to grow and connect with each other.
VietSoul:21 - Hồn Việt Thế Kỷ 21 