Can you believe....

Now I know that there are still very ignorant people in the world when it comes to race, prejudice, etc...but when someone flat out demonstrates that in conversation with me--I still never cease to be floored! Here goes:

On Friday I volunteered at Bethlehem Marketplace. I love doing it because it really reminds me of one of my favorite (and yet, very infrequently used) pastime--acting. I'm in costume as a money lender in Bethlehem...giving each patron 4 sheckles (sp?) to spend at the shops of Bethlehem. There is a very shy, quiet woman who is working with me in this role. The fun part of this part is that there is always a short little break between the groups coming through. We get a little time to chat every once in a while. Anyway....so as we are talking I can tell we don't have much in common--not that there's anything wrong with that--sometimes you just get the feeling that you're more being cordial to each other than really caring about what the other person is saying. After one group of really fun, excitable school age children pass I tell her how I love volunteering during the day when the school groups go through. They are so engaging and love to interact with the volunteers and it's easy to see that they are truly amazed by what they see, hear and smell in Bethlehem. She agrees and then starts to tell me about a large group that came through the day before of high schoolers. (I start to smile because I am sure she is talking about my aunties school--all 167 and me certainly qualified as a large high school group...lol) She says, "They were so excited and really enjoyed themselves, they were...pretty much all...colored...."

Okay. Read that last sentence again. Yes, you read correctly. She said colored. If you know me....you know that it took everything inside of me not to pass out right there or scream at the top of my lungs. What I did do was take a deep breath, swallow and kind of interrupt saying, "Black you mean?" She said, "oh...yes....and they were really well-behaved" This as well irritated me to no end. Well-behaved compared to?? Why was this said with such awe? Unfortunately because of the setting, continued groups of kids and I think her realization that she said something wrong--there really wasn't time to talk about it anymore than that.

1st thing. People you can not say colored. This woman was not in her 80s. She was probably in her 40s....she was not from a generation where that word was okay. She should know better. She isn't living on one of the last plantations left in the south that is decades behind the rest of society. She should know better.
2nd thing. Someone's race usually doesn't need to be brought into it. Are there times it can be appropriate? Sure. Now if I'm describing my husband at church to someone who says they don't know him--I know if I say, "he is the handsome bald, black man that works with prison ministry" I know they will know him because he is pretty much the only one. If those high school kids had been white, would she have said, " They were so excited and really enjoyed themselves, they were...they were....pretty much all...honkies....??? (using the decade correct terminology mind you) Um...probably not.

So anyway...just had to share that story!

What's the rest of my life been like since I last blogged? Well, it's large choir worship this weekend, so Elijah and I are singing. That meant practise on Thursday and then a full weekend at church. Yesterday we went to the Stuedemann's to watch movies and hang out--such fun! Jordyn watched the boys for us and it really was a much needed break just kickin' back with friends. Today I did a lot of laundry, some cleaning, shopping, choir practise and Sat. night service and after blogging this I have to get the music ready for tomorrow. Marlon and I head up to Taycheedah tomorrow and my parents are watching the boys for us. Elijah and I have to be there at 7am and then Marlon will come with Israel and Isaiah for 2nd service. Tomorrow night we have a project for one kid, Kid of the Week poster board for another and of course, more laundry. I am looking more and more forward to my vacation between Christmas and New Year's!!
Nite :)