Yesterday, as I was driving to work, I was stopped at a light. There on the corner were three women. Not super well dressed but just looked to be talking and laughing – waiting for a bus maybe. I didn’t notice anything unusual but was memorized for a moment with how much fun they seemed to be having. Before I could take my eyes off of them, a police car pulled up. Two guys got out. One of the women looked at me. I felt like she was asking me with her eyes, not to go. The police asked them to empty their purses. They did so immediately. The light changed. She looked at me again. I had to pull forward as there were cars behind me and I drove away.
Look, I have no idea what was happening there and, I am not passing any judgment. But here’s what it made me think about: How did I get here and she got there? How did I get to be born into this world, with this color skin and with the opportunities I have? Why did she look at me that way? What did she want from me? What could I have done differently?
I thought about her all day. I have absolutely no answers. I did tell my kids about it when I got home and as we talked, the word “privilege” came up. We realized that just by virtue of birth, we have some privileges that others don’t. We wondered out loud, what that meant for us.
My daughter, since middle school, has volunteered in an inner city program during the summer. She loves it. The boys joined her this year. They too feel the same way. They don’t even think of it as giving back. They don’t really even see the color difference. They just enjoy hanging with these kids. Their world has been diverse since birth. And while they don’t care about the color difference, they do see the difference in treatment. They don’t like that part of the world.
I really have no direction for this blog. I’m still thinking about the woman yesterday. I wonder what happened. And, I wonder how it feels to be afraid that you might be mistaken just by the color of your skin. What was I supposed to take from yesterday’s experience? Maybe it’s the opportunity to talk about it. To have a dialog. And, to be grateful for what I have, my opportunities and to give back. I’m still working on this one …
Have a wonderful day with totally open eyes!
theyearof50 