here come old flattop he come groovin' up slowly

one thing that is a constant annoyance/slightly humorous/growing old fast is how much i stick out here. i am used to being one of the many tall blonde people in grand rapids that i thought 5'11" is average height for a girl haha. well that's one worldview that has been challenged.

i've never been part of the minority before and it is an eye opener. sometimes i just want to yell "i am a person, i have a name and it's not "gringita" or "barbie." it just shows that my whole life i've had the luxury of not even being aware how oppressive "being different" can be. wake up.

and here it can be easy to slip into the "big city" persona where i just walk fast with my head down, ignoring everyone and not looking up to enjoy the beautiful day. i had another little wake-up call the other day. i got off the bus on the way home from work a little early so that i could have a little walk. as i was waiting to cross a busy street, a homeless youth, maybe around my age, walked up to me and tried to grab my hand. i acted upon my quick, stereotypical judgements of oh he's dirty, gross, and walked away with a "permisso." a minute later he was back and said "hola" with a huge smile and held out his hand. so i gave him a handshake and offered my cheek in the typical bolivian style greeting. he kissed my cheek, said buena dia and walked away. i was never worried about my safety because a political rally was going on all around me and i was surrounded by people. but i had realized that hey, aren't i sick of being objectified and being seen as only a tall gringa? this kid, mentally handicapped and harmless, is being constantly ignored and shunned. jesus hung out with the socially shunned, so i should get over myself. i think my kindness helped make his day and his kindness made mind.