Sort of off topic but this post reminded me of something.
I used to live in a very low socioeconomic area of Australia. When I was in highschool I had never had a bad experience with Aboriginal people but I was always on edge around them. Walking home from school one day I passed a group of Aboriginal people who I had seen in that same spot many times before. This time an Aboriginal lady approached me. I remember thinking to myself “well it’s finally happened. Guess I’ll find out shortly if I’m a fight or flight kinda guy.” She stopped in front of me, no shoes, tattered clothes, missing teeth… but the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. She made a gesture to my hair and said, " I like your hair, it’s so pretty." Being a guy I had never gotten a compliment from a stranger like that. I thanked her and smiled back.
Very few moments do I consider to have changed my life but that one definitely did. I felt ashamed of how I had thought of this person before ever interacting with them and I felt ashamed of the country I live in that so often complains of how much we’ve given these people despite the reality of taking from them everything of worth and leaving them destitute.
I’ve been harassed in public for my red hair so many times. I’ve been harassed in public for dressing feminine many times again. But that one time I wasn’t and I felt beautiful.
Sort of off topic but this post reminded me of something.
I used to live in a very low socioeconomic area of Australia. When I was in highschool I had never had a bad experience with Aboriginal people but I was always on edge around them. Walking home from school one day I passed a group of Aboriginal people who I had seen in that same spot many times before. This time an Aboriginal lady approached me. I remember thinking to myself “well it’s finally happened. Guess I’ll find out shortly if I’m a fight or flight kinda guy.” She stopped in front of me, no shoes, tattered clothes, missing teeth… but the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. She made a gesture to my hair and said, " I like your hair, it’s so pretty." Being a guy I had never gotten a compliment from a stranger like that. I thanked her and smiled back.
Very few moments do I consider to have changed my life but that one definitely did. I felt ashamed of how I had thought of this person before ever interacting with them and I felt ashamed of the country I live in that so often complains of how much we’ve given these people despite the reality of taking from them everything of worth and leaving them destitute.
I’ve been harassed in public for my red hair so many times. I’ve been harassed in public for dressing feminine many times again. But that one time I wasn’t and I felt beautiful.