People who have touched your life
Corbeagirl's post on people who have touched ones life made me want to share:
It was just before Thanksgiving my Mom and I (age 5) were flying out to see Grandmother before she died. Due to weather it seemed like we were forever missing our next plane. We were wondering around Sea-Tac when I whispered to Mom (child's whisper, loud) "Mommy that lady looks like she is burned like a cake." Mom wanted to drop through the floor, either that or have me disappear. Mom started try and explain to me, but the lady interrupted and told me to come on over. She sat me down next to her and explained that she was just a human with skin a different color than mine. She told me to touch her skin and see that it was just the same as mine. She then went on to explain how her ancestors were from the hot regions of Africa where mine were from the cooler northern regions of Europe.
My mother was a racist to the Nth degree, but my meeting with that lady at that age made me realize that people were people, it was the person who was good or bad. That race, color, religion etc was not the cause of good or bad. She was a believer in the teachings of Martin Luther King that a soft voice will win more people than violence and shouting. That day she influenced me and through her the teachings of Martin Luther King lived on.
My only regret is that I never knew her name so that I could track her down and thank her for her timely words of wisdom.
It was just before Thanksgiving my Mom and I (age 5) were flying out to see Grandmother before she died. Due to weather it seemed like we were forever missing our next plane. We were wondering around Sea-Tac when I whispered to Mom (child's whisper, loud) "Mommy that lady looks like she is burned like a cake." Mom wanted to drop through the floor, either that or have me disappear. Mom started try and explain to me, but the lady interrupted and told me to come on over. She sat me down next to her and explained that she was just a human with skin a different color than mine. She told me to touch her skin and see that it was just the same as mine. She then went on to explain how her ancestors were from the hot regions of Africa where mine were from the cooler northern regions of Europe.
My mother was a racist to the Nth degree, but my meeting with that lady at that age made me realize that people were people, it was the person who was good or bad. That race, color, religion etc was not the cause of good or bad. She was a believer in the teachings of Martin Luther King that a soft voice will win more people than violence and shouting. That day she influenced me and through her the teachings of Martin Luther King lived on.
My only regret is that I never knew her name so that I could track her down and thank her for her timely words of wisdom.