Three Strangers

How often do you engage in a face-to-face conversation with a complete stranger?  Working in the hotel industry, I have met a multitude of diverse individuals: traveling businessmen who stay on a weekly basis; displaced families that are living in the hotel as their homes are repaired; the casual guest who stays just one night; and so much more.  Within the past week, I have met three strangers, and with a few words, we managed to have poignant conversations that don’t occur in such a casual environment. We were able to truly converse and connect in a way that doesn’t happen everyday.

I was serving free drinks when I met my first stranger, *Penelope.  She was quite a character, with bright red hair and colorful dresses.  What started as a simple chat about the delicious sweetness of our favorite white wines blossomed into a mutual respect for each other’s individual self.  She was intrigued by me, and I was curious about her.  Throughout our conversations, it became increasingly apparent that our lives were very similar, almost eerily so.  I could have become her, and she could have become me.  She stayed for a week, and we maintained our nightly conversations every chance we got.  When the time came to say good-bye, we did, but we still maintain contact.  For that brief time, we truly connected, and it was an experience I continue to ponder about.

I was accepting donations for a fundraiser when I met my second stranger, *Mr. Mendell.  What initially started as a discussion about which restaurants had the best meaty meals turned into a heated discussion about the wonderful world of animation.  My friends and family will be the first to admit that my obsession with animation may be slightly unhealthy, but it’s an art that I will always cherish.  Typically, an average conversation about animation only concerns an individual’s favorite animated film or character.  It rarely transcends into a more meaningful discussion about the art of animation.  And most people don’t care about animation trivia.  With this stranger, I could talk about animation in all its glory, without have to bear with endless explanations.  From claymation and stop-motion to 2D animation and 3D animation, we discussed animation til the fundraiser event ended.  I even introduced him to some amazing short films involving silhouette animation.  For a nerd such as myself, these types of in-depth conversations about animation do not happen often.  To have such a connection helped me to see that there are others who truly have a passion for the same interests as myself.

I was relaxing along the coast when I met the third stranger, *Sam.  We met casually, stuck in a waiting room.  Our conversation revolved around a singular topic: chocolate.  Ok, perhaps this isn’t as deep or meaningful a conversation as the others, but it was different from your typical everyday interaction with complete strangers.  I am a chocolate lover, and whenever I can, I will choose to devour something that is chocolate covered in chocolate with even more chocolate in the center.  It’s what I like.  I found a familiar soul who loved chocolate perhaps more than I.  He knew what he was talking about, and it was amazing to hear someone talk about chocolate with such passion.  He could have been Willy Wonka and that wouldn’t have surprised me.

Within a week, I had three unique conversations with three different strangers.  As we become more reliant on technology, we must not forget how to truly converse with people face-to-face.  Without such conversations, you’ll miss out on moments such as the ones I described.  You won’t notice how a voice becomes higher when someone is talking with utmost passion.  You can’t see the spark of recognition in their eyes when something you say sounds all too familiar.  You might miss that flicker of relief when you find a kindred soul who reminds you that you are not alone in the universe.  You may lose an opportunity to make a new friend.  You never know who you’ll meet, so keep an open mind and be ready to have a story to tell.

* Names have been altered to protect these strangers.

Developing an Anti-Racist Stance

In COMM 454, my initial perceptions of whiteness were challenged with the utterance of a singular question: Are you white and how do you know?  I had never before given much thought about how whiteness permeated the society in which I lived, despite acknowledging that racism hadn’t been erased from the world.  While I had begun to develop an anti-racist stance on my own, I couldn’t truly move forward unless I recognized my whiteness, embraced it, and accepted that which my whiteness had afforded me. Upon writing my first paper in response to the question posed by my professor, I worried about what to write, how my voice would come across, and was rattled with uncertainty over the accuracy of my view on whiteness.  I questioned whether or not I could develop an anti-racist stance when faced with the reality of how whiteness fit into my identity.

It’s been a long sixteen weeks, and the class has grown as each new layer of whiteness was peeled away, revealing truths about racism that only continue to stir the controversy.  The climax of the class came during Reflection Week where my peers revealed where racism had affected their lives.  The resulting conversation after Reflection Week was saturated with awkward tension, miscommunication, and never-before-spoken fears, like the morning after sex.  Some were inexperienced, uncertain with what to say.  Others were looking for more, searching for a mind-blown, earth-shattering epitome of racial understanding.  Few spoke of fear and fretted over the perceived judgments that might befall them.  However, clarity shined through the initial fog, and I gained a better perspective on what it meant to recognize whiteness.

The ability to recognize whiteness has become a part of my daily routine.  It’s almost as if my life is being narrated by another, pointing out instances of whiteness that I had never truly given my full attention to.   Sometimes, it’s minor, like an electric shock to the system as I stare at a racist advertisement.  Other times, it is louder, like someone shouting with a megaphone when I read the thoroughly laced with Biblical verses response of “Race-Mixing is Wrong/http://mackquigley.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/race-mixing-is-a-no-no/ – by a God-fearing blogger to my previous post which supported the interracial couple banned from a Kentucky church .

As a student, I’ll share what I have learned about whiteness, and it won’t start with the Whiteness Forum my class shall present next week.  This knowledge transcends the classroom and campus, and is best shared beyond the wall of education.  Abolishing white domination and white supremacy can become possible as more people understand their whiteness, acknowledge white privilege, and see how whiteness has corrupted our society.  Through faith, I shall be an ally, keeping to my morals and virtues in spite of controversy.  I choose to not censor myself on matters such as whiteness or racism.  I have walked the fine line between being White or Latina, and I want to stand as an interracial woman.  While I’ve endured discrimination, I no longer want to limit myself on these issues because of the dominant grip they have on society.  Being silent isn’t an option anymore; this is why I have returned to writing.  I can grow as a writer and yet maintain a steadfast stance against white domination.  I want to create something tangible that combines both the art of storytelling and speaks against injustice.  If I can listen to those who need someone to hear them, if I can capture the voice of those who cannot speak, if I can look through the eyes of another and share what I see, then I have done something meaningful.