Here I am in Vancouver.  North Vancouver to be specific.  Gordon Lightfoot in just under 4 hours.  I have been awake since last night at 6:30. It would have been a good idea to have a nap but I had a cup of coffee earlier and now I can't nap so I will end up being awake for about 30 hours after all is said and done.  And because I am so tired I have nothing witty or interesting to say.  The humour bank is empty.  Empty!


OK , here is a story instead. When I was in kindergarten and up to grade 3,  two of my best friends were boys.  One of the boys name was Kamaljeet.  Kamaljeet was from India and used to go on trips and bring back peacock feathers for the entire class.   He and I used to hide inside the classroom while the entire class was sent outside.  We would hide under a huge orange desk and hold hands while we giggled together. His skin was very brown but I never noticed.  My other best friend was a boy that would forget to wear his shoes home even in the pouring rain.  He loved to lay on his tummy and spin and spin and spin on his desk.  Bobby was a slow learner.  I never noticed.  Both boys moved I guess because I don't remember them after grade 3 and neither of them are in my class pictures.  What was so beautiful back then was not even noticing someone was different.   Life back then was so pure.  Kamaljeet was just a boy that I later noticed had brown skin and Bobby was just a boy that taught me how to spin on my tummy on top of my desk.  (It was really fun!) What I wouldn't give to go back to those days when my eyes and ears were clean and had not been shown that people are different.  Who did I learn the differences later on?  Not sure to be honest.  It wasn't at home because I don't  remember a single racist or unkind word about anyone in my home.   Was it the teacher that sharply reprimanded Bobby for his glee and silliness?  Was it other school children that called Kamaljeet a Paki? Oh, that word even hurts to write.  

As an adult I am not without my own prejudices   If I find out someone is on welfare and has the ability to work I have a lot to say and it is mean, nasty and judgmental.  There are Vietnamese in my community that I judge with one stroke of the brush. Here is the thing.   I don't want to be this way but at the same time my self-righteousness comes out  and I feel entitled to my beliefs.  I am also very ashamed because love for all starts HERE my friends.  It starts here.