Part and Apart

As I walk through the village I hear people, mostly men, say “are you alright sister?” or “be safe sister”. I am wearing my small purse slung over my neck. It has a colorful hippie peace sign on it. When I was in my 20s it was common to be called “sister”. At the time I felt a part of the societal changes and of something bigger than myself when called “sister”. It was a connection to the “community”. I feel the same connection when they call me sister today, only I’m connected to a far different community.

But there is another side to this story: the descriptive side. They say, “Hey White Lady!” When I hear this, I am reminded of the difference people see when they look at me. Being called “White Lady” is not disrespectful here – it’s merely a description used to get my attention. It’s interesting that people focus on skin. They could say “Hey, lady with the long hair” or “Hey, lady with the green eyes”. But they don’t. It is skin that we’ve been conditioned to use to differentiate people. It's no different anywhere in the world.

So in one short walk, I feel both part and apart from the community.