We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program....

So today I was going to post another funny story about Kalaya and the things that come out of her little head. But I heard something today that basically --- well it just burned my biscuits.

Through no fault of this persons own, I found out today that some people in my little world of acquaintances and co-workers think that I'm trying to be black. What are their reasonings you ask? Well they are as simple as the thoughts going through their heads.... 1) I have a biracial child and 2) I go to the break room in the mornings with two black co-workers ( let's not mention the white fellow or the latino fellow-- we wouldn't want to ruin their train of thought here.)

Seriously people?! Seriously?! I mean, as far as I knew, my only requirements for inital consideration to be my friend is that you breath and sometimes I don't even hold things to that requirement. (I'm really good friends with my electric blanket)

And if we are going to go about it this way, then let's just put it all out on the table.

1. I'm blonde THEREFORE I'm dumb.
2. I'm tall THEREFORE I'm clumsy/ play basketball/ hate being tall because I don't want men shorter then me.
3. I have a child and I'm unmarried THEREFORE I have absolutely no morals at all.
4. I like to listen to country music and I wear cowboy boots THEREFORE I'm a completely backwards redneck that loves the movie Deliverance.

What kind of prejudice and racism are we working with here folks? Are we really that small minded? I'm guessing we are.

And it's not just black vs.white anymore. It's white vs white and black vs. black too. (enter any race you like here as well)

Why is it that when a black man gets an education and tries to make a place in this world, he is told that he's "pulling a Carlton" and "trying to be white"? Seriously? You're telling me that a black man who is educating himself is, in fact, making himself white? Did you just not reversely pull prejudice on yourselves and say that white people are smarter? What kind of idiocy are we cultivating here?

And why is it when a white girl has black friends or a black boyfriend, she's trying to "go black" or live up to the old saying "once you go black- you never go back"? I don't remember ever being upset with my caucasian race or trying to convert to anything other then what God created me as.

And why did I date a black man you ask? Well, you may not believe me if I told you but I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. You want a hint? Ok, well--- it had ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to do with his skin color.

I didn't date white guys and get dumped- thus leaving me jaded. And I didn't do it to fit in. Matter of fact, I grew up in a home with white parents, went to a predominatly white church, and attended college where, at that time, there were probably only 25 students of other ethnicities.

So lets see----- not jaded, check. Not peer pressured into it, check.

Then what could it be? Oh I know! I just simply liked him. That's it. I didn't care that the good Lord saw it fit to make him African American. All I cared about was we got along and liked each other. The color didn't matter. My last name is not Crayola.

God blessed me by creating me in his image. That's it. That's all I care about and the only person I want everyone to know I am exclusively attached too. As I said, my friend requirements are minute to say the least. I want to be with people who can laugh at themselves and with me. I don't care if you are black, white, asian, latino, or dang purple. If you can look at life as a 'glass half full' person and like to laugh-- come sign up. I'm not going to go sit down with some stockbrokers and start flinging sayings out like " where's the Dow today. Oh yes, it's a bear market I tell you. I wonder how Apple is doing?" just to try and fit in.

So please, if you don't want to be my friend, then keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear you brag about ' hey- I had one black friend in middle school' to make it all better and then walk off muttering about me trying to be something else under your breath. Because frankly, I have a lot of friends that don't have your particular muttering problem and they could care less if I broke out in polka dots and stripes tomorrow.