The-Courier-recoveringnoah

Did you know that my kids are "brown"?

Gasp!!! Quelle horror!!

Yep, and apparently it's causing some speculation on our block.

I've noticed that one of our neighbors hasn't been very friendly to us since we brought Nandini home. He no longer acknowledges our waves as he drives past or smiles at us if we happen to be outside at the same time. We noticed it, but didn't get too upset over it. We just figured that maybe he was going through something funky in his own life.

But the other day we happened to be at our mailboxes at the same time. I was holding Nandini and it was impossible for us to avoid each other. So I walked over and said hi and introduced Nandini (because he hadn't met her yet). He eyed me with suspicion and do you know what he said?

"Are you Muslim or something?"

What??? Where on earth did that come from? I was in total shock. Not because I was offended - I have friends who are Muslim - but because I was completely caught off-guard. It was totally unexpected. I just said, "What? Why would you think that?" and he said...

"Because you keep adopting all these kids from I-RACK"

(Yes, I know that's misspelled, but that's how he pronounced it. I-RACK.)

So what do you do?? I was stunned. Of course, later, I came up with all sorts of clever things to say, but at the time all I could muster was... "Uhm, Nandini's from India" to which he replied...

"Same thing. It's all in the Middle East"

Yikes. I was just dumbfounded. Had absolutely no idea what to to say. No idea. I should have used the opportunity to educate him, but was so stunned that I just mumbled something and went inside.

I later thought about sticking a rolled-up world map in his mailbox, but do you really want to tick off someone who already views you with suspicion?

Can you believe it? This is 2008. How can people still be so ignorant??

What would YOU have done?

Leslie