Since starting my blog I've been really busy with work. New functions of a data base that will be time-saving and efficient. But at the outset, a LOT of work to learn. So I have worked long hours AND been sitting at the computer most of the time. Obviously, I've not wanted to sit and type for my blog. But I've been writing.
I never go any place without a book. Traffic jam, doctor or hair stylist running behind (Not my dentist. He's always on time), I l LIKE it. I just sit and read. Now I take a little notebook. I have written several things I'll get around to posting. And I have a good list of things I want to write about. It's the end of the weekend. I haven't had to sit at the computer for several days. I'm posting a few things. So, if you're wondering why several posts all on the same day, that explains it.
I previously wrote about our 4 week inter-racial Bible study. Well, Kathy and I are becoming friends. I've wanted to join a book discussion group, but could not find one. I asked Kathy if she liked to read. She LOVES to read. So we're going to eventually try and start a book discussion club. We want different races and ethnic groups of women involved. For now, we're content to get to know each other. (We really "clicked", so that is going to be easy.) And we're going to read books and discuss them. She's already lent me the book "Blood Done Sign My Name". WOW!! (I'm sure I'll write a lot about that book!)
Last Tuesday night she brought a book, asked me to read the paragraph next to which was written "Ask Regenia". The book, "The Warmth Of Other Suns", by Isabel Wilkerson, is about the migration of black citizens from the South to the North and West between 1915 and 1970. Almost 6 million! The page she wanted my input on was describing the situation as it was, even in 1958. Naming various southern cities, the author explained the reality of everyday life, as it related to skin color. Doctors' offices had different waiting rooms for Blacks and Whites. Some post offices had separate windows. There were different phone booths, depending on the color of your skin. There were taxicabs for "colored" people. (Wonder if that meant only "Black" or skin of any color? Asian, Hispanic?) And taxi cabs for non-coloreds. Among the other descriptions, the one that most took me by surprise was different ambulances! There were white ambulances. And there were black ambulances.
I read that sentence again. I couldn't say anything for a few minutes. The lump in my throat wouldn't let me. My mind was trying to absorb that. What if, at a given point in time, there weren't enough black ambulances? Let's say, for example, there were an explosion at a plant that employed mostly blacks. (Or more to the point, what if different parts of black community had been set on fire by the KKK?) Would the white ambulances be "allowed" to be put into use? Would neighboring fire stations come to help, the way we see happens today? The residents of the black community paid taxes. Would they not be entitled to any and all public services during a crisis?
I don't remember what I said to Kathy. But she could see my reaction. Although she said she has, of course, experienced prejudice, she was not brought up in the South. She had not even known about the things listed on that page. She wondered if I, being white, had known that reality. Or had ever learned about it. You know the answer. (Although, maybe I got a hint but have forgotten the specifics. As a teenager I read "Black Like Me". I remember not understanding. Not at all. I'm going to see if I can find a copy and read that book again.)
I was glad that the night's study was over. Some really quite nice older woman had all of a sudden been at our table. At some point in time the Taliban was brought up. One point led to another. And she tapped the table repeating what I had been hearing non-stop. We're a country founded on Christian principles. I was tired and I don't have my normal patience. (Grief counselor said that is very normal. Hope she's right and I get it back.) I had to speak up. I explained that I had been hearing that a lot. I understood the basic "message". But, that very, very respectfully, as a woman, I didn't see where the founding fathers would have been Christian towards me. And of course, they weren't towards blacks. We weren't really considered equal. As women we could not have held property. It was, for the most part, considered unnecessary and ridiculous to educate us. If I thought about the women and blacks, not too many of us benefited from that "Christian" foundation. Maybe most of us. Something to that effect. The man next to me spoke up. "Actually, if you were a white male landowner things worked for you, right?" I could have kissed him. (Totally inappropriate at a Christian function, don't you think? Somebody might have fainted!)
I don't remember what the lady said. I didn't care. I had been respectful. But saying something; jumping on a bandwagon without any thought and examination was just too much for me right then. Jesus had taught both men AND women. He spoke with the Samaritan woman. He loved the Gentiles, not just the Jews. (Read that as "He loved the Blacks and women, not just the white males, especially the wealthy ones.") You see why I was really glad I talked to Kathy after the study, not before.
Anyway, to get to the title of this blog. From Netflix we got "Who's The Boss". Ale and Trista have been watching the re-runs and he wanted to see the first show; see how Tony came to be Angela's housekeeper. So we've been watching them too. In one episode Angela and her mother have a fight over decorating the apartment they are building for Mona over the garage. Towards the end of the show Tony gets them together and leaves them alone.
Mona explains that Angela is always dependable; always responsible. Angela adds her own self-descriptive words: practical, pedantic, predictable. Mona chimes in (I think she said it) with plodding and poky. Angela ends with "pedestrian". Mona drinks to all of that. Then Angela tells her mother, "That's why I need you Mother. You add other letters to my life." I thought of Kathy. She's already adding other letters to my life. Letters that only a new black friend could add.
I don't know, but to me, our new friendship looks a lot more "Christian" than the societal relationships at the time our founding fathers established our nation.
Maybe instead of insisting on what our founding fathers "intended", I'll just worry about trying to be "Christian" now. I'll ask Kathy. I think she'll like the idea.
