Let's Race: Black and Right

I've been catching up on (or burying myself more deeply in) emails, the past couple days, and it's getting late this evening, with the prospect of an hour lost overnight due to Daylight-Saving Time.

In line at the bulk-goods store this afternoon, I saw near the register a Caucasian man with an affectionate, African-American wife (both in their forties-plus) on his arm, and found myself smiling widely at the sight. I am delighted to see dating and marrying across nonsensical boundaries (and wonder at times why white man + black woman is so much rarer a sight than black man + white woman… and then wonder further why this should matter).

I've not been honored to date a woman of color, and expect now not to have the opportunity. The most I can claim in that specific regard is having been stood up for a date some twenty years ago by a short, dark, svelte friend (still a sweet friend afterward, too) who looked like a slightly-reduced-size young Whitney Houston on one of her early albums. Picture her with straighter hair, bigger smile, and a – howl! – snug black leather skirt. Whew !! I still have a couple photos of her, but don't have her permission to post them here. Sorry, guys (and gals).

I have had the delight, though, at least to date two different German women (one of whom, I admit, still owns a piece of my heart), and find I can still be drawn by an accent on a woman, especially Slavic or German. Thus I understand the allure between "us" and "them" – whomever you put under those headers.

So when that man in the store looked back at me, grinning, he found me already smiling back. I hope I wasn't the only one. And I pray for the day when no one notices anymore.

More on race relations in other posts – e.g., I had an African American friend who knew I hate racism, so he'd visit me in my store (way back in my retail days) and tell me "black" jokes, and walk back out, laughing at my discomfiture. (Do you know any good white jokes?) Aargh!!