Being a relative "newbie" here, in the scope of things, I recently met Tazz during a conflict on a diary I posted last week. "Taylor Marsh: Edwards Schools Obama". I thought, and in alot of ways still do, that the premise of Taylor Marsh's post, thus my own in order to further her words, was spot on. In fact I still do, with one major exception... the verbiage... the choice of words. I had no clue what "this one schools that one" could or would possibly mean to African-Americans. At age 55, I'm still learning, thank God. Thank God too, some are continuing to teach and educate me.
Join me below the fold, please.
I remember an evening, I suppose 30+ years ago now, when I was a young RN working in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at NC Memorial Hospital, when it was still one building, not several as there are now, and a screaming child came to us after surgery for whatever, I cannot remember. On the evening shift in PACU, there was one RN (me), one LPN and an aide. The LPN was Ruby, the aide, for the life of me all these many years later, I cannot remember her name, but can still see her face and taste her chicken dumplings. At any rate... this kid was screaming her little lungs out and after I had done all I could think to do to quiet her I said, "hush darlin', Aunt Ruby will make you feel better." Satan get thee behind me, Ruby was in my face! "Do you know what you just said!" I had no idea why she was so upset but knew it was for real. After I protested loudly, the kid was still screaming, Ruby explained. Little did I know that, way back when, calling an elder black person "aunt" or "uncle" was a white form of derision. I had no clue. Honestly, I would rather have died than to have offended, even unwittingly, that wonderful nurse, woman, mother, grandmother.
The same thing happened last week when I posted my diary. Again, I had no clue "so and so schooled so and so" had any racial overtones. I have since learned it did and does.
When Tazz took me to task about it, I responded, telling him, "don't even play the race card here" or something to that effect. Still learning. I didn't listen to him. I made an assumption that someone who was so invested in Obama winning was going to pull out the race card. I learned how uncool that assumption was and is and will be.
Tazz and I have communicated, thanks to a diary he posted today. I feel a need to further that communication. I want to share what I have learned, and what Tazz says and feels, and how really, we are so in this together.
So many shared experiences. So many experiences just for "us" in whatever way. Yet, here we all are. Black, white, red, brown... people. Just good people. Trying to make a difference, trying to make a change for the better.
Thank you Tazz... you reminded me of a lesson learned long ago, yet, lost in the shuffle, not to be lost again.