Hahaha! I am learning this as I go. The blog will change, I’m sure, as I figure out what I need on it. Right now, I am just figuring out signing in and the plethora of choices that are offered at the place where I do sign in.  Still need to figure out a response spot.

Oh, and I need to apologize for the lack of capitals for I and at the beginning of sentences. I have been typing my messages throughout the last year and a half on my Ipad. It automatically caps the beginning of sentences and the letter I.  Now I’m typing on my laptop and though I  like it better, it’s easier, I forget the changes, and just how long I need to hold that shift key down.

Okay, housekeeping is over, time to have fun.

Just saw a page on FB from Title Wave, a book loving site and it made me laugh:

SPELL CHECK…IT’S IMPOTENT

Hahaha!

Today’s story is about the Christmas pageant that my high school put on when I was a senior.

Yep. 1970. How things have changed.

Of course, that was also the year that the review in the paper of the Red Wing High School Choir Concert contained a disparaging remark about the length of some boys’ hair. Seriously. For those of you who are too young to know what this meant, the reviewer thought that the boys’ hair was too long. Keep in mind it wasn’t Jared Leto long.  it came past their ears. Just. And probably covered their foreheads. For those of you who remember this, WE HAVE LIVED THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGE!

Anyway, the powers that be decided that a Christmas choir pageant with different countries around the world represented by students in native dress would be the way to go in 1969.

Ummmm. The problem with this plan is that other than Native Americans, the only student of any color was the AFS student for that year. My senior year our AFS student was Leyla Er from Turkey. I can’t remember whether or not she was part of the program. I was too busy being a Mexican boy.

Yes, you read that right, a Mexican boy. Why a boy? Because I had short hair. Why a Mexican? Probably because I was in drama and band.

Band? BAND??? Yes, because I was not in choir. Remember, it was a choir concert. Stay with me, I know it can be confusing.

So, I was playing a Mexican boy. A friend of mine was the Native American chief, complete with original native headress. His name was Scott Anderson; he was also in drama and band. In fact , he was our kick a@@ drum major.

And, you guessed it, he was no more Native American than I was Mexican, or a boy.  He at least got to play a gender accurate role.

I don’t know why one of the Native American boys or young men were not asked to do this.  Maybe they were and didn’t want to. It remains a mystery to me.

Now, I haven’t ever talked with Scott about this, but we do have a reunion coming up and if I remember, I will.  But, dressing up in what I thought a Mexican boy would wear and playing another country’s citizen was not anything that scarred me, and I doubt it hurt him either.

But what bothers me is that we considered it normal. And all the students who came to see it, because, of course we did an all school assembly, grades 7-12, they would have considered it normal as well.

Sterotypes abounded on that stage. And were cemented in memories/brains/psyches as accurate.

Wow.  And we all vote now.

Education is the key. And so is travel. And talking to one another.

So we don’t put a white kid in a  Native American headress and  costume and ask him to dance around in a circle on the basketball court before the A  team game every other Friday night.  Just because our town’s name was Red Wing.

Yep. That happened, too.

HEY! Have a terrific evening. Buffy says she’ll sit on your lap even if you’re not wearing black!

Hugs, Janet