Mom taught me that sometimes you have to be loud to be heard. Dad taught me the value of quiet. They are polar opposites who are the perfect match for eachother.

On the bizarre colour issue. I am much younger than Wesley who is only a few years younger than my parents, but when I was around 5 or 6 my mom had to explain that some people still saw skin colour as an issue. This was in Toronto in the early-mid 1970's. I was in love (that cute puppy love obviously - we were around 5years old) with a boy. I'd told my mom that he was beautiful and had brown curly hair, big brown eyes, and was really funny. Naive yes, but I honestly thought different skin colours were the same as different hair or eye colours. THe thing is, my teacher didn't see it that way and called my mother to alert her to the 'problem' of me spending too much time with this boy. Misunderstanding, she said she knew all about him and thought it was harmless puppy love. THe teacher told her that she was talking about the boy being black. Mom, shocked asked 'so-what?'

I had a hard time understanding what she was trying to tell me about skin colour meaning more to some people than hair colour. I still have a hard time understanding things at odds with logic. So I guess mom also taught me that just because others fail to understand sense doesn't mean I have to agree or accept their lack of sense.

Ignorance was not limited to the American south in the 50's and 60's. Toronto! I've seen it there in the 80's too.

Peace, Leila