Ask me and I'll emphatically say, "No! The color of your skin, the lilt of your voice, the religon you profess, does not matter. It is who you are and how you behave that matters to me." . . . . . . . . or so I thought! I spent 5 days in San Francisco recently - a different world from my little corner of the USA. I suddenly found myself taking Taxi cabs - alot. Each taxi cab I rode in was driven by an individual born outside of the USA, each one was from a country in the Middle East. Each was pleasant, kind and helpful. A couple of them in retrospect took advantage of the "out-of-towners" and drove around a few extra blocks to up their fare. Sad to say, I was nervous each time. "Does this person hate me because I'm an American? Would they like me obliterated because I am a Christian?" I found it unsetteling in myself. I think we are always disappointed to find out we're not quite the wonderful people we thought we were. In defense of myself, I am sure that the events of time and terrorists and mindless tragedies across the globe have contributed to thinking twice about whether or not we trust the individual in the front seat. Wouldn't it be wonderful to trust the entire world? and if you ask me if I'm prejudice? I'll try to say, "I'm trying not to be, I may think things in my head, but I would never vocalize them.' Hmmm next year I'll be a better person.
