Ever notice how in the US most world maps and globes are turned so the main focus is on North America? Here, when I see maps, Africa is front and center. It's a perspective that literally makes your world view different. As I was sitting here on my back porch tonight, I realized how many little indicators I have everyday that my perspective has shifted - hugely.
Xavier is in the backyard, playing in the dirt - a common occurrence even in the US. Except it's 6:40pm and dark and the bats are squeaking and flying around eating mosquitoes. I just saw one fly by and thought "cool". Not the response I would have had a few months ago. The other night, I noticed that, marching across my white tile floor, was a colony of probably thousands of minuscule ants carrying a dead baby gecko towards the back door. I called the kids and said "look, it's a science experiment right here in our kitchen". Again, probably not the response I would have had a few months ago.
I also noticed that I no longer look at people and instantly delineate between them being black and me being white. I hadn't realized how much that was still a subconscious filter for me until I came here and realized I was struck by the fact that the kids were the only white kids in their school and it was something that didn't even phase them. They were more concerned about kid stuff - who they played with that day, what was for lunch, how they did on their homework and neither gave a thought to the skin color of the people they were interacting with. Wish more of the world thought that way. Perhaps things would be different.
I hope our perspectives keep on shifting and that everyone has the chance to so dramatically shift theirs at least once in their lives.
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