Well meaning “advises” from friends & strangers poured in when they heard that I was travelling to South Africa.Reaching here even the locals – the Whites & the Indians cautioned me to be “careful”…..to be wary of the Blacks! Why? I hate this racial segregation! In spite of my liberal outlook, I couldn’t help clinging on to my handbag especially when a Black Man passed by. Who was to blame? Myself? The people? The environment? Believe me, I tried but still ended up being prejudiced.
2 comments:
i think you are being too hard on yourself! b/c if you were *truly* prejudiced, you would NOT have *TRIED* and you most certainly would not be worrying about it now!
i believe you experienced CONDITIONING much more than you evinced *prejudice*!!! you reacted to the well-meant "warnings" of people you know, who repeated told you something, supposedly from first hand experience! if all of those friends had told you, for months leading up to the trip, to beware of *SEAGULLS* i suspect you'd have clung tightly to your purse every time a bird flew over the beach!!!
...and the fact that we are thinking--and talking--about it months later...what will eventually make all this crap disappear!!! the world hasn't changed overnight...but it IS changing...and *we* will help!!!
I guess you are right about the "Seagulls" theory, thanks Lauren....makes me feel a wee better!
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