The guy is a Fort Worth native, we were close by, so he met us for drinks.
Nice guy and of course Jamie lit up from finding a new person to talk to AND reminisce college stories with.
After drinks, on our way to dinner, I asked Jamie why I hadn't heard about the guy in any of his "college days" stories.
"He was the first Mexican I ever met," he said "I was racist and a bigot and back then I had no interest in associating myself with him".
cause Jamie's never made secret of the fact that he was racist...
it just blows my mind everytime I hear it.
Cause really... how do you go from just 20 years ago "not associating yourself with a Mexican" to being happily married to one (of Mexican descent?).
Yes I say "happily"! He told me just a couple days ago that I was so pretty and he was so glad that he had a beautiful wife....ok yes he was a little tipsy but I'll take it...he says stuff like that all the time anyway.
AND it wasn't even that the guy was Mexican Mexican either for cryin out loud, he's from Fort Worth!
I just shook my head and said, "I can't possibly understand that. All I know is that I'm so glad I didn't know you back then. Imagine on what you missed out on from consciously blocking yourself from people that didn't think/act/look like exactly like you."
He said, "yes I know now. But back then you couldn't have known me. I wouldn't have let it happen. I had to learn and decide on my own."
His first job out of college landed him at a place where he had to work with a wide variety of people and he's gone on to attend several gay weddings, marry a MexiCanadianTexmerican (and ....seriously Latinas and older Black ladies are drawn to him. The damn flirt...he loves the attention. *eye roll*)
So while personally I can't recall a time that I've been subjected to racism (essentially I have to check mark my race as "White" anyway on the census), I do take exception to the instances I've felt that my ethnicity is portrayed as somehow inferior. Cause it's not. Nor is it superior. It's just different. And really how boring would it be if all of us thought/acted/looked exactly the same anyway?
So .....if nothing else.... I think this story's an interesting one. With all the stories about racism it's kind of amazing how someone who thought so staunchly one way can change their thought process just by associating with different people yeah?
Oh AND I sucked it up and bought/read Shards of Hope - not my favorite of the series but such a good writer Nalini Singh is. She's introduced new changelings and new Psy's! - I think Silver is next! maybe?
