In church the other day, I put my foot in my mouth. Clear up to my knee. I met a guy. He was tall. Very tall. With beautiful, coffee-colored skin. He was visiting us for the first time, and I shook his hand, and asked his name. Discovering that he is a student at the local high school, I asked …
One Question I’d Like To Stop Asking
There's a restaurant in town that serves delicious Mexican food. It's in my favorite part of town and it has a patio. In my opinion, delicious food and a patio are two of the best things about any restaurant. You'd think this would be one of my favorite restaurants, right? It's not. I don't go …
Box of 64
There are parts of this story I can't tell. I have questions, here in my brown skin. I wonder what it's like to adopt a child or marry a person who doesn't look like you. I wonder what it's like to hear these conversations when your skin isn't the same as mine. And, while we probably won't cover all …
See It. Talk About It.
We writers and bloggers and artists and entrepreneurs are a creative bunch. We use words and paint and business and projects to put people right in the middle of our experience. It's a gift, and I believe it comes from God. You know that feeling when you finish a project and then you stand back …
Terminology
Do you watch Parenthood? Last week's episode was called "The Talk" and, if you have a free hour in your schedule, I encourage you to watch it. It's about the N-word. The N-word is tricky. In all of its forms. It carries baggage. There is a school of thought that believes black people can use the …
Haiti: A Confession
This is the day I hoist a borrowed backpack over my shoulders and board a plane to Haiti. October 8 seemed so far away until last Thursday when I went to Scheels and bought a pair of Keens for the journey. I swiped my debit card and held it together until I got home and then I couldn't stop the …