18 January 2005

Gente

I just gotta keep up, but it seems like these days, sometimes I'm just so busy keeping up with my blogging just isn't fitting in my schedule. But there is hope for me as I continue. Things here in Caracas are relatively quiet, so I kinda don't want to write idle blogs, but keeping up i must do. so here is one of my idle blogs.

Have you ever been at an event or in a social setting where you are the only one or couple of your race (ie, black, white, asian, muslim, woman ect.) that is in attendance? Recently my partner and I find ourselves in these situations. We would get invitations to some social event and pretty much from the time we arrive, we know that we are going to be the "token couple". Take for instance last Sat. We got an invitation to a social, we accept and put our threads on and go. First thing, we know that being in the social circle we travel in, there is a certain dress code. Me, being that it was Sat and I was feeling bare jeans, but muh partner sey no can do...so I dress appropriately and go. Arrive and first thing we notice dat 1) we over dress and 2) we is the token couple. Feeling a bit uncomfy at first, but slowly that disappears as we began to socialize and doan sweat nuttin.

But after the event we ask ourselves the question: should we feel anyway that we were the only token couple or should we be honored that they invited us and not the others. Did they invite the others and they simply did not show up? If they were invited and didn't attend, why is that so? because they had a legitimate excuse or because they didn't see themselves in such settings. Why us? Why not us? It seems to me that we have made ourselves know in our circles, have the others made themselves known as well. I'm just curious. Too many times as we are the only ones representing at the various social events, it's become common place and we don't harp on the issue much, but it is something to make you go huuummmm.

It's all good for us, because we are building friendships, contacts, and relationships and we are branching out from our particular circle and building a bigger one for ourselves. But still these are things to make you go huuummmmmm.

4 comments:

Abeni said...

Yes it happened to me quite often in NJ.As long as you feel comfortable is no big deal.However,if they start making little comments it is time to say goodbye

Jdid said...

wha ya mean idle blogs? no such things :-)

I'm accustomed to being a token in business settings, I accept it with soem annoyance. Aint too keen on it in social settings though.

Scratchie said...

Hi Campfyah,
Posted a comment yesterday but I guess Blogger got up to their tricks again. I can't say I know what you feel. Jamaica has more issues with haves and have nots rather than a racial issue. And apart from that, the money or lack of it tends to determine the circles you move in. If you don't have the financial backing to run in a particular group they just leave you out. Nobody to scream dicrimination.
BTW an idle blog is one with no post. Once you write something, even just "Hi y'all" it ain't idle no more. At least we know you're alive.

Campfyah said...

Thanks Scratchie and Jdid. The encouragement helps.