Another Daily Prompt post was fodder for today’s ramblings on It’s Just LIfe.
When was the last time you really stood out in a crowd? Are you comfortable in that position, or do you wish you could fade into the woodwork?
This prompt was actually a pretty easy one for me. Last year my sweet hubby took me on a fabulous vacation with the final leg landing us in China, Shanghai to be precise. It was a work trip for him but we also were able to fit in some sightseeing during the visit.
One day we had the privilege of being shown around the city by one of the men that he was working with and it was indeed a whirlwind tour of Shanghai. We flew from one place to another and while it was an exciting time I hardly had a chance to take pictures to document where we were. That was difficult for someone who likes to document with photography.
Our main means of transportation that day was the subway. Guess what? We were the only non Asians on the train. Add to that fact that my husband is a tall kind of guy at 6 foot 2 inches and kind of towers over me at my 5 foot 3 1/2 inch stature. Yes—we were giants on this crowded subway car and we were quite aware that we did not fit in. At all. I don’t usually have that feeling. I am usually pretty comfortable wherever I am but in this case I definitely felt like we stood out. Not in our attire or in our actions but in our “whiteness”. The other inhabitants of the car did not engage us in any way—-eye contact was avoided and we were definitely in the minority.
It was a slightly uncomfortable feeling for the short duration. It was unsettling to hear all the chatter around and be unable to understand it. In this case it made me aware of how minorities feel –any kind of minority. It also made me understand that I need to expand my boundaries and be more accepting. A good lesson to learn in our ever changing world.
Have you ever felt like you stood out in a crowd? How did it make you feel and how did you handle it?
