Colorblind
You all know that we've signed up once again to be house parents to a young adult hockey player from who-knows-where.
Recently I got an email from the housing coordinator telling us the players will be reporting to the arena on Sept. 16 at 4:00. We are to be there to meet him and bring him home.
Then I get another email:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stiletto-
Would you be agreeable to take a black player? I'm not saying it's for sure, it's just a possibility.
signed,
housing coordinator
Is this a test? I will say it took the wind out of my sails. I simply sent the following reply:
"Not a problem."
This is the biggest city in Montana. Granted there are only about 120,000 residents, but it is a diverse group of people. And here's a big secret - my own son is not caucasian. GASP!
BUS UPDATE: I was careful to let The Boy set the tone upon returning from his two hour bus ride on the first day of school. MFH told me "If you are upset and crying, he will be, too. And there is a good chance he won't want to get back on that bus." He walked to the door of the bus toward me and smiled. "That was a long bus ride!" he said. The next morning, I sent a note to the teacher asking her to please walk him to the correct bus. Yesterday when he got home, he had a tag on his shirt with his name and the bus route number, so everyone would know where he should be. He was home at 3:05.
Recently I got an email from the housing coordinator telling us the players will be reporting to the arena on Sept. 16 at 4:00. We are to be there to meet him and bring him home.
Then I get another email:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stiletto-
Would you be agreeable to take a black player? I'm not saying it's for sure, it's just a possibility.
signed,
housing coordinator
Is this a test? I will say it took the wind out of my sails. I simply sent the following reply:
"Not a problem."
This is the biggest city in Montana. Granted there are only about 120,000 residents, but it is a diverse group of people. And here's a big secret - my own son is not caucasian. GASP!
BUS UPDATE: I was careful to let The Boy set the tone upon returning from his two hour bus ride on the first day of school. MFH told me "If you are upset and crying, he will be, too. And there is a good chance he won't want to get back on that bus." He walked to the door of the bus toward me and smiled. "That was a long bus ride!" he said. The next morning, I sent a note to the teacher asking her to please walk him to the correct bus. Yesterday when he got home, he had a tag on his shirt with his name and the bus route number, so everyone would know where he should be. He was home at 3:05.
posted by Well-heeled mom @ 7:22 AM
5 Comments:
At 8:30 AM,
carla said…
thanks for the update on the boy.
love,
Mominy to a non-Caucasian whose little hairs stood up on the back of her neck at that email.
I guess they (since Im choosing to be positive) want to be sure the player isnt in an uncomfortable surrounding, but still...
At 9:02 AM,
Alleen said…
Sad that they apparently needed to send that email presumably because some familes might say no....
Glad to hear the boy wasn't bothered by his long and winding tour home and was happy to get on the bus again.
At 1:34 PM,
Anonymous said…
What a weird email... but still, it'd be terrible to put that young man in a home like, say, my pig-faced whore colleague.
I missed the last post -- MORTIFYING. I'm glad the boy is o.k. and that today he made it home on time.
At 2:29 PM,
DD said…
What sucks is that the question had to be asked b/c something has happened in the past.
Our town is predominately "white" but there is a child in X's day care that he is now friend's with. My son told me his name and said, "He's got brown skin," just as he would say that his other friend has "white" hair or how one of the girls in his class can speak spanish. I love how simple it really all can be if we just look through it all with a child's point of view.
At 4:36 PM,
Suz said…
Oh...this is disturbing. It reminds me of a recent kerfluffle at my stupid twin club over someone's daycare hiring a ... gasp...young male, college-student caregiver. I was aghast at some of the opinions of the members. I know it's not the same, but it feels similar.
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