People

I have been fascinated by folks who look different from me since I was a child. One of my best friends a little black girl named Wendy, lived behind us when I was 6. Being a military child, I remember having Asian friends, Indian friends, Native American friends and "brown" friends as I remember saying about Wendy. She said I looked like cotton and she was brown.

Each time we move I try to learn about the culture of the area. Being a Southerner, I didn't have much to learn about Georgia having lived there myself before we got stationed at Robins AFB. However, it is always good to "relearn" what you already know. While living in Iceland I learned of Trolls, elves and Vikings. My orthodontist in Iceland, who spoke some English told me I had a Valkyrie's soul when he looked down into my eyes. (Valkyrie is a female Viking).

I am finding I love the arctic. The arctic attracts different sorts of folks. Being as we are near a military base I figured there would be same sort of varieties that I see most places. To my surprise, there a few I wouldn't have thought would live here. One whole section of Anchorage is a Samoan neighborhood. While eating lunch after church one day, this large group of folks walked in the restaurant wearing the most beautiful clothes. The men and woman were dressed with families coordinating. You would have thought we had gone to Hawaii, a place I have yet to go. They all looked so pretty with the hibiscus flowers printed on the clothes in reds, greens and whites. I wanted to take a picture. Maybe one day I will ask if I can take a picture. They all looked so beautiful.

There is a Chinese restaurant Scott and the children like to eat. That is a cultural smorgasborg. We are generally the only white folks in the place when we go to eat. You can imagine what my bright blond children must look like. We are quite the minority. The food is good and the waitresses are nice so we go every couple of weeks. Sitting in there this past weekend, I was looking around at each group represented and I was struck by the song from my youth, Jesus loves the little children. " Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight...." There were Native Alaskan, Samoan, Asian, Black and then there was the Harris family. I smiled to myself, this is America. We look different all live a bit different but we come together over good food and are all God's children.

I am reading an Alaskan series by author Stan Jones. If you like James Patterson you will love Stan Jones. I am into book four and Mr. Jones says there is more to come in the Nathan Active Mystery series. www.sjbooks.com The books follow an Inupiaq Alaska Trooper who was raised in Anchorage when he was adopted by white parents. However, his first assignment was in Chukchi, his birthplace and the place where his birthmother lives. I have been learning Inupiat words and phrases and about the different Native Alaskans, Inupiat, Yupik, and Aleut. Mr. Jones talks of whaling, hunting and all things Inupiat and Alaskan. (You can find these images and more on Mr. Jones' website referenced above. )





Reading these books make me want to know for sure if my great grandmother was a Cherokee. My sweet cousin whom I have just found, has been telling me the story of how our great grandfather's family came from Germany to the NC mountains. Now to find more information about my great grandmother Carrie.

Reading and learning about the differences all over the world I am finding that we are more alike than we think. Family, faith and love.

Look around my friends and see those around you who look different, they may be more like you than you think.

With love,
Angela