take a hike

I was told to walk a mile in different shoes
but I didn't like the color
I was told to walk a mile in different shoes
but they were old
I was told to walk a mile to understand my brother
I didn't ever do what I was told.
- j.m.

On Tuesday as a part of our continuing desire to start a routine here I decided to join a gym and since the nearest YMCA was only a mile away we put on our walking shoes. What I didn't' know is that two streets north of us is the dividing line between the white neighborhoods and the black community. I have never seen such a monumental (albeit invisible) divide!!

I have always wondered what the big deal was when it comes to race. I try to treat people fairly, I've never noticed outright racism but I guess you can't understand how different you feel when you are the only black person in a room full of white people until you walk for a mile on a crowded street and not see anyone who is white.

The lady next door to me was pretty horrified to hear I had taken a walk on Girard st (Poplar st is the divide) but when I visited the gym and saw my kids playing happily with a large group of children with darker skin I was pleased to see them enjoying themselves without all the social baggage that gets picked up along the road of life.