All the colors make a rainbow and rainbows are beautiful!

Help me, please?

I am asking people of color for help, here! (And I’m talking ALL colors, please.)

I am an American. Period. But if you ask me about my lineage? I am also a seriously light-skinned half Italian/Sicilian, quarter Polish, quarter Anglo-European person.

I am always trying to be PC (politically correct), in that I really don’t want to offend people. Any people. It can be awkward being the one of two paler faces among 15 or 16 people of a darker origin.

I mentioned in a recent blog that I don’t see color. I really never have. My first experience with the color-divide was when I was just a little kid. I was all of 8-9 years old.

I had this cool Minnie Mouse watch (which I still have, actually) so that I would know when it was time to come home from a friend’s house.

I was at the Peterson house when I was little, and about five minutes before I needed to start walking home one of the daughters of the Peterson’s new neighbors walked over to play.

When I was ready to go, I said I was leaving, and the new neighbor’s daughter got mad and said I was leaving because she was black. I was all kinds of, “Wuuuuut?”

I hadn’t even noticed that she was darker than Vicky and me. I just knew my ass would be grass if it wasn’t home on time. This situation was the victim of bad timing, not racism. I just knew when I had to be home. At that early age, I was not accustomed to being grounded…that would come with age.

All of that said? I am imploring my friends of all colors to help me out, here! My new work-family is a lot darker than I am, and being off-white? I think I am still considered white. (Because is anyone REALLY off-white? Okay, except for my kid sister that could seriously be considered as clear. Do not laugh here. She is sun-sensitive.) I am seriously not seeing white (or off-white) versus black. Or brown. Or high yellow, which I am still trying to figure out…

OMG  Why is skin color such a thing?

What is the best way to describe people? Jamaicans are of a darker color than, say, Italian people. They aren’t African-American, yet they are still darker than, say, an Italian- American. Jamaican-American? Because our society has these absurd labels (which, btw, I hate), I need to know how not to offend anyone with a skin tone different than mine.

When I worked for a small town in New Mexico in the early 90’s and there was an even mix of Hispanics, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, and African Americans in the administrative office, AKA City Hall, nobody ever saw color, and that was he ideal scenario that I was used to. People are… (OMG!) just people!

I am hoping to bridge whatever gap is out there. And trust me when I tell you that there are a LOT of gaps.

People are just people, People. I just want to get through my day without offending anyone.

I am serioualy asking people of all  colors to please come and talk to me

I have  never really seen color but it, apparently, is an issue.

if you know me, then you know that I just love PEOPLE. People are amazing.

I am just done, y’all….

Thow me a bone, here?

Please and thank you!

I’ll owe ya one…

Until next time….