I had a dream last night. In black and white.
My daughter, who is white, was playing at the park with her nanny, who is black. They were making snow angels. And laughing.
Fifty years ago, this would’ve caused quite the scene if not an arrest. Last night, in my dream, it did not. The scene was serene if you know what I mean.
After waking up, I went downstairs and had breakfast while I waited for my daughter to wake up. I was in no hurry. Along with many people in the United States, I’m taking today off to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. The only thing on my agenda was to get some writing done for my book. And this post.
My wife was not so fortunate. She works at a hospital. Her patients don’t stop dying because Dr. King was born. So she was already on her way in.
I thought about my dream. It seemed so real. I looked out the window towards the park. There was snow on the ground. But I was seeing in color now. And the scene wasn’t so serene. The snow didn’t mean play, it meant shovel.
Our nanny arrived before my daughter woke up. She asked why I was still home. I told her I was taking off work for Dr. Martin Luther King day. She didn’t understand. Her English isn’t very good. She was worried someone was sick.
I explained. Ah, yes, she knew who Dr. King was. I asked her if she was ever the victim of hatred. She was. It wasn’t by white people though. And it wasn’t racism. It was terrorism. And civil war. Inequality isn’t just about color.
Our nanny’s from Ethiopia. Her husband was killed ten years ago by extremists while on business in Somalia. She fled the country so her children wouldn’t be taken by a warring faction in Eritrea to which her husband was native. Today, they’re all safe, sound and successful in America.
Suddenly, there was crying. My daughter was awake. It was time to slip into nanny-mode and author-mode. I gathered my things to head out. Then I suggested they go to the park.
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About the author: Aaron Goldman spends his days being Connectual, his nights as a URL-aholic, and all the time as a devoted hubby and daddy. He tweets too at @aarongoldman.
