Some Perspective

Nothing like reading headlines about another earthquake in NZ and the turmoil in the Middle East and northern Africa to put my petty day-to-day gripes into perspective.

Another reminder was the exhibition at this local gallery where a good friend of mine is showing some of her work. The show "highlights issues of bullying and homophobia - both internal and external - the work in It Gets Better/Make It Better also deals with racial and gender identity."

Interestingly, we also saw an exhibit at the Museum of Science about race. My five-year-old asked, "What does 'race' mean?" and I really had a tough time explaining it. In fact, I was at a complete loss. I did not want to say it was about skin color because that's not the answer, and that's so misleading to a child who takes things literally. Then I thought to myself, "It's a box you check on certain forms." But I knew I couldn't tell her that. I wonder if it'd be any easier to answer that question if she wasn't biracial. Or if I wasn't caucasian.