Selfiies

It took a little while to get adjusted to India.  In another newsletter I had reported feeling like people were suspicious of us, or had a watchful eye.  In reality though, it was more of a curiousity.  We are a family of 7 of white skin folks and with two of kids with blonde hair.  Where we were staying, that isn’t a common site.  We had many people take photos of us, or ask to take photos of us.  To be honest, it really got old.  I felt like I was some roadside attraction and they wanted selfies so they could show their friends.  A lot of attention was focused on our youngest, Rebekah.  Being the youngest at 9, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, there was an extra attention with her.  I can tell you how many times women, older women would just reach out and grab her cheek.  I don’t think they meant any harm or wrong, but they had no qualms doing that.  I finally just started saying no to people’s requests for photos.  There was also an incident at a monument my sons and I were visiting.  We had already been approached once for photos and we declined.  Later in the day I was trying to take a photo of my sons in front of the monument and a different group of people kept moving and getting in our way.  I was a little frustrated and moved to get the photo, then I see the guy taking a selfie trying to get us in the background.  I didn’t respond the best and said if you want a photo ask.  So I took a selfie with him.  Later I was feeling convicted on how I responded.  I saw him later and apologized for being rude.  Below is a guy I ran into at the bank one day.  He reminded me that he took a selfie with me a few weeks prior.  As you can see from his facebook post, white folks in this town are quite the talk.