Story time, friends! This one is about how I am an awkward white girl!
Okay, so last Monday I was cooking dinner for my ward dinner group. The doorbell rings and I went to answer the door. A young African American man was standing on my doorstep. He looked all snazzy in his slacks, vest, white shirt, and tie. Turns out he's from Virginia and he's out here selling books. He was telling me about this program that gets kids out of the hood and earning money for themselves, to get them off government aid. We talked for a few minutes and I offered him a drink of water. (It was hot outside okay?!)
He said no and he was telling me a little bit about Virginia and the Civil War sites. He then asked, "Have you ever been to the hood before?" I thought about it for a second, about times when I'd been in shady parts of New York City, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. I also thought of some of the ghetto places I'd lived while on my mission in Australia. So I answered, "Yeah, I've been to some hoods." (Seriously, that's what I said!) This kid starts laughing! And I was like, "Oh my gosh...I'm so white!" Which is fine, I reckon...sometimes I just say the dumbest things! But I'm good at laughing at myself, so it was fine! We became fast friends and I finally convinced him to come inside for a drink of water.
This next part actually has nothing to do with the above story.
I was driving back to Salt Lake last weekend from my family reunion in Arizona. As I was driving on the freeway, I spotted a highway patrol car. The officer was outside changing a tire for another vehicle. I thought about all the first responders I've known, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, etc. All the ones I've known are incredible, spending long hours in training, working, and helping others. They continually save lives, put their own on the line, and deal with incredibly stressful situations. I don't think they get as much appreciation as they deserve. So thank you first responders for all you do! I think you're awesome! :)
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