Wrong (a popular topic)

I have a new young Muslim carer, she is a sweet young thing, all of 21 years old. But the point is, I shared this next post with her verbally and suggested it might translate as Racist and offend people. She laughed and her whole face was animated. So, if you bear with me, or think by the end of this post you think I’m more than a bit ‘wrong’ hang in there for the next post. It will more than make up for it.

Some years ago, the ladies in my family (mum, older sister and myself) visited my younger sister in Wagga Wagga in NSW, for her graduation and end of year exhibition.

Now, unbeknownst to some people, even in Australia, different states have different road rules. In particular NSW has different rules than Victoria in regards to pedestrian crossings etc. The day after the event in Wagga Wagga, we gathered to go for lunch. A nice foody place in the main street in Wagga Wagga.

Mum and older sister J were chattering behind me as I strode ahead. I come to a pedestrian crossing (thick white lines), across a busy narrow street. I don’t know if the traffic would stop for me or I should wait. I sent a polite enquiry over my shoulder to my mum and J. J called back and said “it’s OK, we’ll be like the husband’s who said their Muslim wives out to walk in front to collect all the landmines.

Yes, it’s a bit wrong, probably more than a bit. But it was still a funny/gasp moment. And to be completely clear, I kept walking throwing the comment over my shoulder that the joke was on her as “no one has enough insurance to hit someone with a disability”. The only other Muslim woman I’ve shared this story with went deathly quiet and the other woman who was with us that day is a lady more at home in New York than in Melbourne.

So, hope you stuck with me here and the next post will be all the more sweeter.