dq_something_different.JPGIn March of 2005 I went to a local Dairy Queen with an old friend of mine that I’ve known since I was in 2nd grade, Karen.  We had met earlier for lunch, and decided to follow up with some ice cream.  After going through two years of college, it was nice to know we hadn’t lost touch.  We were still capable of laughing, joking, talking, and relating to one another.  I was really enjoying my time catching up with her.

I had ordered my ice cream and sat down when the following occured: (as retold in my old blog)

We were carrying on a normal conversation, plenty of stupid jokes and funny memories.  In the middle of all my laughing, I kept seeing this boy, about 11 years old, gawking at me.  He was staring.  Everytime I looked, his eyes were fixed on me.  It was quite rude.  And I thought to myself, “Where does this kid get his manners from?”  Of course, I looked over at his father, and his old man’s staring at me, too.  Let me tell you, it definitely wasn’t because I’m some sort of stunning beauty.

Nope, here in homogenized milk white Northville, they were staring at me because I looked so different.  After a while, I started smiling at the man and his son, hoping that they’d realize that I saw them giving me dirty looks.  I thought that if I was smiling, they’d realize I was a nice person, and stop looking.  But did it work?  Nope.  My smiles recieved more glares. 

I just don’t get it.  What was so different about me?  I was a 19 yr old girl, out getting some ice cream with an old high school buddy of mine at a local Dairy Queen, in the town where I grew up.  I was laughing and smiling just like any other person.  But at the end of the day, I’m something different?

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