Way, way back when I worked at the local University I did so in an office with a well known professor of Women’s Studies. I was proud to work along side the doctor. It did not escape me that doing so would look great on my résumé so I was resigned to do my very best. It was an opportunity I didn’t intend to squander. With the doctor I accepted any and all invitations to lunch. We laughed and chatted, but mostly debated about why I refused to enroll at that University. I had other plans and a purpose which that school did not serve. My future was often the topic of lunch.
Besides our project there was more than business in her office. We laughed and joked a lot. It was a laid back atmosphere, one which allowed me to bring my three year old brother to work from time to time. He enjoyed her company and spoke with her often. One day the doctor teased my brother jokingly to which he replied with a wagging finger, “I know you’re just kidding.” Later the doctor told me she was impressed with him because his understanding of humor at that young age was a strong sign of intelligence.
I have to admit, what sticks out most for me with this memory isn’t how intelligent my brother is but how comfortable he was talking to and joking with someone of her public status. Why did he do it? He spoke with ease because no one had yet drawn a line between his worth and that of another. He was too young to have impressed upon him position in society, upper class, lower class and in between. To him everyone was the same. That is what I remember most about that day. He had not yet been told where to stand in society so he roamed freely and saw everyone with an equal eye.
Random Memory Friday: Out of the Mouth of Babes -Saturday, December 20, 2008- 2:32AM EST
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