A monkey that lives amongst dogs learns how to bark. [A proverb from Nigeria] taken from the book, “Life Is God’s Best Gift” By Sam Chege.
A lady at a church that I regularly attend heard about this book project and decided to share a life lesson that stayed with her long after she had left Africa.
She had lived in a West African nation working as a missionary. One day she was asked to take someone to a local hospital where they were given a prescription. They went to a pharmacy to fill the prescription and found a long line of patients waiting to be served. She took her place at the end of the long line.
But she stood out because she was the only white person. She attracted unwanted attention.
Then something interesting happened. The other patients invited her to jump the queue and go in front of the line. She had not asked for this “privilege” and she did not want it. She felt awkward and uncomfortable. The locals saw nothing wrong with their request. They were just being nice to a visitor, in the true African sense. Then it hit her. This is how it felt to be a minority. To wear the kind of diversity that cannot be hidden at an opportune time. The kind of “different” that announces itself to the world the moment you walk into a room and draws uninvited attention. Experience being a minority for once. It will change your perspective forever.