In West Africa the Agni Kids would chant "Blauf-way" the Jula "Tu-Ba-Boo" as we entered a village or courtyard. This practice is ancient. For generations the kids were taught to shout this as a warning during the slave trade. There's "white people" here!
Now it's more of a curious interest as they shout this with a huge smile because, frankly they do not see many white people in these rural forest villages. Kids, even and odd woman, will often come up and rub and touch your arm to feel your skin, especially the blond red hair on my arm.
However, this chant happens every time in every village. The Agni often tell their small kids; "If you're not good, the white man will come and take you away." So many infants have a horrible fear of us when we first begin working in a village. Mothers coming by with wide eyed babies to see their first white person. Often the baby's begin to ball hysterically clawing and clutching to their mother.
Anyway, there was a time when for 6 months I had not seen a white person. One day I passed another white guy on the highway in the car and I wanted to turn and chase him down just to talk. Not because he was white, rather because chances where much greater that we shared a similar cultural background, therefore making it easy to just chat with full understanding. Cross-cultural communication is not easy because it more than just language, but culture, world-view exchange. Anyway, I think for the first time in my life I think I kind of understood just a little bit what it might feel like to be black, even though I was white.
I understand better the desire to belong. I'm glad to say that over time in Africa I eventually did come to "belong" and be accepted too. What a gift they gave me.
You know something, there are just some things that always weigh heavy on my heart. I'm a happy person, but, there are things I can't put out of my mind that many of my friends and neighbors can. Makes be feel foreign at times. So now in Africa I'm a "Blaufway", and at home, well I am just not at home. I know why this is in my head. I have become what they call a Bi-cultural person (Read the right side bar near the bottom) and the feeling of being at home never comes. Don't feel sorry as this does not mean I am sad. No it's deeper, a sense of not being home. I was told by another old wise bi-cultural person that it will not be filled until we are in the place made for us near the throne of heaven where every tribe, language, people, and nation will be with us around the throne. Sigh!
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