Cari-bein'

Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200

Eegads, this is hard. Sometimes it's really, really hard...and sometimes I just need to say that. To lead such an incredibly isolated life is not always an easy task, even for a private introvert like me. I've lived in lots of different towns, because until I reached my 40's I moved around incessantly. But I've never before experienced a place that was so unwelcoming. And it's not just the locals. As unfriendly as the West Indians are (and don't let the guidebooks fool you--they are very unfriendly and not just to whites, they have a particular dislike of African-Americans), it's the shunning by the white folks that really caught me off guard.

I had a conversation last year with a white coworker who had lived here for almost 20 years (she's since moved away). She admitted that this can be a very tough place to 'break in'--that white people here can make it pretty tough for outsiders, even though they were once outsiders, too. All I can say is, it's been an interesting experience.

But that's one of the things I will remember most about this place--how my 'peeps' put out the 'Unwelcome' mat.

posted by Marilyn @ 4:23 AM