The 1990s were a different time. Our town was a much less diverse place in those days. Perhaps it was only natural that some felt protective of others who looked a bit like them, defensive against the uncertain intentions of a stranger walking amongst them.
And, for sure, I had problems of my own, so completely out of place, unable to account for the way I was. So if I write of those moments now, it’s not to apportion blame. The blame was mostly mine for being so oblivious to all that was going on around me.
I was like a tortoise emerging from its shell after a long, undisturbed hibernation, completely unprepared for all that followed. When it hit me, I was in shock for a time. But those times have passed and the times have changed.
Last modified: 26 June 2022
