I seriously didn't see this coming, but it has hit me, and I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it.
I am a status symbol.
Yes, you read that correctly. I mean, I didn't notice it in the last year, but today something happened that really made me take note. I had a co-worker offer to take me home on his motorcycle. Since I barely have enough for bus fare until Wednesday when I will cash my check from today, I accepted. (Hey, that's 9 more pieces of bread and 2 tortillas! Or, if you want to split it up more evenly, 6 pieces of bread and 6 tortillas!) He offered to take me home--to my house--for lunch during the middle of the day, but I turned him down for various reasons. However, when he took me home after work, I noticed something funny. I had never ridden with this guy before, but every time that he passed a group of people (especially males), he would give them a thumbs up. I've only ever seen this when people are taking pictures. However, his thumbs up was a little past center, as if he was pointing behind himself with his thumb. And when we got to San Lorenzo del Cubo where he lives, he wanted to take me to see the church in the center of town...even though I've been to San Lorenzo once with my Guatemalan brother. When you add it all up: He wanted people to see me on the back of his motorcycle. I won't be riding with him again since the school where we both teach closed today, but he still wanted to be seen with me.
I am a status symbol. And there's no good way to explain how I feel. It's not that it's okay with me, but it's more that I just don't mind or don't care. If it is important to them, fine. It's not important to me, and I think I should probably go back to being oblivious to it (while still understanding that it exists).
Yes, you read that correctly. I mean, I didn't notice it in the last year, but today something happened that really made me take note. I had a co-worker offer to take me home on his motorcycle. Since I barely have enough for bus fare until Wednesday when I will cash my check from today, I accepted. (Hey, that's 9 more pieces of bread and 2 tortillas! Or, if you want to split it up more evenly, 6 pieces of bread and 6 tortillas!) He offered to take me home--to my house--for lunch during the middle of the day, but I turned him down for various reasons. However, when he took me home after work, I noticed something funny. I had never ridden with this guy before, but every time that he passed a group of people (especially males), he would give them a thumbs up. I've only ever seen this when people are taking pictures. However, his thumbs up was a little past center, as if he was pointing behind himself with his thumb. And when we got to San Lorenzo del Cubo where he lives, he wanted to take me to see the church in the center of town...even though I've been to San Lorenzo once with my Guatemalan brother. When you add it all up: He wanted people to see me on the back of his motorcycle. I won't be riding with him again since the school where we both teach closed today, but he still wanted to be seen with me.
I am a status symbol. And there's no good way to explain how I feel. It's not that it's okay with me, but it's more that I just don't mind or don't care. If it is important to them, fine. It's not important to me, and I think I should probably go back to being oblivious to it (while still understanding that it exists).
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