Halloween

Americans know how to turn everything into a celebration. Halloween is no exception. I love dress up and so it would seem does most of North America. People really go all out it is a lot of fun.

My boys especially like the variety and volume of all the sweets. Some of them ventured out for hours scouring the town for the best treasure, coming back home pillowcases filled with their abundant loot. It would be fair to say Halloween combined my boys two greatest desires Free & Candy. They were in heaven, literally on a sugar high.

I brought my Arab headset with me from NZ. (A souvenir from Dubai). I thought it might be fun to dress up as an Arab for Halloween. One because the costume is so great, two because I get to grow a beard and look really authentic, but also I wanted to see others reactions about it. In jest I knew that I would be linked to terrorism, it is Halloween after all and the lean is toward the untoward. But it also gave me an opportunity to discredit some of the negative stereotypes that exist here (and around the world) to Arabs, the Middle East and Muslims in general. It prompted several great discussions.

I find Racism and prejudice in general are really strange things. We like to believe that in our enlightened, intellectual, informed world we are above such thinking. But without warning we find ourselves embroiled in it all over the place. It begins with an us and them mentality, maybe a fun rivalry and then extends to bigger and more complicated things. It could be based on where you grew up, or where you went to school, a sports team, a political party or ethos, a religious difference, or national identity. It could be a class distinction or a occupational choice, a consensus of what is right or acceptable and what we think is wrong. It could be the colour of your skin, the accent of your words, the language you speak, the clothes you wear, your gender, your age, your hair colour, your family background, your relationship status, your sexual preference. Its endless.

We make jokes about such differences, we tease each other, we separate ourselves, we give labels, we call names, we fight, we even go to war.

Everyone has been a victim of some form of prejudice, and everyone has been the perpetrator. Likewise we have all been advantaged by our difference, given special treatment, applauded beyond our real ability. So it is a strange leveling field we all play on.

I wonder how best to make a difference in this area. I realise I must start with myself. I have been guilty of such terrible prejudice for which I am so embarrassed, and I continually find myself caught in bad thinking.

One example that I am willing to share: A few years ago Lyndi and I went to Samoa, it was a wonderful experience, what great people. I had expected it to be good, we have many Samoan friends and I grew up in several of their fantastic homes. But I wasn't prepared for the great cultural and religious heritage that was there. I cried when I thought of all the families from the Islands I knew who had left that strength to come to New Zealand, worked extremely hard often in menial jobs, to offer their children and family back home other opportunities. How I was blind to their great sacrifice, dedication and love, and under appreciated them as a result.

Travel has helped me to be more open to other people, but it has not eliminated my poor judgements yet. I hope I can offer others a different perspective that will help, and be appreciative of them in the process. I know there is so much more to understand than I can possibly get on my own.

Maybe events like Halloween allow us all a glimpse into another life. To dress up and pretend to be something different - remove some of our stereotypes. Or maybe we just reinforce them!