I went to bed with much on my mind and awoke early with the same. I remained in bed for a while thinking about prioritization, and ultimately ended up finishing a book I purchased in Ribe about the Vikings there. Once I got up I spent much of the day working. Sorry – no adventures to write about today, thus this entry will be short and relatively boring, but that’s just how it happens sometimes.
What I did do, that is even worthy of mention, was think about the young man, Alex, who interviewed me for the local television stations a few weeks ago. I have actually been thinking about him quite a bit lately, and I want to clarify something. In the initial post I mentioned that I initially felt a mix of emotions, including anger. That is the part that has been bothering me lately. I want to make it clear I was not angry at Alex but at the situation, the stereotypical situation that occurs way too often, when someone raises and open hand, palm out, to an Indian and says “How” as a form of greeting. Don’t do that people, not even jokingly. Alex, first of all did not know any better, and this has nothing to do with his condition. Many people have done that to me over the years, and it has angered me every time. Yet I remind myself that I must educate people, tell them it is wrong and why it is wrong. That is why I tend to give long, detailed answers to what on the surface are relatively simple questions. For me, the “why” is just as important (often more so) than the “what.”
So I wish to make it clear right now the anger was not at or with Alex, but the historical situation of that word as a greeting to American Indians of any tribe. “How” as an Indian greeting exists only in Hollywood – and that is the “what” and the “why” of my anger. Alex has nothing but my best wishes and prayers for him.
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