Odyssey Oracle 10-4-2017
21
I’ve always been “different,” not
in a bad way (I’d like to say to
myself), but I have always been
the odd one. Being born in
Madison, I went from preschool
to eighth grade with the majority
of the same people, but in high
school I wanted to branch off
and try new things. I applied to go to an out-of-
district school, which was Verona. I got accepted,
and the closer it came to the first day of school the
more nervous I got about taking this new step in
life. I had all types of things running through my
mind, like “I don’t know anybody here.” I got
bullied in middle school, so I was automatically
assuming that I was going to have the same
problem in high school. I was used to being around
a more diverse group of people, but I found myself
being one of only three black students in classes.
Everyone knew each other, so everybody had their
“group” of friends already. It was hard, and I can
honestly say I did not ever get through that phase
my whole four years of high school. (Maya
Rasheed-Bracey)
It was the summer of 1996. I was
picked to become a member of
the American Legion Premier
Boy Stater. This odyssey was like
no other I ever embarked on. I
was chosen with a handful of
other boys from Chicago public
schools to attend this once in a
lifetime experience. Unlike the
other kids chosen to represent CPS, I was the only
black kid. Hell, there weren’t more than ten African
American boys out of 1,000 boy staters all from
over Illinois plus a staff of about 150. So I was most
definitely out of my element. Since it was one of
the first times I traveled outside of the city limits,
and I do mean far outside of the city, I never really
had encountered white people outside of doctors’
appointments and police officers that rarely
patrolled my neighborhoods. The club was based
on mock politics. We were split up into counties,
cities, Republicans, and Democrats. When it came
time for me to express my views and stands on
issues, I was viewed openly and publically as a rebel
and trouble maker, simply because my peers never
saw nor experienced anything when it came to
urban living. Neither had I experienced their life or
culture, though TV sure made it relatable. (James
Davis)
. . . Sometimes people at think
being bilingual is awesome and
you have advantages, but not
everything is the color of roses.
Because I am bilingual and have
a thick accent, most people at
my work don’t consider me in
their opinions or think I have
brains. They never ask me about
what I think or feel. . . . Sometimes it makes me
sad, sometimes I cry, and sometimes I feel alone.
They don’t know how many times I research the
cases, investigate, and especially take the time to
read and do my timeline to figure everything out. I
take it to another person to check my grammar
first and be corrected. They can’t imagine how hard
it was for me. I feel sometimes that my coworkers
think that I don’t exist or my voice doesn’t count,
but they want my help to reach their goals. They
ask me for help because I don’t say no. Through the
years I have demonstrated to them that I know my
job and am not ignorant, but they still always make
me feel I don’t exist. That is the reason I decided to
go back to school and prove I can do it. . . . So far,
being in this class I have been discovering myself
little by little and that my life is an odyssey. I didn’t
know the meaning of the word until Kevin and the
tutor explained it to me, and it is funny because
doing my homework made me start talking about
my personal life and family and how I have been
living in this beautiful country that gives me the
opportunity to grow and have my family. Doing the
homework also reminded me of all the places I
have been before I came here.
(Sayury Peralta Vivanco)