A Whole New World

I had a pretty idyllic childhood growing up in Iowa on a dairy farm around supportive family and friends.  Then we moved to the suburbs of Dallas, TX in early 1984 and a new reality set in.  A whole new world!  We had neighbors that were 3 feet away from us on either side instead of a 1/2 mile down the road, the culture was different with more diversity all around us, and joining a new school with new kids was terrifying.  Our whole life had been shaken to the core and we had to make adjustments daily for a long time.  Although it was hard and we didn't have much (money or material things), we were all together and made the best of our new opportunities as a family.  We were making a better life for ourselves...or at least we were trying!

It did become pretty apparent to me pretty quickly after we moved to Texas that I was indeed different...more different than I had ever been aware of in Iowa.  I had been treated like everyone else in Iowa, but in Texas my ethnicity and the prejudices toward Asians became very clear to me by others.  I wasn't necessarily picked on at school, thankfully, I got along with everyone and they treated me well.  It was usually people outside of school...people in the real world or older kids...who would yell out unkind words or if I was with my family (who are all white...blond-haired, blue-eyed siblings) would stare or even make comments.  It was a new reality that I wasn't necessarily prepared for or even thought was a possibility (coming from small town USA).  I 'was normal' (in Iowa) and now I wasn't (in Texas) just because I'm Asian.  And, because that's the main thing people see, your outward appearance, when you throw in that you're adopted it's like some kind of bombshell to boot!  Which has always been a little odd to me (and my family) since it was the 20th century and adoption wasn't a radically new age idea.  But, people's curiosities, prejudices, and ignorance can sometimes be pretty blunt and brutal.  I know many adopted children/adults have felt that.  I haven't to an extreme or to an extent that has been psychologically damaging to me, but I still understand it's impact and the implications for anyone.

I do believe there is a reason for everything...as hard as it may be to realize at times...I know there's a higher purpose to what happens and that someday (hopefully) those reasons will become apparent.  Years later, I did realize why we had made the move to Texas...it gave us all greater opportunities in life and to be the people we were suppose to be...to shape the people we are today.  That's what life is...a journey and sometimes there are huge turns in the road where you get knocked off the road, but you have to get back up and get on track to follow the path set before us.  It's a constantly moving, ever-changing and twisty road but we never have to take it alone.