I will never be one...

But, I will always be a gringo here in Colombia. I had a brief minute today to do some reading in the midst of labs and graduate classes. I found this article from a man living in Korea teaching English as a second language. I read it and found a connection with him.

After reading the article, I was talking with a couple of my students. They were asking me if I like Colombia, (this is a topic often brought up by Colombians) and if I was going to live here forever. I replied that forever is a long time and that I love Colombia. This place is in my heart. Yet, no matter how hard I try to fit in, there will always be tell-tale signs that I don't belong. I am an alien in this land. This may be my home now, but I wasn't born here. I am gringo. I am gringo gigante.

I have never been one to fit in with the crowd, but I have never felt like a minority. The fact is, here in Colombia, I am a minority in appearance, language, and style. And it isn't easy to fit in. I am accepted, but I am not in the inner "circle of trust." There are millions of minutiae that I do not understand and probably never will. Yet, this is a lesson. It is a lesson for me along with other minorities and other second language learners. It is a lesson of love and hospitality. Moreover, it is a lesson of the beauty and diversity of His creation.

We are all minorities in some way or fashion. We all don't fit in somewhere. But His door and His banquet hall is open to all...

So, do I love Colombia? Yes. Will I live here forever? No. But, I am grateful for the experience and the lessons of being a gringo gigante in a foreign land.

Please check out this article that began this conversation. It is worth a look. See the link:
http://relevantmagazine.com/life_article.php?id=7307