Raising kids in the minority » Group

Hello ladies...where has everyone gone.

This hasn't been touched in ages.

How's everyone doing with their daily struggles?

Funny how groups do that, they get a little flood then suddenly go stagnant. Oh well, I'll see if I can russle up a few stories or the like to get some interest re-kindled. LOL

It is so true that people look at what is on the outside and not what is on the inside of a person, which is why there is so much racism and prejudice in the world today.  The ones who make their voices heard the most, I believe, are the most insecure, dissatisfied people on earth.  They obviously have miserable lives and as such tend to take it out on those who they see as misfits, or outcasts in order to make themselves feel good.  Most of the world's history is built on the perceptions of biased people who believe they are above the norm.  I have lived my whole life being different although you would think it if you saw me.  I did things differently, saw things differently and as such was treated differently.  I have a good friend, who is gay, and now I am classed as being gay as well.  Gays are people too, they just have a different sexual preference to most.  I have family members who belong to the Mongrel Mob and the Black Power.  My ex used to be a Highway 61.  That was the choices they made, but that did not stop them from being my family.  The way I see it, if I want to be like everyone else, then I will behave just like the rest of the narrow minded conservative know-alls...but I am not!   I am different.  I cannot help it if I have a presence that draws all to me.  It is not something I have worked at it is something that comes from within.  Living life with no true friends has been difficult, but at the end of it all, I am the one who is happiest, for I am who I was meant to be, and love the fact that I am multi-talented regardless of the jealousies I must face from those around me.  I believe the greatest thing that I taught my children was this,  "even if they treat you badly, don't do the same.  Its not worth it.  At the end of the day they are the ones who are unhappy.  Instead pray for them to find peace within themselves so they can know what life is truly like."  It has been hard even for my children who were always picked on and branded with whatever brush was painted, because I was their mother.  I did not do anything except for the one thing that will always cause others to stumble.  I do not follow the sheep but instead follow what is right and true and pure for me and the health and wellbeing of my family, thus I stand apart...

The number of times I've been called a bikie mole or similar reference to bikies is unbelievable.  It's just yet another example of society's ignorance.  I am not, nor have ever been, associated in any way with any motorcycle club.  I once attended, as a member of the public, a tattoo and bike show hosted by the Gypsie Jokers of South Australia, and the whole time I was there I didn't have any communication with a single club member; but otherwise, I have had no association with any such clubs.  I wouldn't recognise a member of any specific club if I was run over by one - though I could probably identify what club they belonged to if they were wearing their colours.

Sure, my favourite and most comfortable boots are, by chance, motorcycle boots.  I picked them up at a second hand store for $10.  I also own a leather jacket, a brand which is usually only available through motorcycle stores as it is made thick, heavy, warm, and somewhat protective for motorcycle riding.  Why?  Because it's warm and only costs AU$275, and to me that is a far better option than paying out AU$500 for a fashion leather jacket that is only half as warm.  Boots + jacket, and everyone thinks I'm a bikie.  HUH?  I don't even have a motorcycle licence!  Besides, "bikie moles" don't dress anything like I do.  They are far more into the modern fashions than I have ever been.  I'm still stuck in the 80's.

So what is the difference between a biker and a bikie?  Well, officially they are just slang terms anyway, so there isn't any real fixed definition.  In common usage, a bikie is a member of a motorcycle club, such as the Hell's Angels.  A biker is just someone who rides a motorcycle.  All bikies are also bikers, as they are people that ride motorcycles, but not all bikers belong to a club, thus not all bikers are bikies.  I don't know how much sense that makes, but that's the way it is.

Generally, very few bikies like being called bikies, they usually prefer the term biker, and rightly so as that is what they are.  Why differentiate someone just because they are a member of a certain type of club?  That would be like calling someone that played rugby a footballer, but if they played in a certain league they get a different title.  Why?  It doesn't happen with anything else, why motorcycle riders?

And why does a modern society still insist on assuming that someone is something specific just because of the way they dress/look?  I would think that the times have changed enough for people to know better than that by now... but evidently not.  Lucky I don't take offense to these things easily!

No tatts here but I would like to think I am different.
My girl asked me the other day "What does average mean, Mum? Am I average?"
I said "Average means normal I guess and....You will never be average!"
I am not interested in doing what others are doing, I like to do my own thing. I guess I am rebellious.
If someone tells me I am not normal, that I am weird I feel happy about that. I do NOT want to be normal! How boring!
I do not like being catergorised, I don't appreciate stereotypes either. I think its lazy to do so. Peopel are individual. Saying this I am shy and don't want to be noticed. So it can be hard to disagree with others.
As far as parenting goes I do what comes naturally. I trust my instincts, trying to do MY best for my family. (Meaning it might not work for all).
Thanks for the invite to the group, I hope to feel mor confident about not fitting into the norm!

it's one of those ideas that makes me think... "i wish i thought of that myself"... because yes - we also have "minority" problems, actually - i don't think of it as a problem, but others do...

"problem" no 1 - my son is allergic to peanuts - therfor we are not really invited to other peoples places. for some reason peaople think it's a huge task to have an allergic child at their place. we even have a problem with the family about that!

"problem" 2 - i'm Jewish. My husband is Catholic. what does that makes our son? Ammmm... well - in the eyes of the law he is Jewish. but we bring our son as a non-religiouse person, but to understand and respect both (and the rest). so - he actually enjoys both worlds (Hey, getting Chanukka presents in Mid December and then getting Xmas presents is not something every child has! and boy is he happy about that! not to mentione that the house looks really great with all the Chanukka and Christmas decorations together!).

and basically my son is a "minority" in these 2 areas - no one in his daycare is allergic to peanuts and no one is Jewish. and unfortunatlly we get more negative responds than positive ones.

so - it's really nice someone thought of this group and i'm happy to be here (althouigh we don't have a tatoo problem... )

 

Dad's family tree has New Zealand Mauri heritage in it somewhere.  This was rarely talked about among my Dad's side of the family and was considered to be a family "embarassment".  The rest of the family being white, Dad grew up with the same sort of racist view, though his attitude wasn't as harsh as that of some people.

Being a labourer most of his life he spent a lot of time in the sun, and consequency his skin was very very dark - or at least the parts of him that saw the sun were, the rest was lilly white.  But he never considered himself as anything but a white man.

He changed jobs and started driving buses for a living.  He had to undergo an eye examination, whereby it was discovered he needed a minor eye operation to correct his sight in one eye.  Be it known that my Dad also had a serious mistrust and disliking for doctors as well.

Living in Broken Hill, NSW at the time, he had to travel to Mildura to have the surgery done.  He was told by his local doctor that it would be a one day thing, he could travel there, have the surgery done, stay in a hotel overnight, and then travel back the next day.  So he booked into a Mildura hotel for a night and went to see the surgeon there.

To his horror the surgeon told him that he would have to spend the night at the hospital, not the hotel.  Dad explained what his doctor in Broken Hill had told him.  The surgeon's reply was, "I know what you black fellas are like, you'll go to the pub, get drunk, get into a fight, and one punch to the eye will stuff up the surgery.  No, you are staying in hospital or don't have it done."  Needless to say, Dad was FURIOUS!

He walked out and came home, went back to his doctor and told him what happened.  His doctor made another referal to a different surgeon.  Dad grudgingly went along, after all, without the operation he couldn't work his new job, and that was more important than his opinion of doctors and black fellas.  Low and behold, when he walked into the new surgeon's office, what should he find but that the surgeon was an Indian man as dark as can be!  He won Dad over with his sense of humour and straight-forward common sense attitude, Dad had the surgery done, and everything was sweet.

Dad's attitude towards people of other races changed after that.  He didn't even mind when the local aboriginal people started calling him "Brother" whenever they were on his bus.  It goes to show that no one is safe from racism, and really, there's no point to it as every individual in a unique person regardless of where they are from or who they are related to.

Hi I just found this group by pure accident. I have a eerie story behind my frog:

I had my frog done on 11/09/2001 Australian time. That night at 11 - 11.30 pm we saw the twin towers collapse 8-9 am New York time.

It's a green frog (dah) above my right breast.

Sorry for the confusion, My now hubby didn't want me to get It so I got it done while he was at work. When he came home he wasn't impressed to say the least but when the twin towers stuff happened it just helps to remember the date I got the frog!

Again I'm sorry for being vague

It started in the Blog, thought I'd bring it here.  I get a lot of wierd looks, and shocked expressions from those that havn't seen me with a sleeveless shirt before, when my tats become visible.  Not so much because I've got tats, but that I'm female and my tats aren't typically feminine little colourful butterflies.  I've got a black tribal design from my shoulder to my elbow and a large black rose on my chest.  I've won a couple of trophies for them at tat shows.  I want both of them expanded and want a lot more tats, but money is my biggest problem.

I find it really funny when someone meets me for the first time and my tats aren't visible and I'm dressed somewhat normally, they treat me like everyone else.  As soon as they see the tats they don't know how to react or what to say.

I've had people cross the road to avoid me.  I've been called a bikie b#tch, a lesbian sl#t, and a few other things I can't even use a # for.  I have always been on the outside since I was a little kid for one reason or another, so I'm used to it, and nowdays I just laugh at the ignorance of people and let it roll like water off a ducks back - and I feel sorry for them and their little sheltered narrow minds.

I'm glad you guys like this idea.  I wasn't just aiming at tats but anyone stuck in a minority.  I've noticed when my son was at playgroup the parents kind of separated into two little social clusters.  1.  The normal people.  2. Everyone else.  My group had the only mother with tats (me), the only Mauri family, the only aboriginal family, a mother with severe epilepsy, a mother with a disabled child, a mother who was a goth, the only Indian family, and the only single father.  All up we had a group of 11 otherwise isolated parents - which outnumbered the 6 'normal' parents, which was kinda cool.  I've often noticed that it's the ones that are more often shunted to the outskirts of social circles that, when combined, actually make up the majority, are usually the nicer people - so long as they haven't been driven to total bitterness by prejustice - and despite the extreme differences, they all have one thing in common - they are all too often ousted by the "normal" folks.

So thanks for joining up and if you find anyone that does not fit into societies standards in your Minti travels, invite them along.