Old Memories

During an assembly, I listened to three adults speak about their experiences living in a different country before they came to the United States to live. Someone spoke about sandstorms in Saudi Arabia. I remembered the sand blowing into our house in Khartoum underneath the cracks of the door and covering the fan blades. It didn't happen often but there was a lot of clean up afterwards. Another person spoke about the poverty and violence with young men in the country she is from. I remember security guards at our family's home. I feel lucky I never had to deal with this in the States. Still, I understand there are always unsafe neighborhoods, and violence, even in our country. I also remember the feeling of safety hearing an American accent spoken as a child, yet I was discouraged from putting an American flag on a backpack or a bag because it wasn't safe.