Rose

A week ago today, I had the opportunity to interview yet another core participant to my study.  She immediately began by asking me questions and we got to the subject of age.  I admitted that I'd be turning 30 in February and she said "Oh! You're only a month older than me then!"  As she's the first participant who's exactly my age or younger (all others have been a year or two older), it was a fun interview when it came to talking about significant events.  Her favorite TV shows as a kid were Muppet Babies and "that one on PBS where the mannequin comes to life?" "Today's Special!" I announced happily.  It was so interesting and nice to hear someone start by saying "I had a really happy childhood, where my parents let us eat junkfood and watch Saturday morning cartoons."

Other events that coincided for us both weren't as happy.  As she'd spent the first 12 or so years of her life "On the other side of the river" as we say here in MO, there was a significant event for BOTH of us.  She'd lived for two years in Saudi Arabia in late elementary school before returning to the same house, whereas I moved to IL for the first time.  I told her about how we'd taken an African-American friend to a movie theater and seen the ugly face of racism for the first time I could remember in my life.  She nodded, saying that that was right after the "First Iraq war" and that people started acting fearful of her and cases of racism really rose.

She married young--younger than I did, actually, in a sort of arranged marriage and then ended up going to Berkley for part of her undergrad degree (which, of course, made me a bit jealous).  She was actually there when 9/11 happened, and said laughing that people she met were kind and, if anything "would stop and ask me 'are YOU okay?'" because they knew about the hate crimes happening against Arabs and Muslims. She was already somewhat active in the community, but became more so, trying to dispell myths about Islam and Arabic speakers, reaching out into the community and joining many of the political protests at Berkley.

As she took a semester abroad in Syria and with previous experiences, she spoke Arabic fluently and after graduating with a BS, she ended up working for the "Mosaics" news from the middle east television program.  She translated stories from different countries (especially those within the "Middle East") and the program tried to represent multiple points of view on one or two events  every broadcast. Unfortunately, it was at this point that her marriage completely fell apart.  Her husband had asked for a separation before this, and she was hoping that it would help, along with some counseling.

When her parents found out, they insisted that she move back home, and her mom even came out to California to forcibly move her back.  She doesn't and didn't begrudge this at all, as she knew that the happiness at this point was only a facade. She moved home, and started trying to figure out  what to do with her life.  She volunteered with the local chapter of CAIR (Counsel on American-Islamic Relations) and with the Muslim Student Association.  She had an undergraduate degree in pre-med and her parents kept encouraging her to go to Med school. She fell in love with architecture and tried going to school for awhile for a masters in architecture, but found that she loved the design and beauty more than the laws, restrictions and long isolated hours that went along with it.  She ended up going back to school awhile later in public health, combining her love of being with people, translation skills, and medical background.  During her internship with the city public health office, she was the only Muslim woman working there and the only one who had worked there (or who wore hijab and was open about her beliefs).  She said one of her co-workers commented on how she was nervous around her at first, but all she had to do was watch her and see from Rose's demeanor and example that she had nothing to fear.  In fact, she was recently invited to speak at her supervisor's church during the education hour.

The part that struck me most about Rose is her natural speaking ability, poise, and ability to put others at ease.  Meeting under other circumstances, I think we could become fast friends.  Who knows?  Maybe we will.  I talked with her quite a bit about how this project is, in a way, a journey of faith for me as well and a search for a way to re-inliven a generation of Christians that's become completely quiet, fallen away because of hurt caused by the church, or joined the loudest voices that do not represent Christ's call to love their neighbors and care for the poor, widow and orphan.  I am embarrassed to say that I'd just thrown on some nicer looking clothes before leaving (sweats have become my 'uniform' as a mama lately), and the top ended up looking lower cut than I thought.  I hated that here we were talking about modesty and I looked a bit racy-er than is my norm ( I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable!)

Her item to help tell her story?  Her computer, saying that most of her pictures, her writings, journals, papers and her "life" was on that computer.  I know exactly how that feels as I sit here typing away, thinking about this project, and hoping that we get a chance to continue our conversation soon.