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Overcoming the fear of getting out of line
I knew from personal experience the painful and humiliating consequences of stepping out of line, even though it ended up being only a kind of flick on the nose. One November, when my daughter was a baby, my husband, Sergei, and I decided to participate in the annual celebration of the Great October Revolution. We joined the parade that marched through the streets of Sverdlovsk, to end up in the main city square, taking Julia in her stroller with us. But we soon fell out of step. It was unbearably cold, and not only was our little daughter getting cold, but we had overestimated our own endurance. We decided to find a shorter route to the central square, where loud music was playing and a voice kept shouting out cheerful words of greeting and salutation to all the marching columns with flags and banners. When we reached the central square, we tried to join another column that was marching toward the Lenin’s monument. But our attempt to re-join ...
My new accent
I found myself in the retail business after serving a church for many years. Can't resist the temptation to compare the church and the retail worlds! In two short months, I saw plenty of contrasts: a Middle-Eastern woman, who hides her face behind a veil, and a transgender guy, who fearlessly displays his/her new breasts to the public. I was told that money doesn't have gender. Dollars are still dol lars. Gays, lesbians, blacks, greens, immigrants... Does it really matter? The world of retail is more accepting, more encouraging, and more sincere than the church world. How refreshing to be appreciated after being pointed at my accent for way too long. As for me, I still have my accent but, if in the church I was criticized for having it, in the world of retail, I am praised for it. I'm told that people are curious of someone who is different from them. In the church, Christians look down at those who are different. Today, I was told that I have an accent. Here we are again...
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