Friday, December 16, 2011

Coincidence or Fate?

I based this blog off of my being a Kansan girl and the experiences I've had living in Florida and traveling abroad. I've talked about the "racism" I've encountered with my own race, the stares I've received for simply being Black and the lame jokes people tell me after discovering my home state.

My babies Daisy (yellow) and Storm
Let me tell you, it's not easy being from Kansas and living in Florida. It's especially not easy when you have a Kansas license plate, a Kansas phone number and am Black. Throw two pet parakeets (apparently they're an uncommon pet to have?) into the mix and you have a bonafide reason to feel like you're all alone in the sunshine state.

Then something happened.



When I moved into my current apartment complex I noticed a familiar looking license plate on a white car. It took me a moment to realize that the blue and white license plate came from the SAME state of mine. Yes, another person from Kansas lives in my apartment complex.

I immediately did what any sane person would do and left a note on the Kansas licensed plate car stating that I too was from Kansas. A few days later I came home to find a note stuck in my door from a girl named Jessica who was saying "hi" back. How sweet.

Fast forward a few weeks later when I'm on my way to work, I see the Kansas car driving next to me. I want to get Jessica's attention but then realize, she will have no idea who I am. After work, I leave another note on her door explaining the car situation and leave my number. A few weeks pass and after understanding that she'd probably think I'm a psycho for leaving her all these notes, I forget about it.

Jessica and I at Coldstone
One night while I was coincidentally on the phone with one of my best friends Vanessa, another Black girl from Kansas, I receive a call from a 316 number. It turns out to be Jessica and we have a nice chat about how different Florida is from Kansas (especially with the seasons), the reactions we receive when people find out where we're from and our love hate relationship with our home state. Oh, it's such a relief to have someone to talk to who understands what I go through.

 We both graduated in 2007 and have lived in Florida the same amount of time and rarely go back home. I invited her out for ice cream on Wednesday and when she stopped by my apartment she was shocked that I have parakeets, because lo and behold, she has one as well.

Alex and I go wayyy back
Creepy right? Well at least now I can go to someone if and when I have to leave my birds for an extended amount of time and vice versa! This hasn't been the first time I've encountered someone with eery similarities to my life and or family. I have Janelle and Briana my sisters from another mister, Alex who is the White version of me and of course Emily whom I didn't meet until college but discovered that we were both in the same kindergarten class and there are many others!

 Have you ever met someone exactly like you? Eery or fate?

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