Little boxes

"I suppose I have always known it is hard to be just one person. The key is in the door and it can always be opened."

~Gloria
Let The Great World Spin- Collum McCann

This quote comes from a scene in the book where a Judge Soderberger who entered his home to find his wife speaking with a dowdily dressed black woman, Gloria, in his penthouse apartment, says a vague hello to the stranger, ignores her, starts talking about his day to his wife and quickly goes upstairs. Relief comes a moment later, when after speaking to his wife, the judge returns and addresses Gloria properly. He offers a sincere apology as well as condolences for the three sons, Gloria lost in Vietnam. Both women were part of the same grief group.

A librarian I spoke with a few weeks ago, Sarah Houghton-Jan, who happens to be a goth librarian, told me that she is often judged by people based on her appearance. On several occasions people have told her to "start dressing like a normal person." Others ask her if she's a satan worshipper. She said something that resonated, "We like to put people in boxes. Our brains just work that way. We like to categorize things. And it’s sad."