A Story About Gum

I don't chew gum any more.  I used to when I was in college, mostly because I'd be on campus all day, and it was an easy way to get a good, clean taste in my mouth after eating lunch (or whatever I ate back then?).  But chewing gum for longer than about five minutes makes my jaw ache, and now that I'm home most of the time, I just brush my teeth (or, let's be honest, eat something else!) if I don't like the taste in my mouth.  And since it sort of seems like a waste of money and isn't particularly good for your teeth and is waaaaaaaaay too likely to end up stuck somewhere I don't like, I rarely let my kids chew gum, either.

But still, I have this sitting in my cupboard:

And it's been there for over a year, and it will probably be a long while before I toss it out.  No, I don't hold onto it because I just love the color purple (although I do love purple!).  I hold onto it because I like the story of how I got it. 

It all happened when we flew to Seattle for my Grandma's 100th birthday.  Flying with five kids is no small feat, and the luggage we require is considerable (especially when you factor in carseats, strollers, a pack-n-play, and the necessary snacks for a 6-hour flight!).  So when we flew, we checked everything we could at the curbside, and then Craig dropped me off with some kids and a few carry-on items, and took the car to park it in the long-term parking lot.  Camille was getting hungry, so I searched for a chair so I could sit and feed her while we waited for Craig.  I didn't notice until she was happily eating that I'd sat right by the gate for a middle eastern airline. 

I should explain that when I did study abroad to Tanzania back in 1999, I mostly lived on the island of Zanzibar, which is about 98% Muslim.  So I spent four months seeing women almost always having their heads covered-- in Swahili, this covering was called a buibui, but I've never heard it called that anywhere else.  Most Zanzibar women at the time did not fully veil their faces, but on the rare occasion when we saw another Christian, it was always quickly obvious because they were the only women whose hair you could see.  But it's not like anyone looking at me would guess this information about me.  And I do realize that there are certainly some Americans who are not thrilled when they encounter a Muslim, especially at an airport or flying in a plane.  

Sitting with her chair backed up against my chair back was a woman wearing a black hijab that covered most of her face.  Ryder, being four at the time, was immediately curious about her and began asking me about her.  She was very friendly and talked with him, while I tried to smile in a way that I hoped would convey, "Don't worry, I'm not some crazy Islamaphobe!"  She was probably doing her best to also convey her niceness to me as well.  We talked about how difficult it is to travel with children, and she said that her four children were all back home.  I think she was flying back to them.

At some point during all of this, she asked Ryder if he would like to see her face, so he wandered over in front of her and she pulled down her hijab enough so that he could see her face.  Then all the kids wanted a turn, and she was very obliging.  And some time during all this, she gave my kids this packet of gum, which they were ecstatic about.

Before long, Craig arrived and Camille finished eating and we headed towards security.

This wasn't some big deal, life changing thing for me.  But at the same time, when I hear about people being afraid of other people-- both people who are afraid of Muslims, and Muslims here in America who are on the receiving end of that fear, I like to see this pack of gum and remember that it doesn't have to be like that.  That people can be friendly and respectful and learn from and teach one another.  That having children and airports-- and especially mixing the two!-- is something mothers all over the world understand.

And that something as simple as gum can bring a smile to anyone's face.