Highlights from Multi-Cultural Counseling

I just started a new 8-week class as part of my quest to complete this Master's Degree. The class is on multicultural counseling and has a pretty good mix of black and white students. We were asked to write a cultural biography to share with the class. Basically -- where do you come from and what have your cultural experiences been? We were going around the room sharing our cultural biographies and this guy across the room begins talking -- only he didn't share anything about his cultural biography. He starts ranting about how black people change what they want to be called all the time. One day it's black, one day it's african american, who knows what it will be tomorrow... etc. Then he starts talking about how Chapter 9 (remember -- this is the first class -- we don't study or talk about Chap. 9 until 3 weeks down the road) in the book is all about white hate and how white people get accused of racism etc. You can imagine the reactions of the black people in the room. I start hearing mutterings about egging his car...

A lady in the room speaks up and says.. so back to the cultural biography, what is your nationality and background? He says, "I'm adopted so I don't really know or care where I came from. What matters is that I am a spiritualist and I'm very close with God. I have come to realize that I posses special psychic powers." (At which point the professor looked like he was going to pass out.) I couldn't help it... I started giggling. And then doing that muffled giggling like when you start laughing in church and are terrified that you are truly going to bust out in laughter... pretty soon you are laughing about laughing and it never ends. Then the next part is the best... He tells us that he lives his life according to the religion of Star Trek. He believes that if we would operate like Star Trek there would be no hunger, etc. I couldn't even listen anymore because I was laughing so hard, and trying to stay quiet. Tears were streaming down my face and my friend behind me was telling me to get a grip because she was trying not to laugh -- she was right in line w/ where he was sitting and he kept staring over at us.

It was great. I felt like I was sitting in a jr. high class, rather than a Master's course. This guy was so creepy strange... I have a feeling that he and Tom Cruise would get along real well. Tune in next week for more Trekky updates. :) Because I have a feeling that's not the last we'll here from him. Oh! And his name is Dirk -- strange similarity to Captain Kirk... Hmmm...