Where Are YOU From?

Ready for date #2? Okay, but you know I like to give out some background info first. ;)

So, one of the guys on this website sent me a message and asked me, "Where are you from?"

Where am I from? It sounds like such a simple and easy question but this is actually the most freaking difficult question that I have to constantly answer. I'm sure many people can relate. . .
I'm from America damn it. I was born here. I was raised here. I live here. I plan to retire here. I responded to this person's question with the answer, "America :)" (yes, I even had the smiley face in my response)

He then responded with, "What a smartass comment. You Indians are so stuck up."

Ouch! It said on my profile that my ethnicity was Indian. So what was he asking me? And why so rude? I wasn't trying to be a smartass! Needless to say, I deleted the conversation and blocked him. I don't know what he was nor do I need to know. I just knew that he was mean.

So, where am I from? Depending on who is asking, this question could mean, what is your ethnicity? What is your place of origin? (I still say America as I originated from here >:(  What is your race? Or my all time favorite. . . . asked by Indian and Punjabi Uncles. . . .Where is your father from? Because, who cares about where your mother is from, right?! Technically speaking, I am from her womb, but who cares about that?!

Really what everyone is trying to ask is . . . .why are you brown?

Alas, we've come so far yet we are so behind. The older I get the less I like to define. I am who I am. I could say that I'm a combination of American (the land I live in) values, Indian (the land of my family) values, and Sikh (my religion) values. But even that cannot define me. I've traveled to so many countries, visited so many places of worship and faith, have so many friends of different races and religions, and read so many books. (I just finished "Many Lives, Many Masters" by the way, it was awesome. Go read it.)

I love everything and everyone! Well, almost everything and everyone.

But yes, I do have favorites. I cannot deny how much I love spicy Indian food, how much I love Indian classical music, and how much I love sparkly shiny Indian clothes. Which is why, you'll see after Date #2, I decided to still try to stay within the Indian subcontinent. It just makes life a little more fun when your life partner enjoys and loves the same things you do.

So, I got a request from a Middle Eastern guy. I didn't know what country he was "from." But I thought to myself, the Arabs invaded India several times in the 15th and 16th century to loot the land, the gold, and the women. They obviously found us attractive!  j/k ;)  They were also a forbidden neighbor! Hence, I had to try this out. . . . .

To be continued tomorrow . . . . ;)