I Have a Name

I have a name. 

But you never use it.

You call me “girl” or ”hey, you” or something much worse.

You never look directly at me.

Do you ever wonder how it feels to be “hey you?”

I would tell you my name

But you would probably mangle it in an effort to say it

So I won’t bother.

But, I do have a name, a full and proper name

And it is not nobody, anybody, or somebody

And it is not “one of”.

One of.  That is the name most people use for me.

One of    those living below the poverty line here in Minnesota

One of … those without access to affordable health care, even after the Affordable Care Act

One of …the uncounted unemployed

One of …those earning minimum wage

One of    the children who qualify for free or reduced school lunches.

One of   the children born to teen age mothers

One of …those who did not graduate from high school

One of    the young black men in prison

One of …the homeless and sleeping in shelters, or worse

Ofe of …those who do not speak good English.

One of …those people.

I am not “one of” anything.

I am a person, just like you.

I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother.

I am a son, brother, husband, father.

I am a person.

I have a name.

by Renee Pfenning
Read at the November South Chapter Meeting