I met Betsy Bowen!

I think that this is a common story for anglo college students starting to get interested in Racial Reconcilliation, but by my senior year of college I hated being white, we're the oppressors, we're neurotic about time and organization, we can't dance and even our worship is boring.

But then. . . my mom bought me two books by Betsy Bowen, Gathering: A Northwoods Counting Book and Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year for my birthday. The woodblock prints in this book are beautiful and reflected my growing up camping and visiting grandparents in northern minnesota. For the first time as an adult I saw the beauty in being a woman from Northern, MN.

Later I heard a sermon by Alex Gee an African American Pastor from Madison, WI. He talked about God not making mistakes, about God not saying when I came out of the womb, "OH shoot, another white baby, what are we gonna do?!?!?!?!" My culture and my skin color are both good things. I think seeing Betsy's prepared me for this sermon and nurtured my soul.

Today, my mom and I went to the Powderhorn Art Fair, and low and behold, who's art did I see, but THE Betsy Bowen! The pictures are so great, and then I saw a woman with a Betsy name tag. I was super gushy, shook her hand and told her how her art really helped me with my ethnic-emotional development. She was very nice and while I think I may have been more enthusiastic than her typical customer she was happy to talk to me and here my story.

So, this afternoon was lovely, my mom bought some cool art, plus some lunch for me, she's the best.