Battleship Grey

The tour is taking its toll. My legs are weary and the weather isn't helping. Is cold and dispiriting and last night I made a silly mistake. Pitching hurriedly in the dark I lay out my emergency blanket for extra insulation, forgetting it had been at the bottom of a wet 'dry' bag. Now the foot end of my sleeping bag is damp and the tent is hardly dry.
Coupled with knowing I wanted to make better headway this galvanized me to get up at dawn. And into the fog. Back inside I lay down again for 45 minutes until the day had properly broken. Fog, low light and early morning vehicles seemed a step to close to danger.
Still, I was away shortly after 7.30. The sky was a brooding battleship grey and even after the mist had lifted, what was left were miserable low clouds. Then, 15 miles outside of Orangeburg the heavens opened. I sucked it up and carried on. If I stopped now in the rain my muscles would seize in the cold.
By 10.30 the downpour had stopped and cycling along I was drying out okay. I grabbed yoghurt pretzels and spare batteries for the lights I had used constantly and made it to the city library by 11. A quick change and brush of the teeth and I set down. Here we are, almost up to date again! Its not as easy as it was in Georgia, and pics are a no-go, but I will let you know when I do manage to add them in.

Once inside I look around.Everyone is black. you may expect me to feel strange but not a chance. I won't pretend I grew up in a ghetto. I did have amulti-cultural school with large Italian, Irish, Indian and Polish attendence, but it was still predominantly white British.
Dangerous ground, this address of race? No. It would be if I were a fool or sought to be judgemental. I am neither although strictly speaking that is for you to decide.
Two things occur to me:

1. This is a library. All who enter tend to share a common purpose that is beyond creed or colour.
2. My impression of a person is never formed on appearance. I won't say I don't joke or notice, to coin a phrase, 'the book cover' but ultimately the cover is of no use to me at this level of interaction. (Other levels, in case you wonder, would include finding someone attractive. Then the cover matters and it would be foolish to insist otherwise)

But we are too afraid of difference. everyone in here has a different cultural heritage to me. Not solely because they are black. They are American as well, and many are female.
Difference can be celebrated as long as it doesn't reach a level of ethnic exclusion in everyday life.

Let me give you an example: The European government is currently trying to pass legislation that will make it impossible to distinguish between gender. I'm sure you can see some good reason behind this. I can too. However there are limits to well-meaning. Lets put this current issue in context:
In Britain we insure the DRIVER, not the vehicle (it's different in the US). This has resulted in female drivers being given lower premiums because statistically they are safer. A difference.
To try and remove differences represents ridiculous devolution. By all means, literally, we should remove discrimination but that is an issue apart. Linked, but crucially separable. I'll say no more, but you can bet your ass insurance for girls will go up to match the guys rather than the other way around. Social benefit? Ha!