Disempowering Husbandry

It's really all about power.

I had already noticed that people addressed Clayton more than me in our daily dealings, but it didn't get to me in the same way... probably because I could easily hold my own with my Nepali... but this weekend as we attended Nepali Church, my status as the wife of the interesting white man was clear.

I have come to realize that in some contexts, being a single white woman has more clout than being a white wife. Even though I was powerless in many ways in Ghorahi (being YOUNG and a NURSE were not to my advantage), at church, I was the interesting foreigner... and I probably got accustomed to being interesting.

This weekend, I was only but the wife of... It was troubling to me that I wasn't addressed and that my work was of limited interest... Imagine the interesting white man even works for the Bible Society... now that's a claim to fame! Now, let's not think I'm becoming bitter - it was just a bit of a shock...

But then again, I think back and realize that as the white wife, I've been given my fair share of power. Imagine the widow of low caste who has only produced daughters... imagine the leper with disfiguring signs of his illness... It is reassuring to me that, at times, the traditional power relations are being flattened out or even reversed. For example, my church in Ghorahi welcomes such disenfranchised people. When the preacher stands up and starts his message and you see he's the only one wearing shoes to cover his deformed feet and his hands are but stumps from leprosy, you realize that some things do change.