how

sometimes, johns hopkins feels charitable and does things for the greater good. one of these things is flying in native americans from all over the country (we can only pray some of them are from oklahoma) and giving them classes in organization, database management, healthcare, etc. my coworker nola is teaching one of these classes, and when mayme found out that nola's teaching native americans, she became dizzy with excitement, her mind flitting back to the time she's apparently spent on reservations. after we told her that nola probably doesn't, in fact, take part in any native american traditions during these classes, mayme was disappointed. she decided to get the facts straight from the horse's mouth:

"so, you go to any of those sweats or pow wows?" mayme asked.

"excuse me?" nola replied, bewildered.

"well, i knew you were teaching those american indian classes, so i was wondering where you do your sweats or pow wows," she explained.

"i don't know what that means."

undeterred, mayme went on, "you know, like sweat lodges and pow wows. american indian things. it's where you sit around and send your prayers up. i've done a few of them; they're really cool. i was just wondering if you got into that at all."

"oh. ah, well, no. i mean they did an opening prayer before class started, but i wasn't even there for that."

somehow, mayme thinks that nola's standing there in a roundhouse or sweat lodge, pointing at a dry erase board while wearing a brown loincloth, as her dedicated pupils weave beaded jewelry or pass a peace pipe or jostle their papooses. i'd walk her down to the continuing education building, so that she could see a room full of women, maybe a little darker-skinned than white people, sitting there taking notes under fluorescent lights--but i don't want to burst her bubble.