Another installment in my series Are those your eyes? = What are you?:

I came out to my dermatologist as biracial because she greeted me by saying: “Wow. Did you change your eyes? What color are they?”

“They’re blue–green–gray–They are different colors depending on light and mood and . . .”

“I don’t remember your eyes like that.”

Granted, I’ve only seen her once a year for the last four years –and last year she was on maternity leave so I saw her colleague instead. But still–really? She didn’t see that my eyes are very light on a beige-colored person? It’s usually the first thing people notice about me.

She checked out the “mole” in question and gave me a referral in case I want to have it removed in a way that won’t leave a giant scar–it’s nothing to worry about. She’s a nice woman and a doctor with a good bedside manner, but her greeting really threw me? Was she really seeing me?

I was nearly out the door when I asked if I could talk to the doctor again — She was talking to a pharmaceutical rep but led me back into the examining room when I told her I had a question and I said: “I hope you don’t think this is stupid. But I thought it was important to tell you that I am biracial. I am both black and white. I’m not sure what you maybe thought I was–but I just wanted to let you know . . . in case, well, in case, you need to look at me differently.”

Read the rest of the post here.—Heidi Durrow