Say my name

“Madam Emily! Madam Emily!” the kids chant as I run by them.

I have no idea who these kids are. They are not my students. They have never been to my house. They may have never seen me before. But they know my name.

This is not a rare situation. I ignore people who yell at me when I’m walking around, until I hear someone yell my name. I often can’t remember if I’ve met the person before that particular encounter. When you’re the only white person in a community of 3,200 people tend to know who you are.

I always say hello anyway just in case.