First Day of Work

Today was my first day back at work since my initiation. As always I showered, still getting used to the lightness of my head without the burden of my long hair. I tied my panuelo around my head, feeling more and more accustomed to the rituals of my Iyaworaje.

In my bedroom, I had laid out an outfit to wear at work. For work attire, my Padrino had given me permission to combine white with another (light) color. I could even wear a wig if I wanted to. But a wig would look fake on me, because my hair has never been particularly neat.

I stood there looking at the outfit -- a green blouse and one of my white linen skirts, along with all the required underclothing. But then I remembered my Ita. I remembered what Obatala and Ochosi had said.

I put away the green blouse, and returned to my closet, which had been weeded of all pieces of dark clothing (now in storage bags underneath my bed). I found a white linen blouse. I was going to dress all in white.

I had only a few options for what to wear on my head, over my panuelo, and I chose my white lidded cap. Then I put on my Ide, and my Elekes, filled with increasing confidence and determination not to hide my faith. Already, several co-workers (including my boss and direct supervisor) knew I practiced Santeria, and knew of my initiation.

Shawl around my shoulders, I stepped out of my apartment building, ready for this next milestone in my journey.

As I walked up the stairs to work, I dreaded having to tell M that she could no longer give me her daily hug. The receptionist, an older Black Christian woman, took a liking to me because I take the time to greet her and ask how she's doing. For about six months now, she's given me a big hug every time I walk in the door.

Phew. The desk was empty. I wanted to see her, but not now. I needed time to adjust.

The director of Human Resources, P, approached me with a big smile. "How are you!!! How was everything!" Her demeanor was warm and genuine. I was a little taken aback. She too was a devout Christian, and I when I had shared my decision to become a priestess of Santeria, I could see the concern on her face, and her struggle to stay professional. Now she seemed very different: maybe she had to go through her own transition.

My boss treated me similarly, and I expressed my gratitude for her efforts to cultivate a workplace tolerant of difference, including religious differences.

Then again, they already knew what I had done, and had had time to prepare. Other co-workers had no idea. What would they think? So instead of forcing my co-workers to wonder, "What happened to Corinna? Why is she dressed all in white? What happened to her hair?" I decided to open up.

Every time I saw a group of co-workers, and caught the look of confusion in their eyes, I would say, "The reason I am dressed in white is because I was just initiated as a priestess in my religion, which is Santeria. I have a lot of rules to follow for a year, and one of them is that I can't touch you, so don't take it personally if I can't give you a hug or shake your hand. And if you have any questions, you can ask me."

Deep breath. I did it. Again. And again. My confidence level kept rising. I am NOT going to hide my religion. This organization is full of social workers. They better understand the religious diversity of Miami! Maybe they will become more aware and tolerant of Santeria when they get used to me being a Santera!

Every co-worker responded a little differently, but for the most part they seemed supportive. One co-worker joked, "Knowing I can't touch you makes me WANT to touch you!" We laughed, and I began to relax.