I’m pretty invisible. I can walk through life — most days — unnoticed by most. In all the predominantly white cities, towns, and schools that I’ve been people don’t see me.

The advantages: I don’t have to rotate my wardrobe as often. I can observe people without them feeling watched.

This has been somewhat less true in Los Angeles, the majority ‘minority’ city. The places where I eat, shop, and exercise, though, are still majority white.

Last Tuesday, I was at my regular, twice weekly, yoga class. Even though I’ve been a regular in the class for almost two years, the only people who talk to me are the teacher and a black guy who usually sets his mat behind mine.

So imagine my surprise when a young white woman sits down next to me and starts talking. We made the usual small talk, what do you do — she’s a screenwriting Master’s student at USC. Where do you live — she’s at 3rd and La Cienega.

Admittedly, I was intrigued. This was unusual and I was sure with some careful probing, I could figure out why she was talking to me so easily. We finally got to one of those L.A. questions — if you’re not from here — where are you from. Her answer — Tornoto, Canada.

Ah, there it was. Among African-Americans — there’s been talk that they’re much more liberal folks up there in Canada. It may be damn cold, but black people are living and thriving — and the Canadians are not trying to put every last one of us in jail.

So Canada it was. I knew things hadn’t changed in the U.S.

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