Being absurdly human

Difference (noun). The quality or condition of being unlike or dissimilar. Human (noun). A member of the genus Homo and especially of the species H. sapiens (who can be really, really dumb sometimes). Those two words and their attendant definitions ran through my mind as I read a New York Times piece about Ntsiki Biyela, an award-winning winemaker who is one of the few black South Africans to succeed in her country's white-dominated industry. You go, girl, I thought admiringly. Given South Africa's ugly past, this is worthy news indeed. But then the absurdity of it all hit me: "What a piece of work is man!" as the Bard might say. Who but man would marvel at the accomplishments of a fellow human simply because of her skin pigment? Who but man could discern and quantify a difference that is fundamentally irrelevant? It is analogous to being dumbstruck by the sight of a yellow-haired puppy catching a ball as well as a black-haired one. They're dogs, an unimpressed visitor from Vulcan would note logically. That's what your dogs do, right? Indeed. Just try explaining that to some of my fellow H. sapiens. Ms. Biyela is succeeding due to brains, business savvy and gumption. Wouldn't it be nice if could celebrate that without conflating the matter with her beautiful brown skin? Alas, miles to go before we sleep ...