Fight the power!
So my little naked 6 year old daughter had scampered out of her bedroom to use the bathroom “one more time” (which means there’ll be at least three more times tonight, the little staller). The doorbell rang just as I was sending her back to her room, and she scampered back out and was running around the house. With the doorbell, no time to grab her, so she gets to streak a little longer. I opened the door. A 20-something year old black man wearing a tie and jeans was on the front porch. Yes, his race is relevant, as you’ll see momentarily.
We’re both smiling through this entire exchange. Every word.
ME: “Hi, can I help you?”
HIM: “Hi, ma’am, I’m in the neighborhood, just trying to earn a few points for my school.”
(Now, I don’t do anything or give anything to anybody who shows up on my doorstep. It’s just too risky, you have no way of tracing anything, and frankly I don’t like giving out personal info about myself to stranger on the street.)
ME: “I don’t really know what that involves, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to help you, I’m sorry.”
HIM, still smiling: “That’s okay, ma’am, I apologize for being black.”
And then he turns around and walks down the walk.
ME, to his retreating back: “EXCUSE ME???”
He keeps walking.
Me, normal voice: “How rude.”
And I closed the door.
Holy moly, I was mad! And the thing is, I know I shouldn’t have been. I know he wanted something he didn’t get, and so he thought he’d insult me, maybe out of frustration. I know the inference was completely wrong, and I never saw him before and never will again. That kind of insult from a total stranger usually rolls right off my back, since I know they don’t know jack about me and so it doesn’t matter. I don’t know why it got under my skin, but I’m still somewhat pissed off at this guy.
I shouldn’t have been. But grr. Just to fire a blindside like that and then walk away. Cowardly. Didn’t give me a chance, and I expect that was the point.
Yeah, that advanced race relations by light years. Way to go, fella.
‘Scuse me, me and Whitey gotta go find some brothers and keep ’em down.