As I am one to do, I headed out this past Saturday early in the morning to get my shopping done. I don’t like crowds or people in general and since I’ve spent the last 25 years waking at 3AM I am almost always up before sunrise, so once the stores open, I head out.
Apparently because of theft, most stores are now locking up their cognac so if you want to buy some, you have to ask for a clerk to help you, which I did (since I’m a drunk addicted to cognac).
After asking the lovely young lady for 6 bottles (which will get me through Monday night), she asked if I needed anything else. I said in a very pleasant tone “no thank you very much,” to which she responded “are you sure I can’t get you a new sweatshirt?”
Now, remind you, I am a customer in the middle of a store and here comes this bitch starting a fight. Strike one.
To set the scene; as it happens this woman was an African American and the sweatshirt I was wearing was one which depicts my favorite dogs in the world, German Shepherds, and says “Blue Lives Matter.”
I said to her, somewhat shocked, “no I’m good…I support the police and I’m proud to let people know it.” She then says “oh, so you hate black people?”
Looking back, this is where I snapped. I should have engaged her better, but since the woman I love happens to be African American, I was so offended that instincts took over. So I reached into my pocket, pulled out my cell phone (my screen saver is a picture of my girlfriend Christina) and said “this is my girlfriend, do you think I hate black people?”
I expected her to call Christina an “Uncle Tom,” or in some way demean her or me, but she went the other direction which I find equally appalling. She instead said “Oh, in that case, you’re cool. You’re one of us.” and walked away.
I cannot even begin to express my level of disgust at this exchange and no, before you ask, I didn’t complain to her manager or anything like that because that’s just not how I roll. I don’t believe people need to be fired or lose their livelihoods for expressing their opinion. She did her job competently and then engaged me. Fine. I don’t need her pound of flesh for disagreeing with me.
What I do need is a level of understanding which seems to be further and further away as each day passes.
Seriously? Because I am dating a black girl I’m “one of them?” Are you kidding me with this crap? So If I wasn’t, I have no right to support cops? Do I get to say the “N” word with abandon now because I’m dating a black girl? Who is making up these asinine rules?
The whole exchange disgusted me and I have few words to describe it. I wish Christina would have been with me and I wonder how/if the conversation would have gone differently. I have no point to this other than to convey the incident and let it simmer for now…
