aplus
02-09-2005, 03:16 PM
Crit or compliment please...thanks...A+
The Understanding
It seemed harmless at first. They were just another cluster of corporate clones, seven mid-life crisis victims enjoying happy hour. It looked like a light beer commercial. They were fully engaged in happy chitchat; you assumed it was about fatherhood or fantasy football.
You proceeded over to their table, but only because it was your job. You jotted down their order, some expensive microbrews with lemon wedges. The talking and snickering resumed once you left. You wondered what was so hilarious, but you ignored them.
The problem with being a good listener is that you often pay attention to things that you aren’t intended to hear. While you were tending to a mess at a nearby table, one of the men clearly said, “Two nig___s walk into a bar…”
They were making racial jokes. Your ethnicity was a punch line in their personal comedy special. You glared at the businessmen, your body wrapped in a cocoon of shock. And they continued on laughing, laughing like their ancestors did when they whipped your ancestors, laughing like they would consider shackling your black ass if that pesky 13th Amendment hadn’t been ratified.
One guy eventually sensed your anger and apologized with the transparent sincerity of a politician. The others quieted down while you shook his hand with all the professionalism you could muster. You bitterly retreated to the bar and poured their drinks, contemplating giving your manager two weeks notice.
While you wiggled each mug slightly so that your nig__r saliva would mix perfectly with their premium beers, a childhood memory came to mind. Your dad had once said, “Never work where you have to take other people’s bullsh*t with a smile.”
At that moment, you understood exactly what your father meant.
The Understanding
It seemed harmless at first. They were just another cluster of corporate clones, seven mid-life crisis victims enjoying happy hour. It looked like a light beer commercial. They were fully engaged in happy chitchat; you assumed it was about fatherhood or fantasy football.
You proceeded over to their table, but only because it was your job. You jotted down their order, some expensive microbrews with lemon wedges. The talking and snickering resumed once you left. You wondered what was so hilarious, but you ignored them.
The problem with being a good listener is that you often pay attention to things that you aren’t intended to hear. While you were tending to a mess at a nearby table, one of the men clearly said, “Two nig___s walk into a bar…”
They were making racial jokes. Your ethnicity was a punch line in their personal comedy special. You glared at the businessmen, your body wrapped in a cocoon of shock. And they continued on laughing, laughing like their ancestors did when they whipped your ancestors, laughing like they would consider shackling your black ass if that pesky 13th Amendment hadn’t been ratified.
One guy eventually sensed your anger and apologized with the transparent sincerity of a politician. The others quieted down while you shook his hand with all the professionalism you could muster. You bitterly retreated to the bar and poured their drinks, contemplating giving your manager two weeks notice.
While you wiggled each mug slightly so that your nig__r saliva would mix perfectly with their premium beers, a childhood memory came to mind. Your dad had once said, “Never work where you have to take other people’s bullsh*t with a smile.”
At that moment, you understood exactly what your father meant.