Ignorance is loud

At one bus stop a 40-ish intoxicated black man (not me) boarded the bus. At the next stop a 70 -ish bearded man boarded. The bearded man stood near were the drunk was seated, which was next to me.

Drunk Dude: You a jew, ain't you?

Bearded Dude: (Chuckled) Why yes. Did the beard give it away?

Drunk Dude: Orthodox right?

Bearded Dude: Yes, I am...

Drunk Dude: See, I knew that shit 

Bearded Dude: Excuse me?

Drunk Dude: I bet you didn't know that black people are the real jews. Real jews are dark, you real white.

Bearded Dude: (Chuckles) Yes, I realize that biblical Jews were of darker skin...  Well, my mother is Norwegian.

Drunk Dude: If you know that you ain't no real jew, why you goin around pretendin?

*A seat quickly opened at the front of the bus. The orthodox jewish man was steaming. Even with his glasses, mask, and beard you could tell he was livid.

Drunk Dude: See that, they get mad when you tell the truth.

Elderly Church Lady: I hear you bother, the Bible tells a different story.

The lady and drunk dude continued to talk about; the bible, Black Jesus, and the fact that she reminded him of his late "Rest her soul" great-grandmother.

*It took every ounce of control I had to not tell them to STFU!

😥

Trick or Treat...

 

A true story...

This childhood tale just popped into my head as I was washing dishes...

It was Halloween when I was 4 or 5 years old, and as my mother was leaving for a meeting she reminded my father to set up things for Halloween. My dad was watching a Western movie and not really paying much attention. He continued watching his movie, and about a half hour later the doorbell rang. I peaked through the curtain and saw four kids older than myself in costumes.

My dad quickly opened the door and angrily stared down at the kids. He bellowed at them about showing up the day before Halloween! The kids started crying as dad continued to scolding them. He was still yelling as they ran away. He turned off the outside lights and went back to his movie.

When my mother returned, she asked dad why there was so much candy left? He told her about those "greedy" kids. She looked at him perplexed and said, "Honey, tonight's Halloween."

Aisle Eleven

I've been looking for a headphone/microphone splitter adapter and, was in a grocery store that used to have a small electronic section. I didn't see that section and asked an assistant manager who was chatting with another employee.

Me: Excuse me, I was looking for your electronic gadget section. It used to be right over there.

Asst. Mgr.: No, we don't have nothing like that. What were you looking for.

Me: Well, you used to have adapters and cords over there.

Asst. Mgr.: Oh, a cord? That's right over at the end of aisle 11. (Speaks very slowly) That's actually called hardware here. Hard. Ware. (He smiles as you might to someone you suspect isn't all there.)

Me: (I stared for a couple seconds thinking, "This mofo actually believes that the word hardware is new to me?")

Asst. Mgr.: How about I walk you over there?

Me: Thanks. I can find it.

*Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the assistant manager and the other employee were laughing. I guess you make your own fun? 🙄

An Inconvenience Store Truth

I woke up at 3:05am. I had had a wild dream again, and was a little unsure of where I was. 

In my dream I had ran into DT in a convenience store. He walked over to me, stood to my left, and waited for me to recognize him. He wore a navy blue suit with a red tie which hung about a foot lower than his waist. He also seemed physically 3x my size. Our conversation follows:

DT: Lester you're not poor are you. I mean you're not poor poor are you?

*Awkward silence

Me: I'm poor.

*We both stared at a case with premade sandwiches. My stomach winced at the sight of the egg salad on white bread. The edges of the bread were hardening and curling.

DT: Are those watches real?

*I was wearing two watches on my left wrist; a Timex and a Guess...

Me: Oh, they're just everyday watches, Sir.

DT: Oh. Well, tomorrow I will bring in a watch with me for you.

Me: Thank you, Sir.

DT: I want you to start getting used to the finer things...

Me: Thank you.

*We stood in awkward silence as I thought, "Geez, I wish I had this on video, nobody's going to believe this." 

The sound of the furnace coming on jolted me to reality. 

Vote Wisely!

I was thinking earlier that before people vote they should ride the public transportation in their town. I did today. The numbers of wheelchair bound, sick, mentally ill, impoverished, drunk, drug addicted, educationally failed... who are probably trying ten times as hard as any of us who judge are sobering. 

One young 20-something woman who greeted me had to be well over 400lbs. She was so warm and pleasant. How could she be? I tried to help her off of the bus. She was so large and awkward that she had to descend the three bus steps backwards. After she was safely on the ground she smiled broadly and waved goodbye to me. I was amazed how at peace she seemed. I felt embarrassed.

A middle-aged woman and her husband seemed to take forever to board. They had 8 or 10 grocery bags and several boxes of frozen meats. A bag fell over to reveal a couple slabs of ribs. The couple started a conversation with two different men near them. One had just finished a program job for those with cognitive issues, and the other, an elderly man. The woman was in a wheelchair. She explained that she and her husband had so much food in tow because she sold dinners from her house. Nah, that's not legal, but that's not the point. The point is that she found herself unable to walk and, has turned her skills into a business to feed her family. Her said that she has taught her husband and sons how to cook and package the meals for times when she isn't well enough. She also shared that she just became her church's Secretary which gives her great joy. The woman offered the two guys shopping and cooking tips. They all enjoyed each other's company.

A drunk man boarded and barely made it to his seat. He seemed in great pain as he loudly moaned after sitting. Another man who was his friend got on several blocks down. The intoxicated little man could have been 30 or 60, who knows? He seemingly fell asleep on his friend's shoulder. A river of beer made its way down the bus as people feared aloud that it was pee. It was actually the man's 40oz beer being wasted. He didn't wake.

There was more to see, but you get the point? The people without a voice in the economy are struggling, most are fighting harder than any of us. Instead of judging them for not being us and dismissing their struggles as bad luck or poor choices, how about we start voting for people and policies that will uplift the dismissed?

What I Won't Do For A Bargain...

Each morning I take a probiotic. It's good for what ails me. I have been out for roughly a couple weeks and, I have noticed the difference. I am frugal and the supplement is expensive so, I usually look for two for one sales. 

My local drugstore (starts with a W) advertised online that they had such a bargain. Late this afternoon I went down my hill and a couple blocks over to the drugstore. I searched their entire supplement aisle and did not see the sale probiotics. Rather than use my phone to go to their website, I first went to the front of the store to find a sale circular. No circular insight. I then went to the nearest open register. The conversation follows:

Me: Hi, I was looking for this week's sale circular but, I don't see it in its usual place. 

Young Cashier Lady: 

*She looked to be roughly 18 years old. She tilted her head and looked at me as if I were speaking a laugh foreign to her.

Sales circular? Sales circular?

Me: You know, the booklet of sales for this week?

YCL: Sales book? 

Me: 

*Expecting any second for her to say something like, "I was just joking."

You usually have a paper which highlights the items on sale for the week?

YCL: Idontknowwhatchutalkinabout, you better find somebody else.

Me:

 

* I turn away from her fearing the same fate as Lot's wife. I take a few steps forward and hear YCL whispering to someone "He wanted a sales circular. Do you know what that is?

I look up and there's another cashier/asst. mgr. She doesn't ask if she can help me but, rather leans in toward me as if we were already speaking.

I was looking for this week's sale paper of what's on sale.

*She was actually creeping me out. I could not tell you what she looked like other than; she had glasses, a light blue shirt and, a buffering symbol on her forehead, or at least it seemed so.

Asst. Mgr.: 

Oh, we don't have anything like that. If you want to know what's on sale you, have to look on line.

*She points to literature and starts to recite the web address.

Me: I didn't know that. Thank you.

*I return to the supplement section, use the store app and, this time find the probiotics that should be on sale. However, there is no posted sale sign. I take a box and walk to the front counter. I look around and get the attention of the middle-aged woman who I believe might be the manager. I explain my dilemma.

Mgr.: Sir, if you meet me at the first register, I can help you.

*She finds that indeed the item is on sale. Then in a super pleasant condescending voice...

Sir, in the future when you are in the store, if you want to know what's on sale, just look for the yellow sale tag beneath the product.

Me: There was no tag underneath this product.

Mgr.: Oh well, I guess we missed one. Thank you for shopping...

Me: Thanks.

*Please stay in school, kids!

Bad Dog Owner

On my usual walk to the grocery store a couple miles from home, there's a middle-aged white woman with a ferocious Rottweiler. Her ranch home is on a corner and is surrounded by a low chain link fence. It is a very quite residential area. The dog always races out of nowhere and, strains at the top of the fence to get me. Usually, I am in my own little world and I'm startled and a bit terrified. It's a large lot and, the woman always stands there and laughs at my terror.

On one occasion, I yelled at her to call her dog. She told me that he was inside the fence so... "Still you can't let your dog menace people," I offered. I guess I could have done a "Karen" but, each time I forget about the microaggression until it happened again.

Today, as I walked past the dog darted towards me and, almost literally scared the crap out of me. Instead of laughing, the woman raced over and grabbed the dog my the collar. She looked over at me and apologized four times. I was speechless. Why the change in behavior? Maybe, she was reported by someone else? Maybe, the tree surgeons across the street watching influenced her. Maybe, she's been watching the news. Who knows?

Creepo

I don't know why I forgot this story. About a week ago I was going for a morning six mile walk, which I take at least 3x each week. I was walking along the shoulder of a road across from a cemetery. In a couple mile stretch there are only about a half dozen homes. 

A random white man who was probably late 40's or early 50's, with grey hair in a pony tail slowed to a stop on the opposite side of the road. He was driving a rented cargo van.

Random Guy: Hey, I suspect if you are walking along here you have a ways to go. Want a ride?

Me: No thanks. I'm just out for a walk.

RG: Oh, you're just out for a walk?
His tone suggested that he didn't quite believe me. He just stared.

Me: Uncomfortable at this point and, hoping he would take the queue...
Okay, you have a great day.

RG: Still awkwardly staring
Is that your woman back there?

Me: No.
Almost afraid to turn around, I quickly looked behind me and saw a young white woman jogging probably a tenth of a mile in the distance.

RG: Looking as creepy as this sounds
Maybe, I'll go see if she needs a ride.

Me: Not knowing what else to say
Have a nice day.

The random guy made a u-turn. I walked faster and, looked back when I had created a distance the equivalent of couple city blocks. The van sped past me as the guy waved with his arm out of the window. He turned at the crossroad. I looked back and the woman was not there.

In a different time, I would have been more concerned, I would have watched. I would have thought it my chivalric duty or something to keep that stranger safe. It didn't really cross my mind. Perhaps, I am reading too many news stories but, my own safety seemed far more important at the time.