Something happened yesterday...And I gave it thought, and I wonder do people really listen. Someone I knew, accused me of being a 'technical' racist. This is funny, because I actually run a blog celebrating interracial couples, CafféLatté Magazine©. I had to think deep within myself if this is so. Some-weeks ago we were driving from the airport, and I brought up the point as to why (in other words) she and her family look-down on certain people that they regularly deal with, she took offense to this and showed her disgust at me for such a question.
Now I must explain to you that Trinidad and Tobago is a haven of multi-cultures, multi-holidays, and really beautiful people of all races. Unfortunately, there are certain sectors of society that consider themselves better than the rest of the populace, this the person who considers herself a part of this sector of society. Personality wise, she is quite nice and is a good friend of my sister, but she at regular intervals makes insensitive comments, that seems to be downright inappropriate, most times it is about how a particular race of men, like her because of what she is, and personally, if you were to see her, you would disagree.
And so on the night of the airport drive, I frankly challenged her assertions by the question. In addition, I had a few awful personal experiences with this person and some of her family, so I was not about to have an uninformed conversation. As a matter of fact, I openly wondered that if you don't like someone because they look a certain way, but yet you still want to deal with them, what is the point in saying that you are their friend, if inside you don't feel for them, you are not genuine about it. Why bother, live your life and stay off the cocaine. Not everyone is perfect, but if you want to be a better person, you have to be the bigger person. As a human, there is only so much harsh and insensitive comments that you can take, there has to be a time when this must all come to an end.
So I challenged her, that what gives her the right to feel that she and her family could expect to look down on other people, strangling their identity, while she grows her own gray roses in the front lawn? She responded by getting upset, speeding, getting impatient and at the end of it all...asking for a hug (this was very Judas-like). My question was never answered, but yesterday I was accused of making racist statements. Huh? I received some scowling from her mother, and I knew then that I hit a very sensitive spot, and that she was upset. Anyone would be. I was very blunt and to the point, I was tactless and so I will apologize. And then I thought of the conversation, we were having in the car, and how she reiterated some very sarcastic comments, which I let go. However, she cried and spread lies, I simply thought nothing of the conversation after that night, considering she asked for a hug, and I gave her the hug, only to find out later that I am suddenly a 'closet racist'. So much so I was almost verbally 'spotlighted' by one of her in-laws, he asking me the question, "You have a problem with skin colour?!". Then I knew that this grew big, from an apple seed to a big ol' apple tree. And there were so many lying, rotting apples on that tree.
So, I wanted to post a story of an interracial couple that I had met, and I ended writing this diatribe, because it hurt, and now the person in question is not welcomed in my home any longer. She basically sat and crapped on my reputation, so to speak. She is a friend of my sister, whom I love so dearly, and I am apathetic to this 'friendship', but my younger sister is a grown woman and I should not get between she and her many friends. I am just my sister's quarterback.
Here's to a rough week, and a tall glass of icy cold milk.
