Wednesday, September 07, 2005
The Real Reason There's No Peace in the World
I had an encounter at work today with a woman, who, regardless of where she was, felt she needed to unleash her pent up frustration about her views on the way Americans these days are running the world. She started in complaining about how no one appreciates American made products anymore (even though she is purchasing Pakistani made towels). She then went into a tirade about how it's about time the foreigners did something to help us out(meaning Katrina), but I made the mistake of saying, "I am very pleased to see that the Middle East is putting forth money and aid." That seemed to trigger an even worse response and any pleasantness she might have had up to that point was gone. Barking like a hydrophobic pack mule, she started harping about how "YOU don't appreciate America. You live here in Texas, USA, and all you do is gripe about the way the government runs things. Blahblahblahblah….." I stopped her only for a moment to let her know that I was a biased party, my husband is Egyptian. (Insert evil chuckle). "You people always take this so personal…blahblahblah…" (We people? Did she actually acknowledge that I'm a human being?) I tried to explain, to my own undoing, "I just meant, Ma'am, that the Middle East is very poor, and it's nice to see that they can send money to help the US with the hurricane victims." At this, her voice took on an even higher braying tone and she began speaking without oxygen. I walked away. I could no longer deal with her mental state, and frankly, I didn't want to deal with this crazy woman. I wonder what she would have done if I'd have told her I was a Muslim. Would she have smacked me?
At any rate, I went to the staff room for two minutes to cool off, knowing that she would be gone when I emerged. She had been standing in line at the register, her cowardly, camo-clad husband, standing sheepishly behind her. I stood counting for a few moments, wondering what the hell I'd said, and realized it wasn't me. When I'd regained my composure, I returned to the front where my co-worker (who is African-American) and another customer (who is of Hispanic origin) were discussing the couple. I apologized to them and was greeted warmly. The customer told me, "I was born in Mexico. Did you know that Texas used to be a part of Mexico, but it was taken from them?" I did know that, but hearing this sweet, soft-spoken lady (the yin to our previous yang) say it, shed a light on something very important. My co-worker, T--, said, "We are all the same. If you cut me, I bleed the same color." Well said, T--!
This situation has caused me to believe that the peace process is hindered by people such as this—those who speak very loudly about that which they do not know (and I doubt whether this woman has ever been outside of Texas), and those who stand idly behind them, afraid to speak. This is the reason for the state the world is in. Yes, I DO blame this outspoken ignoramus for her views and know that one day she will be judged. In the meantime, is it forbidden to hope she gets a mild case of food poisoning from her McMuffin?
