Just a Plain Old White Chick
All she had wanted was an oil change.
She went to the gas station on a recommendation from a friend. "It's the cheapest one you're going to find." Alright, then that's where she was going. When she got there, she handed the man her keys and took a seat next to the slurpee machine (At $13, guess you get what you pay for).
After about 15 minutes the man came and asked her to come to the garage with him. He pointed out that her fluids needed topping off and he'd be happy to take care of it for a few extra dollars. She knew she was getting ripped off, but laziness can sometimes be worth the money. "Go for it," she said.
She paid for the service and walked back around to reclaim her car. The same man was standing there and looked like he wanted to say something.
"Do you speak Spanish?"
"Nope," she answered, "But I get that question all of the time."
He insisted that she looked Puerto Rican (he appeared to be so himself). She explained that she was "just a plain old white chick." Russian Jew to be exact (by heritage), but caucasian nonetheless.
The interrogation continued with the following call and response:
"Are you married?" - "No."
"Do you have a boyfriend?" - "No."
"Really?" - "Really."
"Can I have your number?" - (look of amusement) "No."
...he had already gotten her warmed up and into the habit of saying no.
Of course, with hindsight being 20/20, she began to ruminate later on.
"Plain old white chick?" What does that mean? Lately she had been asked so often where she was from. Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt and very occasionally "Oh, you're a Jew." What the hell did it matter? Why did she feel like apologizing for being white? Why was that such a dissapointment?
Next time (and there was no doubt that there would be a next time) she wasn't apologizing for anything.
posted by Kara Alison @ 2:27 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Jason - No retirement...just a little vacation (Went to Europe as a graduation present to myself - then Bonnaroo). I've been storing up topics the whole time!
Male/Female interaction...sigh. Yeah, I wish I could provide a little more insight. For those of us who like men, I don't think we can really help it. You guys do some odd things though. In fairness though, don't women drive men just as crazy?
I find that people are fascinated by the "exotic".
Being from a different country is intriguing.
"What do they know about inimate relationship actions versus what our home-grown girls (guys) do?".
The ears get "tickled" by foreign accents.
Our eyes, by their looks and our noses by their scents.
I think guys and gals are susecptable(sp) to the same interests in those departments.
It comes down to the thrill of the unknown, the untried and possibly the forbidden.
Human nature can be perverse in it's pursuit of the "thrill".
And as your post indicates, the chase can happen anywhere.
Oh, I truly believe driving each other crazy is an equal opportunity event.
The consensus?
Women want to be "mind-read" and the men haven't a clue there's something to read.
Not that "I" agree with that ... *wink*
I guess it's the concept of "exotic" that gets to me. It seems to imply that some types of women are sexier/more attractive than others. I can't quite get my head around the idea that cultural origin effects one's attractiveness. I mean, say I "look" hispanic. That hasn't changed, even if it turns out that I'm not, right?
It seems almost like a new kind of racism. I don't quite know what to think about it.
Kara, your answer to my comment makes me ask:
Has Hollywood influenced that perception?
Are we brainwashed into buying into the allure of the exotic?
If we see it, read about it, hear about it, does it lead us towards believing that interpretation without personal experience to color our views?
Is this "new kind of racism" a result of veiwing life from the media viewpoint???
Meaty post, Kara!
Gotta love the Media!
I'm sure that they have something to do with how we view people of different origins. It's scary to think how much of that has made it into the collective subconscious.
As for the new kind of racism. I think it's thriving actually. People seem to think that because they're judging people POSITIVELY based on their appearance (skin color, etc.) that it's okay. I'd argue that judgements based on appearance are harmful, no matter the type.
I linked this post to my blog.
You got my brain wheels churning.
Thanks!
Happy July 4th, Kara!
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