I am back after a long hiatus from any political wrangling. I get so emotionally exhausted from it that sometimes I have to step back. I see a lot of changes around here, I am going to reserve judgement on them, but, I am glad to be back.
I thought I would start a series on what it's like to live in a small town in what I consider a fairly backward area. I live in a small town outside Lexington Kentucky. I had an exchange in the library today that prompted this diary, so if I haven't already bored you to tears, follow me over the jump.
Well my day began quite ordinarily, I was running some errands. Of course, just leaving the house here can be an adventure. My last errand of the day was to pick up some DVD's at the library. I parked and started in, and coming out the door was a white man with an African American woman. This is just unusual enough here that I actually noticed it, and then my mind wandered back to the mundane details of what to make for dinner. I noticed a woman standing off to the side of the front doors. Her behavior was "off", for lack of a better word. There is no reason to just stand by the doors, I mean, either your going in, or coming out, but there is nothing to do just standing there. Still, I was preoccupied with my own stuff and not prepared for what I should have seen coming.
As I reached the entrance she began walking in right in front of me. I realize now that she planned it that way to trap me. She said in a casual and conversational tone "I know its wrong but I just can't get used to it". I had forgotten all about the couple and said quite genuinely, "get used to what?" "Mixed race couples" she said. My brain jolted awake, I had a strong desire to run but she was in front of me. I said "Oh it doesn't bother me at all" I said and tried to walk faster. She stopped in front of me. "Well this is how I feel about it" she replied and began some rambling nonsensical crap about how some white woman out there was being deprived of that man, and vice versa for the woman. I began walking around her. "Seriously", I said while walking, "it doesn't bother me at all." She sped up to stay in front of me as we reached the interior doors. She was getting quite incensed at my lack of sensitivity to her feelings. I could hear the trembling in her voice, a far cry from the pleasant conversational tone she had begun with. She was enraged. She stopped right in front of the doors to make her final pronouncement. I was well and truly trapped. And angry.
"If God had wanted us to mix races, he wouldn't have made us all different colors" she said, stating this idiotic drivel with a fanatical tone that suggested that bringing God into it was going to definitely give her the last word. I had had enough. I thought, "bitch, I'm going to make you forget all about mixed race couples".
"Ohhhhh I see", I chuckled. "Well I'm an atheist and I don't even believe in God. So I don't give a crap about what people like you think".
Her face went completely blank, she turned and RAN through the doors. I strolled over to the DVD section watching her out of the corner of my eye. She slammed her books down on the desk and RAN back out of the library.
I have to say, it was really satisfying. I guess a middle aged white woman sauntering into the library in Backwater, USA, looked like an easy target to her. I hope she thinks twice next time before airing her racist views.
For the sake of the truth (ironically), I lied about being atheist. I am agnostic, which I figured at the time was close enough. I'm also lesbian, vegan, and liberal. But I only had time for one shocker and I chose the God part.
Yep, it can be quite an adventure around here.