But how do you gracefully bow out of an annoying conversation? You can't. However! All gracelessness is forgiven if the person you're talking to seems like a racist. The only people you don't have to feel bad about hating are racists. It's pot-kettle-black logic, but it's true, you know it is. And it's rescued me twice in the last week.
The first time, my escape route from a conversation was blocked by three large guys, drinking and talking about memories. Things I had no interest in, but I would have had to practically crawl over them to join a different conversation. But *Aaaahhh* that's when the conversation gods opened up the marlboro smoke clouds and the conversation turned to a ten-years-past Aryan Nation party. For those sweet naive coastal state dwellers who don't know what an Aryan Nation is, I'll tell you. The Aryan Nations are a white supremacist group that had a large following in the inland northwest in the 90s. TRUMP! He went to a white supremacist kegger?? Even if it was a drunken mistake, I don't want to talk about it and I am out of this conversation. Do I come off as a snob as I hop the coffee table leaving a trail of spilled beer in my wake? Hell, yes. But a snob is nothing compared to an Aryan Nationalist and any rudeness on my part is excused by anyone with half a brain around. And if I'm not forgiven by the Aryan sympathizer, does it really matter? Not to me!
The second time someone else's racism saved me from mere annoyance was at the airport when a proud grandpa had moved on from showing pictures to showing the medical cards he has explaining that he has two metal knees. Airport security, much to this man's chagrin, doesn't care that he has these official cheap-looking paper cards and always pats him down anyway. And the last time this happened, he tells me, a--insert derogatory phrase for someone of Arab descent here--went through the metal detectors without a hitch and they let him right on through. Not that he's prejudiced, he said, but that really made him mad. Cha-ching! Previously I had been trying to read snippets of an article on Kate and Leo's silver screen reunion between viewings of photos of little Lucy and her cousins. Crossing my legs away from him, not elaborating when asked a question, the usually tricks to imply: "Hey! I've been up since 4 in the morning to catch this flight and it is now six hours late! I'm tired and I don't want to talk!" So now! With the Arab bashing that wasn't cool in September 2001 and definitely is inappropriate SEVEN YEARS later (one year from every great grandchild!), I am off the hook. I say, "Well. Hmm." and I look down at my article and don't look up. I'm flabbergasted and don't know how to talk to this man I already didn't know how to talk to, so now I have an out. I act awkward and he realizes it and gets up to check the screen for an incoming flight. Phew.
To their credit, I think both of these men were relatively harmless, but neither had ever really left the inland northwest, physically or intellectually, and just didn't realize how ignorant they sounded. So yes, racism is horrible; it breaks down relations between cultures and individuals and that's why I can appreciate it in minor situations when that is exactly what I need. Break down relations between me and Mr. Boring-Slightly-Racist-Chatterbox!
Posts
1 comment:
in hysterics...me. sitting in a towel after a bath, noting the spot where you immediately leapt up and ran to tell me of the Aryan Nations conversation. Damn. I miss you already!
Post a Comment