that time a strange black man accosted me
I was shoveling snow and the stranger, a big guy, tapped me on the shoulder and scared the crap out of me. I was out of breath and hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings.
"Give me that shovel," he demanded.
I tried to argue with him, but no. "Humor me. No way I can stand by and watch you do that." He grabbed the shovel--I think he pulled it from my hands--and finished uncovering our walk, the sidewalk in front of the house, and the car. It took a while because there was a lot of snow. When he was done, he handed back the shovel and walked off without another word.
I was nine months pregnant at the time and trying to get that baby out. I felt was a total hormonal mess of resentment and gratitude.
I never saw him again.
"Give me that shovel," he demanded.
I tried to argue with him, but no. "Humor me. No way I can stand by and watch you do that." He grabbed the shovel--I think he pulled it from my hands--and finished uncovering our walk, the sidewalk in front of the house, and the car. It took a while because there was a lot of snow. When he was done, he handed back the shovel and walked off without another word.
I was nine months pregnant at the time and trying to get that baby out. I felt was a total hormonal mess of resentment and gratitude.
I never saw him again.
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Julio
(new)
Aug 21, 2014 04:07AM
thank you for this.
reply
|
flag
I thought about this yesterday because a couple of people at BN were talking about the violent culture of black men. [Edited to take out "nature" because their convo really was about culture.]
It saddens me that people still embrace and perpetuate stereotypes. Any race can have people who are violent, cruel, ignorant and mean. Just as any race can have people who are loving, compassionate, generous and wise.
We are all humans, regardless of skin type and sexual orientation.
So thank you for this. Because one of my best friends is black, another is gay and yet another is Cuban. One is a wildly liberal. I am wildly conservative. Another is moderate enough to make both my liberal friend and I cry! But we’re all human. In the end we really want the same things. We want to be safe. We want to be happy. We want to be loved. We want to do the best by our family. We want to be heard. We want to be part of something bigger than we are. We want to matter.
Really, when you look at the heart of a person, it’s not their color or sex or whatever that matters. It’s the heart. And the fact that we are all human .
We are all humans, regardless of skin type and sexual orientation.
So thank you for this. Because one of my best friends is black, another is gay and yet another is Cuban. One is a wildly liberal. I am wildly conservative. Another is moderate enough to make both my liberal friend and I cry! But we’re all human. In the end we really want the same things. We want to be safe. We want to be happy. We want to be loved. We want to do the best by our family. We want to be heard. We want to be part of something bigger than we are. We want to matter.
Really, when you look at the heart of a person, it’s not their color or sex or whatever that matters. It’s the heart. And the fact that we are all human .
