Bigotry
Last weekend at Fare, two black men walked up to camp and started talking about the camping experience. I was a little nervous, because they were young obnoxious and a bit hyper. Normally, at the camp grounds, people are pretty laid back. These guys were animated and loud. We also met a very attractive black girl at Fare. She is in many of the pictures. I found myself relaxed around her, but still mindful of her race. There was a time in my life where I was dead set against interracial marriage. I was automatically on guard around black people. I used racial terms to describe whole groups. I've grown a great deal in the last twenty years. There is, however, still a tickle in the back of my mind that I must overcome on occasion. I hope that I will grow further and take every person I meet on a case by case basis and not prejudge based on ignorance.
That said, there are these couple of men in my work who congregate at the intersection near the elevator outside my office. They seem to meet nearly every morning a half hour or so after the place opens. I've herd them talk about cars, boats, TVs, and building tree houses. This morning one of the men was talking about the dangers of eating at buffets. He said it was unclean and germs got around easily. He also mimicked an oriental person at one point in the conversation. I don't remember what he said, but it was clearly offensive. I happened to be on my way to the bathroom at the moment and noticed it was a black man performing the impression.
Now comes the question to me. I find irony in that above paragraph. I've made fun of people based on race at different points in my life. I've always regretted the action. It was in the name of "belonging" to a group. I've always tried to belong. If it had been one of the white men performing the mockery, would I have even remembered the incident? Have I not noticed the same thing happening before?
The funny thing about reflection upon one's own world is you still use your own eyes to see yourself.