During a summer break in high school, I took a trip with some friends. While we were in the airport waiting to board our flight, a couple of my friends started picking on me and another kid for being so white and pale. Both of us happened to be the type of people who couldn’t ever get a tan, no matter how hard we tried. I was pretty touchy about this feature of mine, so I tried to say something that would boost my self-confidence and make it look like I wasn’t bothered by them pointing out how pasty I was. I raised my fist high in the air and yelled out the first thing that came to mind,”White people rule!” As soon as I said it, I knew it was a poor choice of words. I also realized that several people at the gate had heard my exclamation and were now staring at me. I wanted to die. What was meant to be a quick comeback made me look like a racist jerk.
Emily – CA
3 responses to “the racist”
“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”, Emily…. Did you happen to be flying to Northern Idaho?
I am of the same blinding-white complexion, and likewise endured endless taunting, lame jokes, and vain, painful attempts at changing my pale reality. I could totally see myself erroneously hollering out something equally embarrassing. Nothing like being targeted as a freak of nature and then drawing even more unfavorable attention to yourself, eh?
My deepest empathies,
Sara
I was once lying out on a dock trying to get a tan (which has never happened in the whole course of my life) when I heard a voice exclaim, “No way! Look, somebody is whiter than me!” The dock was full of people, but sadly I knew right away he was talking about me. And yes, I was indeed much paler than his Casper complexion.
Beth the Other Admin