Someone had the guts to ask me
what it was like. What it's like to live in a city that's become so
multicultural that my own culture is beaten out. What it's like to be
surrounded by Asian cultures, Middle Eastern cultures, and African cultures and
all you're labelled as is 'white'. And I have to say it's strange.
I feel like I should point out
that I'm not racist. Honestly. I'll make friends with any person - granted I get
surrounded by the weird ones, but race has nothing to do with that. The strange
thing is I think I'm surrounded by a lot of racist people. They are all very
protective of their own cultures, getting upset when others label them by a
neighbouring country and not their own, yet they judge me by my appearance
immediately. They don't care that I come from a long and strong line of
Northern Germans and no, they weren't mass murderers in the wars. That English
isn't my first language either. That I'm not some rich snobby kid. I have
blonde hair and blue eyes because it's genetic. I have money because I worked
while getting a good education and I saved my butt off. I buy expensive things
because I like them and they last. I don't do any of this to show off or to offend.
I'll be the first to admit that
my exterior doesn't exactly scream intelligence and that it's hard to not judge
someone by their appearance. I like to think that conversation can change that.
Today I nearly cracked when two women sitting across from me (yes, actually at
the same table) were whispering and giving me odd looks. I brushed it off at
first, until I heard my name. Then I paid attention to the murmurings and got
the gist of the conversation. My shirt was apparently not appropriate. Too much
cleavage. Seriously? The one woman is notorious for wearing ridiculously
low-cut shirts. My shirt wasn't tight. It wasn't low. Even if it got close to
being too low I had a second shirt under just in case. The other woman in the
low shirts has a small chest so... yeah. I can't help it if I don't. It's also genetic.
If it's hot out, I'm not wearing a turtle neck.
I had been sitting next to a
new guy, getting to know him and just joking around. He was an entertaining
guy. But apparently that meant I was hitting on him. This annoys me to no end.
I smile. I'm sorry. I'm not a bitter, withdrawn person, who feels like making
the first move in conversation is too much effort. I was just being friendly to
the new person at the table. No one else was bothering. Yes, I have dimples and
I like to laugh so it's obvious when I'm happy. If that's too forward then the
world is a bitter place indeed.
I may sound bitter at this
whole occurrence, but really it just makes me sad. Cupcakes and rainbows,
people. No one is born with the intent to harm others. We were born because
about nine months prior a man and a woman who mildly tolerated each other, or a
in a dish, parts came together and.... Voila. We're all unique and the same.
