What is that on that Coke can, Anita.

“Can you put some icing on these muffins for me?” asks a middle aged black woman. Unfortunately it was an hour past the time I was supposed to leave so I was not too interested in going through the hassle. So I told her that it would take a while to heat up the icing since we don’t leave it on all day, hoping that that would end it but no.
“Well that store, you know the one on 27th before Wal-Mart,” she says.
“Sorry ma’am, I don’t know what store you are talking about. I don’t get out much.” I replied.
“Well they do it right away for me, no problems.” She stated.
At this point I am getting a little annoyed with her but I go on, “oh ya I bet they leave their icing on all day.” I then realized that this was not going to stop without her getting some fucking icing on her muffins. So I told her, “if you want to give me a few minutes I can heat some up in the microwave but it will take some time.”
She then says, “Okay that is fine. You aren’t going to put pubic hairs in it are you?”
I thought that there was no way she just said that to me so I asked, in a puzzled tone, “pardon me?”
Again, “You aren’t going to put pubic hairs in it are you.”
It is this point when I realize I have a real doozy on my hands. Even though I heard her the second time I had to get her to repeat it so I asked again, “excuse me?”
“Pubic hair” she barks out.
“Oh god no why would you say such a thing?” I inquire.
She then goes on about something on the news about a restaurant and pubic hairs, “didn’t you see that in the news”.
To which I wanted to respond, but couldn’t, “No, ma’am I just read actual news.”
She continued to blather on about an undercooked steak and some pubic hairs.
I decided to try to lighten the mood so I told her, “I’m sorry I was just having an Anita Hill moment.” She looked at me with a blank stare. So I proceeded on, “You know Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the Coke can?” Still no response.
I then informed her that hearing the term pubic hair at work is odd since it could be construed as sexual harassment.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes and have a nice day.”
This woman was what black intellectual Shelby Steele would call a “challenger” vs. a “bargainer”. A challenger being someone like AL Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, two men whom I admire, who never let you forget that you are white. A challenger, according to Mr. Steele, is someone who assumes you are racist until you prove otherwise.
Whereas a bargainer, according to Steele’s definition, is one that doesn’t rub the racist past in white people’s faces. They say that they won’t prejudge you as long as you don’t prejudge them, think Obama.
This woman was definitely a “challenger” but doesn’t realize that people can see through that. I knew the moment she started talking to me that, in her mind, I was racist against Blacks. The problem is that I see that and I purposely act accordingly.
This is a problem with a lot of people, they think they are cleverer than they really are. They think that average people can’t see through their bullshit. Kind of like that worker who complains a day before they are going to call in sick about how they feel like they may be coming down with something. This just happened to be one example of many from all types of people that we see in our day-to-day routine. Why do people think other people are so stupid?
I still believe you Anita!