God is found in other people, even the ones we don't like very much.
~ Anonymous
Tonight at Walmart we were behind a couple of Mennonite women, perhaps mother and daughter. When we pulled our cart up to the checkout lady, Tom and I were laughing about something he had read in one of the outrageous tabloid newspapers. The checkout woman asked if we were laughing at the Mennonite women's clothes.Thinking she thought we were being unkind, we hastily assured that her we were not, that we were laughing about something in the paper.
She went on to say she did not like those women, because they had been speaking in "their own little language" and she was sure they were talking about her.
Tom said they probably weren't, but maybe they were saying nice things. I laughed and said perhaps they were commenting about what a lovely young woman she was. Tom said more likely they were complaining about their husbands.
The checkout lady's look indicated that she was totally unconvinced.
Recently when I was tutoring, I spent some time reminding the woman I tutor (English as a second language) that she should always speak English at work if possible, even on breaks with others who speak her language. First of all, she needs to practice English as much as possible. But also because people who do not speak her language will too easily assume she is talking about them.
She laughed and said she had already learned that, because her supervisor had asked her if she was talking about the supervisor with another employee on break. I don't know if Americans are more prone than other people to have this sort of semi-paranoid reaction to people conversing in another tongue, but I suspect it is fairly universal.
You notice that I had assumed something about what the checkout lady was thinking, too, and I was apparently wrong.
Of course, other people mostly don't find me nearly as fascinating as I find myself, and so they aren't paying much attention to me at all.
As a friend in Chicago used to say, "Don't they know who I think I am?"
1 comment:
LOL- well, the absolute worst place is the nail salon....You KNOW when those women are talking about you because they look at you or whoever they're talking about while they're doing it.(Plus at one I quite liked I was friends with one of the girls and she told me that yes, indeed I was exactly correct- you can tell by body language as well as hearing the words what is being said). I think it's terribly rude and if they are like that, I just dont bring my business back to them again. I like feeling comfortable and welcome, not made to feel like I'm the butt of someones jokes.
I also think that menonites are some of the sweetest people, very kind and generous, but not terribly used to people from the outside. And with good reason.
We all need to be more tolerant with each other. Do unto others...but, unfortunately, it doesn't always work like that in our imperfect world, does it?
Mores the pity.
Post a Comment