Comments on: More from the Land of Microaggressions, in Which I Claim My Space and Lose My Silence

By: Esther Thompson Turner

Esther Thompson Turner — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 04:43:54 +0000

You illustrate in your story at the check-out what privilege is. It is very hard to recognize it when you have it. Thank you for sharing.

By: Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg

Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 02:23:42 +0000

Rob, that sounds so painful. I knew someone some years ago who went through something similar; it was a bad medication reaction. I hope you can find the cause of this sudden change. It sounds like something physically shifted in your body for the change to be so drastic.

By: TRENA

TRENA — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 01:31:12 +0000

NOT AN HOUR AGO I HAD A REAL SIMILAR SITUATION. I HAD A CASE OF WATER BALANCING ON THE TOP OF MY CART, CAUSE OF MY BACK I CAN’T PICK IT UP FROM IN THE CART. I WAS WAITING AT THE CHECK OUT COUNTER AND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME SET HER ALREADY BAGGED GROCERIES BACK ON THE COUNTER WHILE SHE ARGUED WITH THE CASHER OVER AN EXPIRED COUPON. BECAUSE THE WATERS STARTED SLIDING OFF THE CART I MOVED THEM TO THE COUNTER BEHIND HER BAG. SHE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED TELLING ME THAT I NEEDED TO BE PATIENT AND QUITE RUSHING HER. I TRIED NICELY EXPLAIN THAT I WASN’T RUSHING HER BUT TRYING TO KEEP THE WATERS FROM FALLING OFF THE CART. SHE WAS LIKE YA WHAT EVER THEN TOLD THE CLERK SHE WANTED HER MONEY ON THE ITEM BECAUSE THEY WOULDN’T EXCEPT HER EXPIRED COUPON. AS SHE WAS HANDED BACK HER MONEY SHE TOLD THE CLERK I NEED TO STAND HERE AND PUT MY MONEY AWAY I NEVER LEAVE THE COUNTER UNTIL THAT’S DONE NO MATTER WHO IS RUSHING ME.I CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOSE IT. AS SHE WAS WALKING AWAY I TOLD THE YOUNG MAN BEHIND ME WITH ONLY TWO ITEMS HE COULD GO FIRST BECAUSE I DINT MIND WAITING AS I STILL HAD A CART OF GROCERY’S TO UNLOAD. BY THAT POINT THE WOMAN HAD MADE IT HALF WAY TO THE DOOR AND TURNED BACK AROUND AND SAID “WELL I WASN’T TALKING ABOUT YOU.” I JUST SMILED AT HER AND TOLD HER IT WAS ALRIGHT I FORGAVE HER ANY WAY.

IT’S HARD SOME TIMES ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR IN PAIN TO BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS AND I THINK ITS EVEN HARDER AT TIMES LIKE THAT TO HAVE EMPATHY, BUT WE ARE ALL HUMAN, NONE OF US CAN BEHAVE 100% CORRECTLY ALL THE TIME. I’VE FOUND THAT BY TELLING OTHERS I FORGIVE THEM LATER I DON’T BEAT MY SELF UP AS MUCH WITH THE I SHOULD HAVE SAID…. OR I SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED BY ….. I THINK WHAT I’M TRYING TO EXPRESS IS DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF ABOUT THE TIMES YOU DON’T SPEEK UP.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 01:21:26 +0000

It’s so difficult confronting people, especially wackos. I would be shaking too. It reminds me of a really peculiar problem I’ve been experiencing over the past few years: I have always been a shy, retreating sort of person. I was apologetic and often painfully polite. Then part of my personality suddenly changed. I became aggressive, rude, angry and volatile. It’s almost as if all the hurt feelings and anger I suppressed all my life started manifesting itself without warning. I also started having other strange symptoms such as severe memory loss and paranoia. I mean, I would never harm a soul but this is kind of scary. It scares me as much as the person on the receiving end. I thought maybe I had a stroke at some point. This is another reason to further isolate myself and avoid contact with other people. Anyway, I apologize for going off-topic. This is your post, about you… not me.