People are Stupid

[annundriel]

Went to church with Grandma. Afterward, we drove to the Gorge because she wanted to check out Cave B. By the time we were back within 100 yards of our house and got caught behind a bunch of pea-pickers, I thought I was going to cry. I love my grandmother, I really do, but there is only so much I can take at a time. Especially when I'm alone with her.

Two of the things she said that really bothered me really revolved around her little bit of ethnocentrism. Paraphrasing: "Yes, the yard looks pretty good. Especially for someone my age doing it by themselves. But wouldn't it look so nice if I had my own crew of Mexicans to call in?" and "I tried to reheat some of my old honey and it didn't work. It's too old. I should really give it to someone. I bet there are some nice Mexican ladies at church who would want it."

Now, I do realize that there's something going on with the fact that I hear statements like that and immediately cringe because I feel like there's a judgment being made. There's a part of me that's a little worried that I'm being just as bad in my cringing as Grandma is being in her obvious belief that she is in some way superior and should have the Mexicans working for her.

And the thing is, her statements really would not have bothered me if they hadn't had any sort of ethnic tag. "Wouldn't it be nice if I had a crew to help with the lawn?" or "I bet one of the nice ladies at church would find my old honey useful in some way." But no, she felt the need to specify a group of people.

Tom, Nicholas, and Jonathan do the same thing. Tom and Nicholas tell me that Grandma tells them that they're anti-everything. "You'd be anti-Catholic if I wasn't standing right here." And, y'know, they're not anti-everything because I have actually *talked* to them. But some of the things they claim not to be too anti- about...well, I just don't see it. For example, according to Grandma they are anti-gay (as well as anti-homosexual. Despite being a repetition, they provide two finger-ticking points when you use both words.). Nicholas claims that he's not because he has lots of gay friends. And then uses some of the most derogatory terms when the discussion (I use the term loosely) turns to gay people. And that just doesn't jive.

In other words, some people annoy me. But not all of the time. Sometimes they are actually funny to be around. And then they turn around and...become an ass.

Although, it was pretty funny before I took Tom and Nicholas to see Batman Begins on Friday. I went down to the living room and this ensued.

N: It's either a movie or chasing girls in Mardon.
ME: I'm guessing I'm not involved in the Mardon plan.
T: (kidding) What, you don't want to chase girls in Mardon?
ME: Not in Mardon.
N: (goes toward the kitchen saying...something, stops, returns) Wait. Are you saying that you *would*/*do* chase girls...?
ME: No. Not my thing. But if I did, it wouldn't be in Mardon.

I think I really had him going for a minute there. The double-take was great. Tom and I were laughing. Messing with people is fun!

*

I'm leaving for Seattle on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to the days of doing whatever I want, whenever I want. (Not that I don't do that already.) But I'll be on my own at Kay and Greg's and I could use a couple days of just me. So I'm taking several of my notebooks (so I can maybe actually have something written for Natasha at some point - I really am trying!), seasons six and seven of SG-1, seasons one and two of Moonlighting ("Do flies fly? Does Spock beam up?"), as well as several books. Definitely Haunted and probably a couple from the Narnia series as well as, hmm, Watership Down.

I'm a little worried that being alone in that house and reading Haunted is going to disturb me a little more than I need to be disturbed.

*

Watched "Abyss" a couple of hours ago. It left me feeling...odd. In a good way. Sad and sort of wistful and I dunno. Odd. Loved every Jack/Daniel scene. Especially the whole "You're a better man than that"/"That's where you're wrong" argument. And then Ba'al's final torture scene with Jack where he just keeps repeating (well, twice) Daniel's name because he wants him to end it. Followed by the return to his cell (which is a pretty damn cool cell) where Jack's just so quiet. And of course the final scene with the trusting and the "I can do that" and the "thanks." Yeah, it was a good episode for me. Made me teary. Still makes me teary. I'm blaming hormones.

I do rather love Jonas. And I'm a little freaked out with how much I like Ba'al.

*

I smell rain.

Comments

[olivelavonne.livejournal.com]

It rained her last night, and of course I was completely oblivious to it because I was reading...*drum roll* Fanfic! Are you suprised?

Anyways, have fun at Kay and Greg's and don't worry about writing me anything. Although if you insist on it, I won't deny you the joy of writing a lovely story or two!

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Ugh, Beau's grandma and even his mom and sister say some dumb shit too. So far I have heard all about "The Indians" when referring to Native Americans and "Towelheads." I just can't believe it sometimes and my inner liberal really cringes.

[ginnith.livejournal.com]

I know exactly how you feel with the use of certain words. I don't run into too many people that say things that make me cringe, but there were a couple of snooty people at school who threw 'Mexican', 'Muslim', 'Indian', and other such words around and made me really uncomfortable. I just don't know how to deal with people in those situations, short of gritting my teeth and trying for a new subject.

Did you guys actually make it all the way out to Cave B? Or did you just drive through the parking lot circle?

Would you like to do anything before you leave? I've got today and tomorrow off, and I'd like to see ya before you're off housesitting!

*snoggles*

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

I think it works best if I just keep my mouth shut in those uncomfortable situations. 'Cause nine times out of ten, I'd bet that they're not even aware of how offensive they're being with the words they choose to use. And by school do you mean Whitworth? I think I'm pretty lucky at SU. Because it's so diverse, you don't really get a lot of that politically incorrect stuff. At least in my experience.

Except there was the one time my sociology prof stereotyped farmers...

We made it to the parking lot circle. By then I kinda just wanted to go home.

Sure, I'd love to do something before I leave! But what? Go out or stay in? We're not leaving until sometime Wednesday afternoon, so let me know what you were thinking.

::snoggles::

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Well, the strange thing is, it didn't rain here. Even though it smelled like rain. Isn't that odd? It did end up raining the next afternoon though.

You? Reading fanfiction? No, surely this cannot be true! You would never do *that*. ;)

I'm sure while I'm at Kay and Greg's I'll write something. I've got a couple of new ideas and still those old ones, so I'm sure you'll get to read something. If you want to that is.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

How can some people be so ignorant? And for me, these people are people I grew up with. I mean sometimes the difference in, well, opinion/tolerance/I don't know what to call it is just staggering.