Today.....
Is my best friends birthday. Happy birthday, AC. And Wendy. Happy Birthday to you too. And Vicky, you too. None of which read this blog, but its the thought that counts, right? Thats what people say when they dont have gifts, anyway. I bought someone a "Happy Rosh Hannah" card. I thought it was pretty funny(no offense to any Jewish folk), but apparently today is Rosh Hanna. I think its the jewish new year. My jewish coworker couldnt elaborate on the meaning of it, since he doesnt really know. Is there such thing as a "bad jew"? Do they use that term? Other coworkers have joked that he is a "bad jew" because he doesnt fit any of the stereotypes(minus the jewfro); hes non religious, shaves everyday, and poor(those are the only stereotypes ive heard). I admit, I laughed. I laugh a lot. But it made me think about stereotypes. The same guy who coined "bad jew", joked(i think) about me being a bad black guy. He said I play tennis and soccer, so something is wrong with me. Ha ha. I wonder where else he was going with that. I also have a job. Whats that you say? Yea, it better be nothing. I dont have any kids, Im not a gangster(apparently couldnt be one if i tried, cuz i wear flipflops. yea, i know), and have never been to jail. This happened like three or four days ago, but now that I think about it, Im insulted! I should kick his......no, wait. Thats what he want me to do. Stereotypes suck. Its like, do you change your behavior to avoid them, or just accept them as the guidlines for whats expected of you? I try to just do me, but they are pretty hard to ignore. Like when I get crappy crap crap service at a restaurant, and its time to pay. Do I leave a bad tip? If I do, she/he will chalk it up to "blacks tipping poorly", but I hate to reward poor service. What to do, what to do. Thats the least of my worries though. Its at work when its a constant problem. I feel scrutinized to the fullest constantly. I read a poem called "Being Black in the Workplace" that verbalized what I feel daily to a T. Its like I gotta work twice as hard, or be classified as lazy. Look, just because I update my blog at work doesnt mean Im lazy. Im multitasking/ practicing time management. Its slow anyway, so who cares what I do with my downtime? And if Im not really early, then Im late. It sux. I think I need to go into business for myself. They always say, do what you love, and youll be successful at it. Unfortunately, I think the market for sitting on my butt, eating, and playing videogames with my friends is pretty hard to break into. Early retirement is looking better and better everyday. When I say early, I mean like next year. Oh crap. Its time for me to go to lunch. Dont wanna be late for that.....-j