What Is It?

What Is It? Is it the fact that I am a woman?  Is it because I am black?  Is it because I'm not skinny? Or, is it actually a combination of all these and more?  I just don't get it!  Why do people feel they have the right to just blatantly disrespect you as a person?!?

For instance, this morning I was in line at Starbuck's and this lady walks up with four bags of coffee and lays them down on the counter and almost pushes me out the way.  Now she didn't touch me or anything nor did she speak a word.  In fact, she was so tight lipped that you would have needed a crow bar to open her mouth.  Her demeanor just let me know that she was coming to the counter whether I moved or not.  Her stance was as if she was saying, "I belong here; so move over!"   But I am thinking to myself, "I was at the counter first!  My order has already been placed!  What in the world?!?" 

And no, I didn't place a coffee order.  Otherwise I would have moved to the side of the counter where you are supposed to pick up coffee orders. 

Perhaps this whole encounter wasn't even about me.  Maybe it was more about her than it was about me. But what does this tell us about people and thus, about ourselves?  That is still one for me to ponder because I have to admit, more often then not, when I encounter people of different cultures and/or ethnic backgrounds I often wonder if they a treating me or attempting to treat me in a disrespectful manner because I am a woman, a black woman or a healthy black woman. 

So, what is it?

© Yvette L. Allen-Tatum