Ignorant
Yesterday I went to Schuler Books to pick up some reading material. Since you all know I can't read, I was really looking for coloring books and magazines. Anyway, I knew that I wanted to buy the book, Democracy Matters by Cornel West. For those of you who don't know, Cornel West is a very contraversial professor at Princeton who talks a lot about race in America. I also picked up the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe from the bargin bin. Anyway, I go to check out, and the lady at the counter looks at the West book and states, "You've got to be kidding me!" She then looked up at me where I was giving her one of my trademark snarls, blushed, and said, "Oh, I should have probably kept that to myself." She continued to blather on, and I gave her an awful stare and said, "I just need to be checked out. Nothing more."
I felt pretty offended that a bookstore clerk would dare judge me based upon my reading choices. What if I had bought So you're a lesbian! 15 Ways to Pleasure Your Lover in Bed (I made up that title)? Would she have thought I was a dirty LEZ if I bought that book?
Not satisfied, I returned to the bookstore this afternoon. To my delight, Ms. Ignorant was working the cashier counter again. I asked her to call the manager up. She did. Double icing on the cake? The manager was black! I explained to him why I was returning both of my purchased and that I would never buy anything from his store again. Although B&N is a bitof a trek from my house, I was more willing to travel the extra distance so I wouldn't be judged on my reading selections. I could tell the manager was less than pleased. Ms. Ignorant tried to explain herself but both the manager and I just ignored her.
I went to B&N later today and bought my book. Although what she did was dumb and I'm sure she's much too old to really learn from her blunder, I'm just glad that I got to ruin her day. Twice.
