Well, now that I am settled enough to have a desk and my computer connected, I wanna take this opportunity to say that I meet a neighbor the first day that we were moving in, and well...judge for yourself.
The story goes like this: Friday we moved in some boxes but I wanted to make sure the house was clean before we had the movers come on Saturday so I spend the better half of the day, cleaning the kitchen, doing floors and windows. I was dirty and smelled well...you know. Anywho, I was getting my vacuum cleaner out of the trunk of my car when a silver hatch back stopped and even backed up in front of me. I thought it was awesome that someone was already introducing themselves to me as my new neighbor and how friendly these people were; I should have reserved my thinking.
It was a middle aged woman, a little older than me, white of course, and she started the conversation out like this:
Neighbor: "Oh good I just caught you finishing a job. I am going back to work, I'm a professor and I need someone who is reliable and good at cleaning houses. How much do you charge?" she said without taking a breath.
Now for those of you out there who don't know me, here are a few fun facts. One, I am Hispanic. Two, I drive a 2011 MERCEDES BENZ! Now I am not a snob because I drive a Benz but what cleaning lady drives around in a Mercedes with her cleaning supplies?!? Hello? Blind much? Even if I was a housekeeper I certainly would not use my Benz for my business. Oh wait there's more.
I politely smiled at her and introduced myself as the new owner of my house. I told her that if she found someone good to let me know as I need a housekeeper myself. Of course I don't really need one I do it all myself, I just told her that to see her reaction. Without skipping a beat she told me that when she found one she would slip the information under my door.
REALLY? Not even the courtesy of knocking on my door, giving a real introduction of yourself... nothing?
No apology, no remorse about being a racist or acting like one...nothing. She then drove off and I didn't see where she lives. She's on my street who know where. It's a long street and it curves. So that was my first encounter with my neighbors. My friend's father-in-law who was helping us moving boxes laughed about it and said that what I get for moving into such a snooty, richy subdivision and with this little welcome he might be right.
I have been in Colorado since 1997 and in that time I have only had one other encounter with someone who was racist. Would this woman have stopped and said those things to a white woman with a vacuum cleaner? She didn't even ask me if I was the help, she assumed. When I told my very Caucasian husband he hit the roof. He took a jog up and down the street to see where this woman lived. We have yet to find her, not that I plan on doing anything. I let it go but my husband is not as forgiving as I am and may the Goddess help her if we really meet again and my husband is there. He told our next door neighbors what happened, as they are also white, and they looked truly embarrassed. I know not all Caucasians are racist, heck most of my friends are white but you always have those few who make the rest of the race look really bad.
I will never know why this woman felt compelled to stop and assume I was the help, nor will I ever ask. I guess it's because I was truly offended. My husband and I have worked really hard for the things that we have. I was not born rich or even to upper class parents. They were both blue collar workers from the South side of San Antonio and I am proud of both my past and my present accomplishments. It hurts though to have someone make me feel like I am nothing more than someone who cleans houses in this neighborhood instead of being the owner of one.
I have yet to meet any other neighbors and am not really excited to do so. Perhaps I am afraid that they will all be like this woman in one way or another. I can take a lot but I am leary for my children. Luckily they look like my husband.
Until next time...
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