dear mr cashier, i don’t think you’re stupid, really
i was in sainsbury’s buying a copy of the New Scientist from the cigarettes/newsagent counter, and the cashier started chatting to me about me buying the New Scientist, first going ‘oh i didn’t know we sold it’ and then said something about how he thought it used to have a blue heading.
i made mumbling sounds and didn’t really think much of it, nor of him.
and then it hit me. i’m thinking that he isn’t capable of reading the New Scientist because he’s a cashier. i’m being so freaking elitist and horribly disgusting. oh my god.
what if he was a medical student at the royal london hospital? what if he’s some crazy smart physicist that just needs to work to earn his pocket money? what if he’s a law student whose law textbooks have busted his budget? what right do i have to look down my snooty nose on the cashiers working in sainsbury’s when i really ought to be thanking them for working there and making my life so much better?
i try really hard not to discriminate and pre-judge, because i know how it feels like to be on the receiving end of it. the numerous times people have made me repeat myself because they can’t believe i’m actually speaking perfect english in an intelligible accent, that time a bunch of kids chanted ‘dvd-dvd-dvd–dvd’ as i walked past (i think only londoners will understand this phenomenon), and all the other times people think i’m from china or ought to understand cantonese or vietnamese or whatever. i ought to be the last person to think less of anyone because of what they look like or what they do.
but i guess i still have a long long way towards perfection. sigh.
- this & that, london | Time: 12:39 am (UTC+8)
hey, nobody’s perfect. our brains were wired by evolution to be this way. categorising people and things, whether justified or not, is just one way our brains process things to be more efficient.
The most important thing is that you’re aware of it. That makes you much better than the average person.
Comment by Han — November 19, 2006 @ 8:11 am
I’m sorry to chastise, but pride and pomposity are low habits. I may have a high IQ but on the basis of what I’ve just read, I’d rather talk with that cashier than you! he sounds like a friendly soul, whereas you just stuck your nose up at him.
Worse you now say *what right do I have to judge him [indeed]…yet you qualify that by saying *maybe he’s a med student*!! Do you not see the irony? Is he not worthwhile if he’s *just* a cashier then? The value of kindness and humanity is worth more than an IQ of 1000 with a cold heart.
There is great beauty in the common people. Please stop to notice it and value everyone for what they are, regardless of *how useful they are to you* or *how worthy you consider their role in life to be*.
If you can see the spark of humanity that unites us all, it will bring such gladness to your heart. I hope it happens for you.
best wishes
Suzi
Comment by Suzi — November 21, 2006 @ 7:00 am
dear suzi,
i don’t think you actually get what i’m trying to say. the whole point of this post was a recognition that i can be a horrible person, and that i do it to people who are probably very undeserving of that treatment.
but anyway, because unless you’ve known me for a long time, you would say that i’m proud and pompous and have no heart for the common man. and, really, i don’t mind because you’re entitled to your opinions as i am to mine, based on whatever limited knowledge and resources we have at hand.
best wishes to you too
EJL
Comment by ejl — November 21, 2006 @ 12:14 pm
Sorry EJL. I was being a complete putzy numbnuts.
Comment by Suzi — December 8, 2006 @ 8:33 am