I had a pretty odd dream last night. No idea where the dream came from. But it left me infuriated and humiliated and ready to sue.
So my sister and I were shopping with Kadykins (my nephew) at a grocery store we'd never been to before. I thought it was a Walmart, but not too sure. Even in my dream, my leg was paining me, and the store didn't have a disabled cart, so I had to walk it. That meant I would lean against my sister, the cart, and the wall at every opportunity. I'm also a touchy feely type person, and will hold your hand and snuggle with you as long as I like you. Well, we take forever in the store, and we get to checkout, and when we line up, the cashiers leave their lines.
I'm extremely confused. I look around and only see stony expressions. My sister, uncharacteristically for her, just wants us to hurry up and leave. We wait for a cashier to return and see the manager talking to a short, squat black woman, who then comes up to us. She said "We want you out of our store. We don't serve your kind in here." I was still completely confused. Because we were white? I look around to see vindictive pleasure on all the other customers faces, and the awkward but resolute expression on the managers'. They were mostly black people, so I tentatively asked "Because we're white? What about our groceries?"
The woman looked shocked for a moment, then angry, like she thought I was playing games. "We KNOW what you are. Just bring your groceries over here, and I'll check you out myself, but don't try nothin' funny, and we don't wanna see ya'll back here again."
I'm still completely confused, but my sister, red with humiliation, leans over to me and says "They think we're lesbians." I had been reaching to grab out groceries again, but that stopped me. I straightened up and looked at the woman. "You think we're LESBIANS?" The woman sneered and said "We know you are. And we don't tolerate that bullshit here. You're even corrupting the young!" She was referring to my nephew, who was about five in this dream. I burst out "She's my SISTER! That's my NEPHEW!" and I'm rapidly getting angry. It's bad enough they made assumptions about us, but to discriminate against us because of their mistaken beliefs? So what if we WERE lesbians? We hadn't talked to anyone, done anything except get our groceries, and they wanted us out and never to return? Oh hell no.
There's a few faces that are looking uncomfortable and unsure now among the group watching this farce. I'm so angry even in my dream I'm stumbling over my words. "You think we're lesbians, nevermind that we aren't, and you decide to discriminate against us? We didn't do anything to anyone else! You're a disgusting, self-delusional gross people!" I reach down and pick up Kadykins, nevermind that my leg is killing me, and grab my purse. I take two limping steps toward the door with my sister shocked, but following before I stop. I set Kadykins down and turn back to the cashier. "What is the address of this place? And your manager's name?" The cashier looked shocked then mulish and said "I don't have to tell a jumped up slut like you." I nodded at her politely and looked down a Kadykins. "Kadykins, tell the horrible, misguided people bye bye, okay? Grab your mommy's hand, Runa's leg hurts." I turn back to the group that is now utterly shocked and nod at them all. "I will be reporting this. You should all be ashamed of yourselves, and I'm gonna see about humiliating all of you the way you've humiliated us today. All this because I'm freakin' injured! Look past your frickin' noses! Why do you think I was holding on to her? My leg just had surgery! You're all far more messed up than any real homosexual people are. My god!" I shake my head and leave the store.
Then I stand outside and dial 311 (non-emergency number for police) asking for a police report for sexual harassment and discrimination. I tell the operator that the workers wouldn't give me the address, but that since it's a small town, surely if I describe the surrounding stores they can give it to me. I also explain that I'm going to need the security footage from the store during my law suit, and I know the store won't release that to anyone that's not police-related. Then I woke up. I was still infuriated and upset when I woke up, but since it was five a.m. I tried to keep it chilled.
What do you think of this dream, and if this happened to you, what would you do?
3 comments:
Poor dear. You always have the strangest/worst dreams I have ever heard of. Which sister was it? And I really doubt that something like this would happen, even in highly religious states like Mississippi. It probably wouldn't happen in NC.
There isn't much you can do besides set them straight like you did and then sue them. Asking for the supervisors of the managers would also be effective.
It was my oldest sister. We've actually had run-ins with other people that mistake us for couples (either sister and me) because I'm the baby and like to hold hands, and hug. A policeman at the jail thought my other sister and I were a couple because I was standing between her legs and she was resting her head on my belly while we waited (she was so nervous she'd have fled if she thought she'd get away with it). He started to say we should go in (I was dressed appropriately and couldn't) but interrupted himself with "Sto-stop that! Stop that right now!" Cin explained that we were sisters but it still shocked me that hugging in public was considered erotic or something.
I think the dream is realistic enough. But I think in real life, if the people actually were lesbians, they would be less likely to get angry about it and take action. Since it would really be directed at them, they would be more likely to feel like shit instead. That's how it works for me anyway. If people are being racist or homophobic I get angry and take action because I identify with being biracial and bisexual and people don't generally address that. But if people are being sexist, I just feel really bad.
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