Early Sunday morning at Starbucks. They’ve changed the décor. It’s not very friendly to those of us who like to hang out and read or write. Power outlets at a premium and the seats are damned uncomfortable.
An elderly Asian woman is rummaging through the trash outside.
Sitting at the newly installed communal table. Not that I want to be communal, it’s just near one of the few outlets.
The local group of regulars is sharing the table with me. Blue collars, bikers and retirees. I don’t know them, they don’t know me but I can’t help but to hear their conversation. It isn’t very communal. Guy in the camo bandana disparaging Filipinos and the other agrees; those people. The women who staff the place are Filipino. These guys are always “friendly” towards them. Watch your backs ladies. My wife is Filipina and the temptation is to call them on it. What’s in it for me? Will I open closed minds?
Twenty first century racists in the San Francisco Bay Area. They have to talk sotto voce, in hushed tones. You mean you’re not proud of your beliefs?
Woman ties her dog to a table outside and settles inside to read. Would you tie up your best friend?
Two of the old boys here are finding work hard to come by. Maybe if you were a little more charitable to those different from you, God would smile on you.
People in their Sunday best; coming from or going to church. Is God smiling on them?
The Asian guy at the table is capping on Mexicans. I wonder if he knows his buddies cap on Asians.
The smokers are banished to the cold (yes cold) outdoors. They’re not even welcome at the outdoor tables anymore but they smoke there in defiance of the signs. Starbucks doesn’t enforce it. Bad for business. Money talks.
A man brings roses to the woman who’s been sitting near the window. She cries, he turns to leave. She talks and he turns again to sit. He talks, she cries.
A woman walks in wearing a Brandon Crawford, Giants jersey. He’s a rookie batting around .200 and he has a jersey already?
The woman who was crying leaves with her flowers and the man. Good. They’re all smiles and so it looks like all’s well.
The old boys have drifted from the communal table.
A Hispanic couple sits nearby. Speaking Spanish. Good thing the old boys are gone. They’d have something to say.
They’re heating up one of those breakfast sandwiches. I love the smell of bacon in the morning. Actually I love the smell of bacon in the afternoon and evening.
A man sitting at the table formerly occupied by the couple with the flowers. A woman walks in, he gets up and they shake hands. “Hi. Nice to meet you.” Online dating? He pulls out a stack of papers. Just business.
Sunday morning at Starbucks. It’s 10 AM and the crowd is sparse and it’s quiet as a library in here. Not a good sign for the remodel.
As mentioned in a previous comment, this could be the second part of "The American People". The guys you overheard making disparaging comments about "those people" are regulars at that Starbucks. Since they're regulars, they must live in town. I don't live there but have visited often enough to know that the community is ethnically mixed. They know it also but don't like it. I wonder what their ethnic background is. Maybe they don't know that in the early 20th century Irish, Italian, and German immigrants were often looked down upon. Maybe they don't care because those people looked like them.
ReplyDeleteThe preamble to the United States Constitution begins "We the people". Then that phrase really meant "we the white males". Blacks were slaves and women weren't much better off. Now blacks and women are allowed to vote. If the Constitution is ever rewritten instead of amended, hopefully the beginning of the preamble will be left in. Now, more than in the late 1700s, we the people means everyone who lives here.
Good thing you didn't call them on the anti-Filipino comments. It would do no good. As a public librarian, I often deal with people who are flat out rude. It is a frequent temptation to call them on it. Usually I don't do so. What good would it do? People who apparently grew up with no home training are not going to have their manners and attitudes changed by me bringing their rudeness to their attention. The likelihood is that they will consider anyone who does so to be the rude ones. In our "it's all about me" society, everyone else are the ones causing problems and doing wrong. The personal pronoun seems to make folks think that they're in the right and everyone else needs to shape up and get with the program.
The lady with the dog had to tie the pooch up outside because dogs aren't allowed inside. The dogs would be better company then those old boy regulars inside. That's one reason why I like the dive bar Toronado on Haight Street, dogs are welcome inside.
A Brandon Crawford jersey already? No surprise, remember the Alex Smith jerseys that were seen at Niners games before he even played one down in the NFL? I guess those who bought them were convinced he would be the second coming of Joe Montana. How many of those people still have the jerseys? Probably a few although many would prefer to see Smith banished to Montana.
The boys at the table were for the most part white. There is one part time member of that group who is African American and their are two Asians. None of them were at the table when the remarks were made. It seems like a case of people talking behind backs.
ReplyDeleteI had a comment on the tip of my tongue but those are attitudes that have been with those guys for many years.
I would say they live in the wrong town. Hercules is heavily Filipino. Maybe they feel threatened by so many Filipinos.
I am fond of remarking that 'stupid is easy.' I wish fondly at time I could take the easy path, be stupid, not have to think or reason, not have to consider others and their place in the world. Yeah, prejudice would sure be nice and easy. I generally like simple - just not in this context.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be so much more simple to, at the very least, live and let live? Seriously doesn't that anger just take too much energy? It's not real effortless to be a racist in the Bay Area. You do have to be a little circumspect.
ReplyDelete