An open letter to the man who yelled a slur at me on the street

Dear Sir,

You might not remember me. I would be surprised if you did, honestly, because I do not think I am that memorable. To you I was just another face in the crowd. Another body in a sea of other bodies that likely meant nothing to you.

But I remember you.

I remember you, unfortunately, because the word you yelled stayed with me for the rest of my day. It swam around in my head while I attempted to focus at work. It stuck to me while I took the bus home, like something on the bottom of my shoe. It clung to my skin even after a longer-than-usual shower. That word you yelled that day on the street ring in my ears even as I lay in my bed.

"Taxi."

Two syllables were all it took for you to completely alter my day, and you did it without a thought.

You called me a taxi, so you must think you know a lot about me. But the truth is, I know more about you from that one interaction then you will ever know about me. Perhaps your assumptions about me were based on my appearance, but everything I know about you is based on action. One action, a simple action, but a significant action nonetheless. I know that you are the type of person who doesn't care about his own appearance because you're willing to wildly wave in traffic just to call another person a "taxi." And you clearly don't care about other people, because you didn't even look back at how I reacted as you got into the yellow car that picked you up.

I can speculate all day about why you would call me a taxi, but the truth is I'll never know. That's probably because I cannot get in the mind of someone who finds it necessary to call random people names. It might make you feel stronger than me, or better than me. Or maybe it's because deep down inside, you have struggles of your own. Maybe, deep down inside, you know that you are a taxi. And you hate yourself for it.

You may not actually be a taxi yourself. I can never know that. But I do know that someone you love is a taxi. Someone you care about will one day tell you that they are a taxi, and every instance that you've ever yelled "taxi" will come rushing back to you. Then, you will have to deal with your words, just like I had to deal with them the day you yelled at me.

While your voice did damage me, that damage was temporary. I genuinely feel stronger today because of it. I am stronger, because despite what you called me, I am even more firm in my identity as a human being. I can look in the mirror and see that I am not yellow, nor do I have wheels, or a muffler, or four doors. I do not have any doors for that matter. I am not a stupid, ugly taxi. I am a stupid, ugly

Human.

Comments

Read These If You Have Nothing Better to Do

How to tell if you have a horse infestation… and what to do about it.

Click here to read at funny-ish.com.

Summer Fun on a Budget

In case the several gallons of sweat drenching the inside of your astronaut costume hasn't told you yet, SUMMER IS HERE! For some that might mean several weeks of traveling, but for those of us who don't work for a pirate that pays us in treasure chests, we don't have a ton of time or gold coins to traverse the seas. If you fall in that category, like I do, this list will hopefully give you some valuable tips to enjoying your summer without breaking the bank. 1.) Discontinue the zero-tolerance illegal immigration policy. I don't know about you, but criminalizing people who try to get from one country to another is my least favorite thing about summer (or any season). Why not end this by getting rid of this discriminatory policy in the first place? Put on one of those old sundresses or some flip flops to look extra cute while doing it! 2.) Stop separating families at the border. Did you know that you can ride a roller coaster or go to a water park to hear scr...

My coming out post

This is difficult. I’m not usually vulnerable on here, but I need to talk about something. After being in the closet for so long, it’s time for me to speak my truth. As a writer, this blog is the best place for me to do that. And I really appreciate YOU for reading this. Being in the closet is in no way a fun experience. When you have no one to talk to it’s easy to shut down, to get lost in your thoughts. For that reason, I have a lot of pent-up emotions... soI’ll try to not write too much! I feel like I’ve been in the closet forever. But when it really comes down to it, I’m the same person I was when I was trapped in there. “Trapped” might seem like a strong word, but I assure you, I do not use it lightly. When I was in the closet, I truly felt that I would never get out - and that often led to despair. Despite all this, I have no regrets - because coming out has only made me stronger. I cannot write this post without thanking my support system: my friends and family. Thes...

CULTURE MUSINGS: How is the new Aladdin different from the original?

This Memorial Day weekend, Disney released Aladdin, the live-action version of one of its most popular movies based on the life of U.S. President Warren G. Harding's youngest son. While the adaption mostly stays true to the original, some eagle-eyed fans might have noticed these changes in Guy Ritchie's remake. The events of the live action film do not end up causing the Hindenburg disaster. It is heavily implied in the 1992 Aladdin film that the main character inadvertently creates a chain reaction through history that end up resulting in the 1937 explosion of the Hindenburg, starting with a chase scene at the beginning of the film. As Aladdin runs from palace guards, he bumps into a man who looks very similar to Ludwig Durr, the designer of the Hindenburg. John Musker and Ron Clements, the directors of the animated film, confirmed in several interviews that the man is indeed the airship designer's ancestor, and that Aladdin's collision with him has dire conse...

Emotion, Inc.

Mel hung up the phone and stared straight ahead, replaying the conversation in his head. He knew he had to tell his boss what had happened, but how? There was a knock on his door and a tan face with a grin of shiny white teeth stepped into his office. “Ready for the meeting, Choly?” He laughed at an untold joke. “Yup,” said Mel, taking a deep breath. “I’m excited, we’ll get to hear how well we worked! And if not, boss always gives the best advice.” As Mel walked past him he gave him a forceful pat on the back. Mel just ignored him. “What’s wrong, friend?” “It’s nothing, Smiley.” The two walked down the hallway and towards the conference room. “Well whatever it is, I’m sure this meeting will cheer you up!” Mel suspected the exact opposite would happen, but he simply sighed. The two stepped into a room where a man and a woman sat at a long table. He and Smiley took seats next to each other, and as they sat dow...

Web-site musings

Search This Blog