When Life sucker-punches you in the back of the head

[Chill Phil]

Yesterday I was driving around a town that had no cell phone service. I stopped at a gas station that looked like the kind of gas station I shouldn't have stopped at. But I figured, "if I get blown away with a shot gun, I definitely won't have to pay bills anymore." I know I was being judgmental, but at the same time I was feeling pretty good about my decision to go inside the store and possibly end my debt forever.


Anyways...

The door jingled as I entered, and a woman in her 50's who clearly chain-smoked cheap cigarettes exclaimed at my presence. And by "exclaimed at my presence," I mean she raised her eyebrows while she looked at me. I know, I'm judging... There was a radio playing in the back corner of the store. Then I said "Hiya!" Making sure to sound extra non-threatening. 'Cause let's be serious...I don't NOT look threatening, even to myself (thanks to TV and film). She responded with a sharp "hi," a decibel above a whisper.I turned to look at the snacks, but after a few seconds, I'm feeling the tension rise --warmth on the back of my neck--, so I just quickly grabbed a bag of chips, and then walked around to the refrigerated beverages toward the back of the store.

"Who eats chips without anything to wash it down?" That's the thought I had while trying to distract myself from the more serious thought of "I'm sure she thinks I'm up to no good." I know, I'm judging.


But here we go...

The lady walks around the counter and follows me to the back corner of the store where the radio was, and turns down the volume. She was completely in my personal space at this point. "Too damn loud," she says. I'm uncomfortable having this person directly behind me, so I grab the drink I had no intentions of drinking and make my way to the check out counter. I walked with extra pep in my step 'cause I want to get back in the car, and get the fuck out of this uncomfortable ass situation. A SITUATION. She's keeping pace behind me I'm thinking "oh she probably thinks I'm gonna run out of the store."


Again...I know, I'm judging.


I get to the check out counter and that's when I notice they had all sorts of dead animal jerky. I grab one of each and I'm all, "HELLLLLL YEEEEAAAAH! DEAD ANIMAL FLESH IN A PLASTIC POUUUUUCH." The tension dissipated, her shoulders relaxed, my shoulders relaxed, and we both started genuinely smiling. We even made small talk and she wished me a safe journey home. Moral of the story, maybe racial tension is an imaginary thing, and we're so wrapped up in the illusion that we don't take the time to see that people are just people...BUT buying beef/bison/venison jerky can ease racial tension whether it exists or not. You should try it!