As many of you may already know Anthony and I have a daughter named Ehlissa in addition to the two boys we parent. We also have two other daughters, beautiful gifts, from Anthony's first marriage. I have not given up on having relationship with those two doves and hope to be able to report reconciliation to you soon.
But that is not the point of today's blog. Ehlissa is an aspiring mechanical engineer who attends a private out-of-state college. She earned a generous financial award and will be completing her 3rd year in a couple months. She is smart, witty, sassy and drop dead gorgeous..really and I am not saying that because I am her mom. Okay maybe a little.
However none of that mattered when she was harassed by a client's family member. Oh did I mention on top of being a superstar she also works with mentally challenged adults? Right she does, because she is awesome and wants to give back and learn as much as she can about this community so she can better serve her brothers.
On Monday she was at her appointed destination to pick up her client as scheduled. Well a member of her client's family decided to flex in front of Ehlissa and the conversation went something like this;
Ding Dong
The door is answered by Ehlissa
E- Hello
X- Uhm yeah, is that your car outside
E-Which one the red one?
X- Yes the only one in the drive way
E- Stunned silence
X-I need you to move your car
E- Oh you can't get in
X- No, I just need you to move your car
E-More silence
X- Are you slow? Did you not hear me? Am I speaking another language or something
E-Cautiously she opens her mouth to respond..no
X- Okay because you acted like you didn't understand my request
At this point Ehlissa closes the door in the woman's face not to be rude but to collect herself. My daughter, like her mother, has a temper and doesn't back down. Howbeit ever she has learned a little bit of discretion, (Thank you Lord), and decided she didn't want to lose her job opening up a can of beat down on a younger Sally Jesse Raphael. So after a couple of deep breaths she re-opened the door and said:
E-I'm sorry we haven't met. My name is Ehlissa and I work with Professor X
X- Yes I am sure, but are you moving you car now or what?
What also needs to be said is that this family is blessed and the driveway was large enough to accommodate several cars without one touching the other. The young lady didn't want the 'helps' car in the same space as her own. I can proudly say that the conversation didn't escalate and Ehlissa moved her car and kept her cool.
It is a shame that this young lady thought because of her status and the wealth she married into that she could demean my daughter. Not just my daughter but anyone who she thinks is not on her level. I wonder what will it take to awaken her to the beautiful diversity around her. I wonder has anyone told her that heaven won't be a whites, upper class snob kind,-only club. I am glad Ehlissa held her dignity because she is a Queen and truly was far from the lesser one in this scenario.
I am sorry the world is still full of people who hate anything that doesn't look like them. I am sorry that when the wall hits and the financials are worth less than the paper they are printed on that these same people will not know how to survive and will themselves be at the mercy of others. I hope to be enjoying my residency inside the pearly gates by then. Nonetheless I am even more sorry that she had to experience the mean nature of certain people. All because of class. Don't get me wrong we have educated her about the ugliness of racism and how it has many different forms. But seeing is not believing until experience leaves its sting. So far she has had Professors to snidely imply that she earned her spot just because she is a female but has no merit. In other words she didn't belong in the field. To members of the same staff just not liking her because of the color of her skin.
She is weathering it. All the stings and barbs of dealing with short-minded people. It hurts but she is getting through it. I remember telling her she couldn't quit nor change her major just because of some idiot in a suit. Success is a great 'in your face' gesture. I also remember sharing with her that if she gave in and quit now then she would set herself up to be a quitter. I am not a quitter so by default neither is she. And even though some classes she has to re-take and others she passes by the skin of her teeth..she hasn't and will not quit! I am so proud of the tenacity my baby is showing. It will serve her well in future days of her life.
Sj
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