Black Women, Your Client Is Not Your Friend Or Therapist!

“Grandma, why are you telling her our business?”

My realtor was driving me to see a renovated house for sale. Prior to our meetup she took her granddaughter to church and decided to show me this home on a whim. While I trusted her judgment due to her many decades of experience, she oftentimes resorted to divulging way too many personal details about her family life. At one point I was even told how much money was paid to her in commission after fees for selling homes. So uncalled for, right? On that gloomy Sunday in the car she decided to share that she had to sell plates of food to help pay for her nephew’s dental surgery.

I was sitting in the passenger’s side looking out the window and getting acclimated to what could potentially be my new neighborhood. I turned my head towards the six year old sitting in the back by her lonesome, impressed by the wisdom her sweet little voice whispered. Because I was wondering the exact same thing.

I wish I could admit that being a black woman meant these intrusive, awkward moments were few and far in between. Unfortunately, in our culture this is considered normal and even encouraged interaction between two strangers. The lines are blurred or even completely erased between professional and casual/personal relationships, especially between two black people.