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Is It Racism, Human Conditioning And Behavior, Or Having Pride In Your Appearance?
It was a chilly spring morning in New Jersey. I was up bright and early, getting dressed and mentally preparing myself for a trip to Staples. I needed to purchase some packaging materials for my business.
As I walked in I was greeted by an employee at the front door. I quickly found the section that housed the cardboard goodies I desperately needed. I made my way to the aisle and my mouth dropped behind my fabric mask at the atrocity my eyes were witnessing.
A woman was already in the aisle. And she was wearing fleece pajama pants with reindeer antlers all over.
I held my breath. Because anyone who rolls out of bed to shop clearly hasn’t taken a shower yet or even brushed their teeth, right? I’m going to assume that nobody in their right mind wakes up, takes a shower, and proceeds to put on clean pajama pants to go out in public.
Simply put, I was disgusted.
I was raised by a West Indian woman who was strict when it came to appearances, for her children and also for herself. For a long time my mother did not even own a pair of flats. I believe Victoria Beckham’s “I can’t concentrate in flats” quote reigns true for my mother. So yes, she prepared our school lunches, checked our homework, washed our…
