Currently reading: "Naughty Little Secrets" by Mary Wilbon
A blind man came into the library asking for some help. I, of course, ask him, "What are you looking for?" without thinking. Blind Man says, "I wish I could look for anything" and then I felt appropriately ashamed.
Once, a pair of people using sign language was walking toward the quiet study room, which my boss is a Nazi about accosting people who seem to be heading there to remind them they are not allowed to talk when they are inside that room. So she went up to the deaf people WHO WERE SIGNING and told them they couldn't talk in the quiet study room. The deaf people asked for paper, then wrote down "We are deaf. We won't be talking."
Maybe we need some sensitivity training.
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Ha... that's almost as bad as what happened to me at Halloween this year. This trick-or-treater was walking down the street with a limp and when he came up to our stoop I said "I know! You must be a zombie!" His mom replied, "His mask is too hot to wear."
ReplyDeleteLater on in the evening I realized what a gaff I had made because the kid totally had a physical disability.
Doh!
I think your error was basically just using a figure of speech automatically. I think the Nazi had to have a serious lack of perception to make that remark to the signing deaf people.
ReplyDeleteYikes!
ReplyDeleteWait, what?! YOU are the douche? excuse me, i think it's blindy who's douche-worthy in this. You're obviously using a figure of speech and this guy decides to make you feel bad for not being sensitive enough. What a fucking dickhead. I'm sorry sir, you're right I was obviously a jerk sorry I ruined your day by reminding you that others can "look" and you cannot, as if you'd fucking forgotten. Yeah Sarah, you are an asshole, next time say "search for" instead of "look for". Or maybe you should have said "What can I help you find?" and then you'd have been a jerk for implying that he needed help and relied on you and you reminded him just how helpless he was and you've ruined his life. Why oh why did you do this to him? I don't see how you can live with yourself.
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