Saturday, February 28, 2015

People Are Weird


People are most definitely weird.  I was explaining to Sarah K that when Rob was alive he used to record The Shopping Channel practically every day, as well as watch it in real time.  Most people I tell this to always burst out laughing, and Sarah K was no different. I used to  laugh at this little idiosyncrasy of Rob's, and he in turn laughed at my use of "insipid" and "inane" when I described my feelings about The Shopping Channel. Nobody actually used those words, he'd say.

During the day at the market, there was a customer (I say customer ironically because he never actually bought anything) who was the absolute definition of weird. He liked my art, sure, but then he started to get all new age hippie on me.  He kept saying that it was wonderful how I did my art with my mind, and that my mind (as well as everybody else's minds) would live on forever.

The customer then told Sarah K and me that he too was an artist - he'd gone to OCAD and everything!  He proceeded to then showed us picture after picture from his phone of all of his artwork.  It was all stained glass windows, and sure it was good but so similar!  So mind-numbingy boring.

When Leon came by for his weekly visit, I practically reached out and grabbed him, knowing full well that his presence would make the customer feel uncomfortable enough to decide to scram.  At  first, Leon didn't understand what I was doing and he kept saying that he had to leave ASAP to go to a meeting.  I told him, "No, no, please stay for five minutes -  and tell me all about the movie you're working on!" (This is particularlally funny because lately the production of his movie is what Leon has been talking about the most.)

In the end, the customer took the hint and left, but not until he said some pretty messed up ableist shit.  In front of me, he told Sarah K and Leon how wonderful he thought they both were for "taking such good care" of me.

Inwardly,  I cringed at his words.  I couldn't understand how he didn't even  realize how offensive he was being. He ,made me feel like he thought that I was some kind of house pet that was incapable of any kind of self-determination or self-awareness.

To their credit,both Sarah K and Leon did their best to stand up for me. Sarah K explained that she worked for me and that I paid her wages. And Leon simply stated that I was his best friend.

Most people have some sort of weirdness inside of them, but. I would far rather deal with Rob's funny weirdness than the self-centred,  judgemental weirdness of thatt one customer I had today.  

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