Little Black Girl in the Doorway, dream by wombknower -- Aug. 6, 2012
I am in a store, perhaps a grocery store, and I am leaving. Between the store and the exit door, there is a little area where customers may use an ATM machine. There is an automatic door between the grocery store area and the ATM machine area. I am approaching the automatic door, but the doorway is blocked by people waiting to use the machine. There would have been enough of a space for me to move through if it wasn't for a little black girl blocking the doorway. She is standing there, waiting in line with her mother and another sister. The little girl is in a pink and white dress, and she's about 8 years old. She is oblivious to the fact that she is blocking a busy doorway. She is not moving. I say: "Excuse me", in that singsong voice you use with kids. She doesn't move. I am in a rush, and in no mood to wait for this girl to move aside. I am also annoyed with her mother for not instructing her to get out of the way! So I squeeze past her, knowing that I've probably bumped into her a little bit, but not enough to hurt her in any way.
Her mother observes this experience and she's pissed. She has finished her transaction and she proceeds to speak loudly and angrily to me. She tells me that I should have been patient with her daughter and that she is going to report me for harassing the little girl. I replied that she should teach her daughter how to use public spaces, and that I only brushed past her after the child was unresponsive to my request for her to move. I told her that I understand that it is important for little Black girls to take up space in the world. I told her that I understand the lesson that little girls should be able to feel proud, and deserving of space. But, at the same time, as her mother, she has the responsibility of teaching her children how to share space. The mother was not pleased with my reasoning and she continued to tell me how rude I was. I told her that she could contact me if she wanted to go forward with her complaint, but I had places to go, and I was leaving.
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Little Black Girl in Pink Dress
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Comments
by wombknower
Aug. 17, 2012, 11:32 p.m.
Thanks misschocolaw, The little girl annoyed me. Re-dreaming that moment though, I do come upon a sense of pride at her boldness and her power. She prevented me from moving forward. Or so I thought. I mean, she forced me to encounter her. I had to engage her if I wanted to pass. Like the trolls who block bridges or the fairies who require the answer to a riddle before they let you pass. Sometimes, I need to remember my little girl when I am making a decision. I need to treat her well, to see her, to make time for her. Perhaps this dream is pointing to the fact that I may need to do that more? And the pink dress is such a sign of traditional cis-gender femininity. I didn't wear a lot of pink dresses as a child. Hyper femininity even.. Delicacy and prettiness. I must say, since that dream I have bought 3 little dresses. None pink :). Thanks for your insights!! | |
by misschocolaw
Aug. 8, 2012, 12:50 p.m.
The mother seems like an ego justifying the need and importance of alloying her child to take her space in the world. Time, space and place are very interwoven and I find it interesting that you didn't have time (or patience as the mother noted) to allow the little Black girl in the pink dress to share the space. I look forward to reading more of your dreams. |