Inspired by X96 and their 'Things that must Go' feature that I love:
Here is a thing that must go, and soon.
The Career Fair reciently made its way onto campus again, like it does every year. I've never been to the Career Fair before so I decided to go this year just to check it out and see what free stuff I could get. Along with all the free pens that I could pocket, the deck of playing cards that I very stealthly took, and the shirt that Justus and I teamed up on to swipe, I also got an unsolicited pep talk.
Since I wasn't dressed up in a shirt & tie and I didn't have a resume or prepared questions to ask, I just wandered through the aisles checking stuff out. In the Garden Court I spotted a table that said 'Farmington Police'. This was not Farmington UT mind you but Farmington NM. I had heard a rumor that the PD was hurtin' for new recruits and were coming as far up as Provo to try to get people to join. I thought I'd check it out, so I went over to the table and sure enough, there was a map of my town (actually, I'm from Fruitland but Farmington is the 'big city' that is 20 miles away). I started to chat with the lady that was there, we talked about my High School for a bit, about the town, etc. Then, her companion, Deputy Barney Fife, spoke up. He was Navajo, like me, and asked me what I was studying. I told him. Then he proceeded to give me the ol' "Keep on your studies" "Study Hard" "Keep to it" speech. I don't mind getting it from the Rogers (the family I lived with for a year), because they know me and are like a second family, but from strangers, I HATE IT !!! Are all minorities always looked upon as having a doomed future, forever to have the curse of the ghetto life in store for them ?!?!? Do I look like I'm going to fail and be forced to live like everyone else on the Rez ?!?!? Why do people always assume that if you are of the non-white variety, that you need to be motivated to 'Stay in School''Don't smoke Crack' or 'Keep out of Trouble' ???
Now I'm not one to make racial statements or push racial issues down other people's throats....unless people know that I am joking and they also find it amusing. Heck, I love watching comedians like Gabriel Iglesias make fun of all the things that divide people and show how foolish things like that really are.
But when people give me the 'Stay in School' pep talk, then I get irritated because they assume I'm headed for a grim life if I don't stay in school. Many a people have succeeded without a college education, I just happen to like school (to a point), and I just happen to like learning.
So, as a thing that must Go: unsolicited pep talks that imply that because I am in the minority I am doomed to the ghetto life.
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