Impressions
...o be my sophomore year in high school. I remember the situation just like it was yesterday. My mom and I were standing in line waiting to be checked out and the lady, she was a Caucasian woman with short curly brown hair. She was standing behind us when she said these words “ Excuse me, Mrs. happy black history month”. I turned and looked at her and I just went off at the mouth saying things like “ That was so stupid” Or “ Get a life” because it bothered me. I didn’t understand why someone would say “Happy black history month” like everyday shouldn’t be about my culture or anybody’s culture at that. I’m very pleased the lady recognized that black people had a ONE month in a whole entire year set out for them but, what she said as innocently as she did, caused me to become and embarrassment to my mother and myself in public. As we left the grocery store and loaded our bags into the vehicle my mom talked to me, she said, “ Taniqua, there’s just some things you have to let go, She didn’t know any better”. I guess that night I realized that attitude is everything, and as I got home I thought to myself those people probably thought I was really tripping like “wow, I know not to push her button” I gave off an impression as a confrontational teenager with know home training as to how to act in public. Actions speak louder than words I often hear people say, and their right they do. During the summer my friends and I would often ride around tall making a stop at the local park, Martin Luther King Park. At King we’d often see our friends playing basketball with guys we didn’t know. After they were done playing a couple of them would finally approach trying to spit game (a form of sweet talking someone)“ Ay ma what’s good” or just simply yell at us so we wouldn’t respond. We’d just nod our head and keep on going, I don’t talk to those who have to yell at me to get my attention. A girl, who was once a friend of mine, often carried herself in a way that drew attention to boys and girls. The attention she drew to the girls gave off them impression that she thought she was “That girl our here”. Well, one day as we were all at the park she came dressed in her stiletto pumps with some fitted blue jeans and a long fitted at the chest and below the waist shirt walking past a girl giving off the impression I got your man. The young lady who was there didn’t like what she saw so she decided to open up her mouth and say “ Look at that ** she thinks she’s that girl out here “ and the response of my friend was “ ** I am that girl out here” and then it was time to knuckle up and buck. Well my friend backed down and walked away but the way she reacted to me and to everyone else who was around said she was going to handle her business. Now, every since that day she’s learned to watch what she says and to keep her on a level in which she doesn’t feel like she’s better than everyone. Actions can get you into a lot of trouble if you don’t watch them. The way...