Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

                             Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

                  After studying this week, I found that I had to adjust some of my ways, because as innocent as they might be and unintentional,  with the terms that I learned, I realized that some are classified under the micro aggressions.  Well, sadly enough I went into the furniture store, and I was there to pay my bill.  Well, my children started running around, so I followed them, so that I could get them together and bring them back next to me.  Well, this young lady came out of the office and asked me if she could help, and I told her no, I was just looking.  So, when I got to the counter and the young lady was standing next to the other worker, I asked if the young girl was her daughter? She said, "no, my mother is the owner."  So, then I said, "oh, I said you know that children can work for their parents and make up to 5000 dollars as long as their parents are the boss."  And she said "yea I am old enough to work.  The young lady went on to tell me that she was graduating in two weeks.  And I like an idiot told her that she looked very young,  and that I would not give her over 12.  I also told her, that she would always get carded, and that when she is 50, that she would look 20 maybe.  She was really nice,  I truly meant well, but it was definitely an ism.  I am going to go out on a line, and say it was an AGEISM (discrimination), because I assumed that she was too young to help me, and then when I found out she was of age, it shocked me.  Then I thought I was giving her a compliment  by telling her she looked very young, in a good way, but what I was really conveying is that people will always think she is too young, and that just like I did not seek her help, because I thought she looked like a kid,  so will others.  I was not trying to say that, but after I pondered over my words later, I realized how the content was conveyed. 

I apologized to her, and though she said I am use to that, and that it felt good to look young, I know somewhere inside, she probably wonders if she will ever be taken serious.

I think self awareness was at its highest for me this week,  because I realized that just as much as  people discriminate against me etc, that minor things that I saw  as innocent, also conveyed a tone that could be misconstrued.